I have never seen operational excellence fail in mining because people stopped caring. More often, it slips away quietly while everyone is doing their best to keep things moving.

Liberty Coal has successfully recommissioned a key dragline at its Optimum Colliery following the completion of a comprehensive refurbishment and technical restoration programme valued at almost R500 million.

The 2026 Investing in African Mining Indaba carried a familiar public narrative: policy reform, geopolitical positioning and capital mobilisation under the banner of “Stronger Together”. Yet beyond keynote remarks and ministerial statements, a quieter conversation unfolded through technical sessions and industry exchanges.

Exxaro Resources is honoured to announce that it has been awarded the BEE Deal of the Year at the 2025 Deal Makers Annual Awards, in recognition of its landmark manganese transaction.

Glencore has secured bulk copper and zinc concentrates from South African junior Orion Minerals’ Prieska mine under a $250 million prepayment agreement, underscoring the intensifying global race for critical minerals.

Environmental stewardship and sustainability will undoubtedly stimulate discussion at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town – with Omnia Holdings company BME’s teams from its blasting solutions and mining chemicals divisions on hand to offer their insights.

As Cape Town hosts the Mining Indaba this week, the scale of the gathering once again reminds us of mining’s enduring significance to South Africa. More than 10,000 delegates from global executives to investors and government leaders will converge to discuss the future of an industry that has anchored our economy for well over a century.

Mintek will participate in this year’s Mining Indaba as part of the South Africa Pavillion, positioning itself at the centre of discussions shaping the future of critical minerals development in South Africa and across the continent.

According to the Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA), real economic growth in key export markets such as China and India will help sustain demand for South Africa’s minerals and metals exports.

Leading engineering and scientific consultancy SRK Consulting (South Africa) has promoted principal environmental scientist Kirsten King and principal engineering geologist James Dutchman to partnership positions.