As interest from emerging economies in mining in Africa is said to increase exponentially, countries such as India, China, Brazil, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates continue search for place in the African mining market. Coupled with the fall of a number of dictatorships, the African mining industry is ripe for transformation and innovation in what has been dubbed the “new scrabble for Africa”.
According to Steven De Backer, Director of Africa Mining and Energy Projects at Webber Wentzel, mining developments and trends in Africa are driven by position of resource nationalism. National governments now seek a more active role in reaping the benefiting from their mineral resources and spread this wealth over the long-term. Legislative changes allow for many African countries to leverage Africa mineral potential to their best advantage and ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency.
There is a great need to refurbish and establish infrastructure capable of meeting demands, emerging markets alone are expected to invest six trillion USD over the next three years, according to Merrill Lynch Research Estimates. 
The new capital requirements have placed mining in a high risk category for banks and there is a move towards unconventional financing, including Strategic Investors such as China and loans from the European Development Fund and the state-controlled share of mining and metal production will most likely increase.
As a result of both the need for infrastructure and skills shortage, the trend is towards increasing obligations and demands for Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability obligations. Addressing environmental impacts, skills training, community and education trusts, are all areas that facilitate community development within host countries, this according to the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).
As the mining industry moves forward in the future and the rest of the globe continues to search for more sustainable economic development, it is clear that African countries are no longer taking the role of passive producer of natural resource.
Thank you Lesedi Boipelo Setlhatswe for sharing your article with us. Its always refreshing reading something newsworthy that is positive. Lesedi is currently studying Bachelors of Honours at UCT, we here at CA Global wish you all the luck.
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What an informative and very well written article that you wouldnot expect from a young adult because young people think of extravigant cars when they think of mining and not the importanceof it. In deed good luck to Lesedi and well done on the well researchedarticle
Yes, there is definitely a need for improved infrastructure and a far more skilled workforce. If one looks at the case of South Africa and the recent labour unrest in the mining sector, a more educated and skilled workforce would have been less vulnerable and would have been in a better position to negotiate.
Thanks for the write-up Lesedi. I think it is important and high-time that African nations own their resources, we cannot head into the “colonisation” of our land and its riches. I do have fears of widespread corruption where minerals are involved and the people of our nation and continent suffering as a result. I just hope that our leaders make the right decisions to benefit the people of the land and lead us to a new and powerful Africa.
Well written article Lesedi and I agree with Hulisani and Boitumelo. Africa needs to start taking ownership of its resources in order to benefit its people. We cannot have European/Asian countries coming in to take over our resources and then selling the final product back to us.
What we need is leadership that will come in to serve the people and do what is right for the people.
Thank you for your insight Lesedi. Interesting that it is now referred to as the new scrabble for Africa, with our own governments finally getting involved in Africa’s many riches. However, as seen in cases such as Zambia, this also means that our resources are even more susceptible to corruption and abuse of power, which means that despite promises being made by our leaders, not all of Africa’s people will share in the wealth of this minerals.
We need insure that leaders we elect are not concerned about lining their pockets, but rather about fulfilling the mandate of improving the lives of the people who elected them, which includes educating the workforce so that they are not taken advantage of by mining companies and unions.
I really enjoy the blog.Much thanks again. Great.