Modern Mining June 2022

economy of Burkina Faso. Its Houndé, Mana, Karma and Boungou mines are real drivers of socio-eco nomic development in terms of taxes paid, direct and indirect employment, the development of schools and education facilities and, importantly, the role the company played in helping its employees and the communities surrounding the mine during the Covid‑19 pandemic,” explains Heymann. Endeavour Mining, a multi-national mining com pany, is West Africa’s largest gold producer and owns and operates gold mines in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mali.

In a world where gold is scarce and hard to find, the outlook for African gold mining remains positive.

“Africa is blessed with plentiful sunshine and significant sources of water, and gold miners operating in Africa are using this abundance to establish

renewable energy projects for their operations,” says Heymann.

Mark Bristow, CEO of Barrick Gold, spoke simi larly of the efforts and initiatives the gold miner was making around its Kibali gold mine in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an area with very little economic activity other than gold mining. Bristow spoke at length of the role the Kibali mine is playing in driving economic development and bringing people out of poverty. He also highlighted the broader socio-economic development that comes as a result of responsible mining. Barrick Gold operates gold mines in the Ivory Coast, DRC, Mali, Tanzania and Zambia.

Clive Johnson, CEO of B2gold, also highlighted some of the efforts the company has played in improv ing the economy of Mali. In fact, B2Gold contributes as much as 8% to Mali’s gross domestic product. With a move away from employing expats at mines across Africa, more than 95% of people employed at mines are sourced from local communities.

Gold mining companies are also instrumental in key infrastructure development, including building schools, roads, hospitals, and establishing water infrastructure for the communities surrounding the mining operations. Climate change and gold mining As companies look to clean energy options, gold miners are

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