Driving sustainable investment in African Mining

Tommy Horton

VP Investor Relations & Corporate Development Ivanhoe Mines

Tommy Horton has over 20 years’ mining industry experience. He started his career as a mechanical engineer on projects for Freeport-McMoRan, Nutrien, and BHP, focused on the processing of base metals and potash. Since then, Tommy has held various corporate development and investor relations roles, developing and financing critical mineral and precious metal mining projects across Africa, Europe, and North America. Tommy joined the investor relations and corporate development team at Ivanhoe Mines in 2022, based in London. During his time at Ivanhoe Mines, a number of significant capital projects were successfully delivered, including the Phase 3 expansion and 500,000-tonnes-per-annum copper smelter at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC, new concentrator and underground mine rehabilitation at the Kipushi zinc mine also in the DRC, and Phase 1 of the Platreef platinum-palladium-nickel-rhodium-copper-gold mine in South Africa. In addition, the world’s 4th largest copper discovery of the past decade was made at the Western Forelands exploration project in the DRC. In addition, during his tenor at Ivanhoe Mines, Tommy has been involved in over $1 billion in equity financings and $750 million in debt financings. Tommy has a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Manchester and an MBA from London Business School. 


2026 Agenda Sessions

China’s investment shift – what it means for African mining projects

China’s approach to investing in Africa’s mining sector is undergoing a quiet transformation from high-profile, state-driven mega deals to more discreet, commercially structured investments led by private companies. This panel explores what this shift means for African governments and junior miners seeking capital. Can Chinese investment play a meaningful role in building regional value chains? What does a "future-proof" partnership with China look like in 2026? And is there real potential for trilateral collaboration between Chinese investors, African operators, and Western DFIs in an era of strategic competition?

Tuesday 10 February 13:15 - 14:00 River Nile Stage (CTICC1 - Ground Floor - Investment Village)

Add to calendar 02/10/2026 13:15 02/10/2026 14:00 China’s investment shift – what it means for African mining projects

China’s approach to investing in Africa’s mining sector is undergoing a quiet transformation from high-profile, state-driven mega deals to more discreet, commercially structured investments led by private companies. This panel explores what this shift means for African governments and junior miners seeking capital. Can Chinese investment play a meaningful role in building regional value chains? What does a "future-proof" partnership with China look like in 2026? And is there real potential for trilateral collaboration between Chinese investors, African operators, and Western DFIs in an era of strategic competition?

River Nile Stage (CTICC1 - Ground Floor - Investment Village) Africa/Johannesburg