The Cape Town Mining Indaba is more than just a platform for discussion. As Africa’s premier mining investment conference, scheduled for February 3-6, 2025, the event will take place under the theme: “Future-Proofing African Mining Today.” This year’s theme highlights an urgent reality—the need for immediate action to ensure the sustainability of mining operations. As demand for transition minerals and metals continues to rise, the industry must secure a viable future by balancing extraction with long-term environmental and economic considerations. The Business Weekly & Review interviews RMB Sector Lead for Mining & Resources, Moemedi Moyo.
Q: You will be participating in the 2025 Cape Town Mining Indaba. What can we expect from this year’s event?
A: The Mining Indaba remains a highly subscribed gathering, attracting miners, governments, investors, and stakeholders in the mining support ecosystem. Each participant has distinct expectations. For miners, one of the most pressing concerns is access to capital. According to Ernst & Young’s 2025 report on the top 10 risks facing the mining and metals sector, capital constraints rank as the number one challenge for both junior and major miners. The report also underscores a crucial reality: the global energy transition cannot happen without an increased supply of minerals and metals, positioning the mining industry as a key player in climate mitigation. This presents a threefold challenge—ensuring sustainable mining practices, managing capital discipline, and meeting heightened stakeholder expectations.
Q: Mining remains a key contributor to economic development but faces its share of challenges. What can mining houses do to enhance long-term value creation?
A: Mining companies that develop an adaptive capital strategy can withstand market fluctuations and build resilience against significant shifts. A persistent challenge is balancing the need for immediate returns on investment with long-term value creation. A prime example is capital allocation toward ESG-related investments, which may not yield immediate returns but prove highly beneficial in the long run. Investments in technologies that prevent tailings dam failures or the adoption of renewable energy to reduce carbon footprints may seem costly at the outset, yet they enhance a mine’s attractiveness to funders and investors.
Q: What prospects can we expect for the mining industry in 2025?
A: The year 2024 saw a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the mining sector, a trend that is expected to continue in 2025 as companies consolidate and reposition their portfolios. Miners will be making strategic decisions on what to retain and what to divest, leading to a surge in discussions around capital efficiencies. As side meetings and one-on-one discussions take place alongside the Mining Indaba sessions, the industry’s key challenge will be striking a balance between three priorities: increasing output to meet demand, maintaining competitive pricing, and ensuring sustainability in operations.
Q: What opportunities should we look out for at this year’s Indaba?
A: A notable addition to this year’s Indaba is a dedicated space designed to foster impactful engagement between government ministers and senior officials, facilitating intergovernmental collaboration. This initiative comes at a crucial time following democratic transitions in several Southern African nations after the 2024 elections. We anticipate that government representatives will use this opportunity to strengthen international partnerships, promote investor confidence, and enhance national competitiveness. Key discussions are expected to center on ESG strategies, national net-zero commitments, and policy frameworks to support the adoption of renewable energy in mining operations. The transition roadmap outlined at COP29 will further drive the discourse on sustainable mining practices and land repurposing post-mine closure.
Q: How can the mining sector improve value chain productivity?
A: The efficiency of the entire mining value chain, from raw material extraction to final product delivery, is critical to value creation. In 2024, the sector faced significant headwinds due to shifting commodity structures, economic nationalism policies promoting local empowerment, and resource depletion, which has led to changes in mining methods. Additionally, technological advancements are becoming a key differentiator as companies seek to improve efficiency and maximise ore recovery. Innovations such as advanced mineral processing and leaching technologies are gaining traction over traditional smelting, as they enable miners to extract metals from lower-grade ores more effectively and sustainably.
Q: What role does RMB play in supporting mining sector growth in Botswana?
A: RMB is a key enabler in the mining sector and remains committed to contributing to Botswana’s mining growth story. Our deep industry expertise allows us to offer meaningful insights to miners, value chain players, and policymakers. Beyond providing banking services, RMB serves as a strategic partner, offering tailored transaction advisory, debt structuring, and foreign exchange solutions throughout the mining lifecycle. Our Botswana delegation, led by RMB Botswana Country Director Harriet Mlalazi, will actively participate in the Cape Town Mining Indaba. As a responsible corporate citizen aligned with ESG best practices, RMB is dedicated to helping the industry navigate the complexities of sustainable mining.
Q: When financing mining projects, how does RMB balance profitability with sustainability?
A: Mining presents immense economic opportunities for resource-rich nations, yet it also carries inherent environmental and social risks. The challenge is ensuring that mining activities contribute to sustainable development rather than undermine it. With declining ore grades, resource extraction is becoming more intensive, generating greater waste and increasing environmental costs. Mining, however, can also drive economic growth, generate fiscal revenues, create employment, and support infrastructure development. As a financial institution, RMB is committed to funding projects that promote climate mitigation and adaptation, lessen environmental impacts, and promote social inclusion while maximising the sector’s contribution to sustainable economic growth. For a one-on-one discussion during the Indaba, reach out at moemedi.moyo@rmb.co.bw.
