From 2024 to 2025 Mining Indaba: One Year is Long Time

Dubai, UAE – The Mining Indaba 2024, themed "Positive Disruptions," lived up to its name, offering a transformative glimpse into the Africa's mining landscape. For me, attending for the first time, it was an eye-opening journey into the sector, driving a significant share of the continent’s GDP. The city was alive with activity from buzzing conference halls to offsite "Outdaba" discussions. During the event, I made so many new connections, learned so much more about the sector and its challenges and opportunities, and also noted to take many actions that underscored the way forward.

Some standout moments were…

• Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) roundtable where I sat alongside policymakers, senior executives from junior to major mining companies, trading companies, banks and financial institutions. The discussions tackled everything from regulatory frameworks to financial innovations aimed at catalyzing growth in the Africa's mining sector. The diversity of perspectives enriched my understanding of the industry's challenges and opportunities (thank you Abigail Hunter ).
• Anglo-American Gala Dinner, I had the privilege of sitting with some of the industry's most influential leaders. Conversations at the table spanned everything from sustainability to technological advancements, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in shaping the mining sector’s future (thank you Ahmed Ouguenoune ).
• J.P. Morgan Payments Mining Indaba Breakfast brought together treasurers and broader corporate stakeholders for industry-specific discussion as the mining sector and its value chains’ challenges of redefining are having a deep impact for the priorities of treasurers in the sector (thank you Wayne Cook ).

Panel discussions and in-conference interview…

• In the Mining Indaba 2024, I joined a panel discussion with Raadiyah Emam Nere Emiko Tsietsi Molai and Vutomi Maluleke and reflected on the strategies for “Aligning the planets to tackle the African funding shortfall” as part of the Finance & Investments series, and underlined the key themes:

#ShiftingSands: Africa's mining revolution 2.0 is underway, marked by technological disruptions and geopolitical shifts.

#StructuralChange: Major players are returning to Africa with fresh investments, signaling renewed confidence in the continent's resources.

#DecarbonizationImperative: The energy transition is reshaping supply chains, with new partnerships emerging to meet global sustainability goals.

#CollaborativeFinancing: Financial innovation is at the forefront, with treasury functions gaining prominence in enabling sustainable growth.

#BeyondExtraction: The focus is expanding to technology integration, talent development, downstream processing, and in-country value creation.

• In an exclusive interview with the Mining Indaba TV at the Mining Indaba 2024 (https://youtu.be/qzJsvlaOSZU?si=Is4s6C48n_qtyQNS), we discussed about the mining sector’s trilemma around sustainability, security, and affordability, and we also highlighted that the treasury function in the mining sector is more important than ever to manage trilemma, while diversifying and expanding operations (thank you Nastassia Arendse and Arina Biguna ). And we coined the sector’s challenge as an opportunity to future-proof mining sector treasury, which has echoed alongside and broadened to be the Mining Indaba 2025’s theme “Future-Proofing African Mining, Today!”

Since the Mining Indaba 2024, I’ve joined the Mining Indaba Advisory Committee for Finance & Investment alongside esteemed industry leaders Jito Kayumba Taiwo Okwor Hlompho Vuyo Ntoi Caroline Donally CA(SA) Colin Hamilton David Baker Karan K. Rathi and we contributed in our way to the sector’s further development. ?

Treasury: A Pillar for Future-Proofing African Mining

As the mining companies navigate the changing mining sector landscape, treasury function has emerged as pivotal in driving efficient trade, settlement, and risk management. As the companies in the mining sector are diversifying and expanding into new geographies and commodities, while managing the sector’s trilemma, treasury management strategies of the sector must evolve in tandem. This is the moment for the mining sector’s treasuries to adopt forward-thinking strategies, leveraging technology, and fostering a resilient cash culture to address today's challenges, while building up for tomorrow.

1. Evolving Treasury Practices in the Mining Sector: The treasury functions of mining companies are transforming as they adapt to an increasingly dynamic financial landscape. Centralized treasury operations and in-house banking are becoming standard practices, enabling mining companies to enhance liquidity management and streamline processes. By implementing advanced treasury management systems and automation, these companies are shifting from transactional tasks to more strategic roles, such as forecasting and risk management. This evolution not only supports operational efficiency but also positions treasurers as key contributors to their organization’s long-term growth and financial resilience.
2. Real-Time Technology Driving Treasury Transformation: Treasury management systems (TMS) and APIs are revolutionizing treasury operations in every sector and the mining sector is no exception. These technologies provide companies with the ability to monitor cash flows across jurisdictions with unprecedented granularity. With enhanced data-driven insights, mining companies are optimizing working capital and responding to market changes more effectively through predictive analytics and scenario planning. Additionally, the adoption of digital tools enables mining companies to navigate the complexities of cross-border operations and align with sustainability objectives, such as securing funding for renewable energy projects. This shift reflects a broader industry trend toward embracing innovative financial technologies to support growth and sustainability in the global economy.
3. Strategic Working Capital and Risk Management: Effective liquidity and risk management are crucial for mining companies operating in a volatile environment characterized by fluctuating commodity prices and geopolitical uncertainties. Strategies such as accelerating receivables, optimizing payment processes, and leveraging inventory financing help ensure efficient working capital management. Real-time treasury capabilities further enhance resilience by providing the tools to dynamically hedge against currency and commodity risks, as well as to manage credit exposures across diverse geographies. These proactive measures enable mining companies to build financial safeguards, maintain operational continuity, and achieve sustainable growth even in challenging market conditions.

Wrapping up these connections, insights and actions in the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2025, the agenda includes an existing panel The New Frontier: Treasury’s Strategic Role in the Africa’s Mining Revolution moderated by Tristan Attenborough to explore how treasury teams are adapting to the evolving treasury landscape in the mining sector, leveraging technology and addressing working capital and risk management to ensure future-proof operations across treasury functions.

Treasury is a pillar for future-proofing African mining. As the mining sector navigates a period of transformation marked by rising demand for critical minerals, sustainability imperatives, and evolving geopolitical landscapes, the adoption of more connected, digital and intuitive treasury systems is no longer optional—it is necessary. The mining companies that embrace this approach will not only mitigate risks but also unlock opportunities for value creation and long-term resilience.

As the industry gears up for the next Mining Indaba 2025, as noted, one year is a long time, insights, connections, and actions initiated at Investing in African Mining Indaba will undoubtedly shape the future of African mining.

Here’s to #MiningIndaba2025 and the continued evolution of Africa’s mining revolution Investing in African Mining Indaba

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