Modern Mining February 2017

EVENTS

Better mood at Mining Indaba

While it would perhaps be over-stating matters to say that delegates at this year’s Mining Indaba, held from 6-9 February in Cape Town, were highly optimistic about prospects for the mining industry, there was clearly a much better mood in evidence than at the 2015 and 2016 events. As Modern Mining’s Arthur Tassell reports here, the consensus seemed to be that commodity prices were on an upward trend and that a recovery in mining activity was gathering strength.

T his was probably not a record- breaking Mining Indaba in terms of attendance and the number of exhibitors (official figures were not yet available as this article was being written) but the show was well organised and the ‘quality’ of the delegates seemed very high. While almost everyone that Modern Mining spoke to expressed broadly positive sentiments about the state of the min- ing industry in South Africa – and indeed Africa – there was also an acceptance that the levels of activity attained at the height of the resources ‘super-cycle’ roughly a decade ago were unlikely to be regained.

The positive mood was summed up by Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane who noted that a new balance was emerging in the demand and supply of mineral resources.

The scene in the exhibition hall at the Mining Indaba.

28  MODERN MINING  February 2017