The 2026 African Mining Indaba gets underway in Cape Town today, bringing together African leaders, industry stakeholders, and global investors. The conference will focus on the responsible development of the continent’s mineral resources, investment opportunities, and policy certainty. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources says the event aims to restore and strengthen investor confidence in South Africa’s mining sector.
However, concerns remain about the country’s long-term mining strategy and broader economic planning. Chief researcher at the Bench Marks Foundation, David Van Wyk, has highlighted several challenges facing the sector.
“I think there’s a lot of misrepresentation taking place,” Van Wyk said. “Certain minerals have peaked, and we need to accept that. Mines will have to close, and we must re-engineer both the economy and the mining towns that will be affected. Platinum, for example, is experiencing declining demand as electric vehicles reduce the need for catalytic converters, leaving jewellery as the primary market. This will have serious implications for areas like Rustenburg. My question is: what is the Department planning in terms of scaling down mining and building a post-mining economy?”
Van Wyk also raised concerns about other minerals, infrastructure, and policy direction. “South Africa controls 80 to 90 percent of the world’s manganese, yet most of it is exported. Investor confidence remains low due to policy uncertainty, particularly around the transition from large-scale to small and medium-scale mining. Infrastructure maintenance has been neglected, and we need to ask why we are not investing more in ourselves.”
As the Indaba unfolds, these issues are expected to remain central to discussions on sustainable mining, local development, and attracting responsible investment to South Africa.
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
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