from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
Western Cape Bureau
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – SOUTH African Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, officially welcomed delegates to the 2026 Investing in African Mining Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Monday, 9 February, underscoring the event’s pivotal role in advancing Africa’s mineral-led economic transformation.
The conference, taking place from 9 to 12 February 2026, comes just months after the first G20 Summit held on African soil, further elevating Africa’s strategic position in global economic discussions.
Under the theme “Stronger Together: Progress through Partnerships,” the Indaba has drawn more than 10,500 delegates, including over 1,450 mining company executives, 1,300 global investors, and 1,400 government officials from across Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
The event also features approximately 625 speakers shaping high-level debates on investment, sustainability, and industrial growth within the continent’s mining sector.
At the opening ceremony, Minister Mantashe emphasised that the African mining sector must be leveraged to foster inclusive development, boost exploration, build value chains closer to production, and attract long-term capital.
He highlighted that collaboration across public and private stakeholders is essential to unlock Africa’s critical mineral potential for the benefit of local economies and communities.
“Africa’s mineral endowment is vast, yet to realise its full value requires partnerships that bring capital, skills, and infrastructure on the ground,” Mantashe said.
“We must move beyond simply exporting raw materials and build downstream industrial capacity within the continent.”
The Indaba’s strategic objectives reflect Africa’s ambitions to accelerate mining investment, strengthen mineral value chains, and align sector growth with global demand for strategic resources such as lithium, cobalt, copper, platinum group metals, and rare earth elements.
These minerals are central to the global energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and technology supply chains — making Africa vital to future industries.
Despite being an African-centred event, the Mining Indaba draws significant participation from European, American, and Asian investors and industry leaders due to the continent’s rich mineral reserves and rising global demand.
These international delegates attend to partner with African mining companies, secure investment opportunities, gain access to strategic resources, and influence regulatory and sustainable mining practices.
Their presence also underscores Africa’s role in supplying critical minerals needed for renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles, aerospace, and digital infrastructure.
Africa’s mineral wealth — including cobalt, lithium, platinum group metals, manganese, rare earths, copper, and gold — gives the continent a competitive edge in the industrial and energy futures of the world.
Rare earth elements, for example, are indispensable for high-tech applications ranging from wind turbines and batteries to defence systems and mobile devices, making Africa an indispensable global supplier.
In addition to investment forums, the Indaba schedule includes specialised sessions like the African Ministers’ Critical Minerals Roundtable, investor dialogues, exploration investment forums, and youth development programmes aimed at empowering the next generation of mining leaders.
As delegates engage in discussions throughout this week, the 2026 Mining Indaba stands as a testament to Africa’s drive toward sustainable mining, economic diversification, and stronger global partnerships — seeking not just to extract minerals, but to transform them into shared prosperity.
– CAJ News