George Meadows 30/01/2026 George Meadows 30/01/2026

Partnering for Progress: Investing in Tanzania’s Minerals Value Chain

Speakers

H.E. Anthony P. Mavunde
Minister of Minerals | United Republic of Tanzania

Amb. James G. Bwana
Tanzanian Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa

Folaseto Akin-Olugbade
Investment Director | Africa50

Pedro Besugo
Head of Consulting | Invest Africa

John de Vries
Managing Director & CEO | Black Rock Mining

Dr. Janet R. Lekashingo
Chairperson | Mining Commission

Jeremiah Lyimo
Head of Treasury | NMB Bank

Kheri Mbiro
Partner | Breakthrough Attorneys

Anna Rabin
Managing Director | Above Ground Advisory

Alex Mgeni
Head of Business Banking | NMB Bank

Simon Shayo
Vice President - Sustainability & Corporate Affairs (Africa) | AngloGold Ashanti

George Meadows 06/01/2026 George Meadows 06/01/2026

Mining Series 2026 Programme

View our Mining Series 2026 programme.

Monday 9 February

14:00 Roundtable on High-Impact Opportunities for Junior Miners in Angola

*Private Roundtable. For more information, click here.

18:00 Mining Series 2026 Opening Reception

Hosted in partnership with Africell, DLA Piper and Xcalibur Smart Mapping.

Guests of Honour:

Hon. Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism, Republic of South Africa

Speakers:

Andrés Blanco, Chief Executive Officer Xcalibur Smart Mapping
Terence Dambe, Managing Partner, Minchelin & Kelly (Botswana), DLA Piper Africa

Venue: Pier Place, Heerengracht St, Foreshore

Tuesday 10 February

08:00 Panel Discussion: Leveraging Potential – Geopolitical Monitoring in African Mining

As Africa's mining sector continues to attract global investment, the complex interplay of politics, security, and regulation presents both opportunities and risks. Africa holds approximately 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, making it a critical global player in the future of energy transition and data centres. As global actors focus their geopolitical strategy on how to secure energy and technology security, partnerships with African countries have become essential. As geopolitical tensions continue to rise, Africa has become an important frontier with the mining sector critical to global conversations.

This panel brings together experts in geopolitics, resource governance, and mining operations to explore how real-time geopolitical monitoring can inform strategic decisions, mitigate risk, and support sustainable growth across the continent. From shifting regulatory frameworks to security volatility and international competition, this session will provide insights into how stakeholders can stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Opening Keynote Addresses:

Thomas R. Hardy, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Wale Shonibare, Director, Energy Financial Solutions, Policy & Regulations, Power, Energy, Climate & Green Growth Complex, African Development Bank

Opening Presentation:

Matthew Venturas, Head of Corporate Intelligence, Sub-Saharan Africa, S-RM

Panellists:

Dr. Gracelin Baskaran, Director of the Critical Minerals Security Programme, Centre for Strategic & International Studies
Harry Doyne-Ditmas, Africa Growth Leader, Marsh
Samuel Gahigi, Head of Government Relations, Africa Regions, Rio Tinto
Andrew Shaw, Chief Strategy & Planning Officer, Transnet SOC
Sanjeev Gupta, Advisory Board Member, Invest Africa (moderator)

Venue: One & Only Cape Town, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront

12:00 Panel Discussion: Junior Miners - Exploring the Untapped Potential

As the demand for mineral resources across Africa continues to grow, junior miners are emerging as key players at the forefront of exploration and discovery. These companies take on the critical, high risk, early stages of project development, paving the way for larger-scale investments. However, the high-risk, high-reward nature of this work often deters traditional funding sources, which tend to shy away from the volatility associated with the junior mining sector. Initiatives such as the BHP Xplor demonstrate how large firms work with junior miners to share knowledge and service expertise.

This session will explore strategies to de-risk investments in the junior mining space. Discussion topics include how governments and large scale practitioners can play a more proactive role, and how innovative financing models can be developed to support early-stage exploration and foster sustainable growth across Africa’s mineral landscape.

Guests of Honour:

Hon. Henry Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Hon. Dr. Polite Kambamura, Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Republic of Zimbabwe
Hon. Dr. Jean Mathanga, Minister of Mining and Energy, Republic of Malawi

H.E. Birhanie Yadessa, State Minister at the Ministry of Mines, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Speakers:

Jørgen Evjen, Chief Executive Officer, Akobo Minerals AB and Etno Mining Plc
Declan Galvin, Managing Director, Exigent Risk Advisory
Segun Lawson, President & CEO, Thor Explorations
Alexander Lemon, President and Co-Founder, Mkango Resources

Venue: One & Only Cape Town, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront

15:00 Panel Discussion: Strategic Corridors – Investment in the Lobito Supply Chains

The Lobito Corridor is a transformative economic route connecting the port of Lobito in Angola to the mineral-rich Katanga region in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Copperbelt in Zambia. As Africa’s first open-access transcontinental rail link, it aims to streamline supply chains for critical minerals and unlock substantial regional economic potential.

With global actors such as the United States, the European Union, the African Development Bank, and the Africa Finance Corporation engaged in the corridor. It reflects growing geopolitical interest in securing diversified and resilient critical mineral supply chains. It also highlights the potential for deeper regional integration through infrastructure-led development.

This panel will explore how investment strategies are shaping the Lobito Corridor initiative, the increasing importance of critical mineral exploration throughout the corridor and how multi-government cooperation can support in de-risking projects that ensure sustainable access to critical minerals. The panel will also discuss what this means for future investment and infrastructure connectivity across the region and more broadly access to critical minerals.

Keynote Speaker:

Hon. Situmbeko Muskotwane, Minister of Finance, Republic of Zambia

Speakers:

Bethany Aquilina Brez, Acting Vice President, Office of Foreign Policy, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
Nicolas Gregoir, Chief Operarting Officer, Lobito Atlantic Railway
Mfikeyi Makayi, Chief Executive Officer, KoBold Metals Africa
Ian Massey, Head of Corporate Intelligence, EMEA, S-RM
Brian Menell, Chairman & CEO, TechMet
Osaruyi Orobosa-Ogbeide, Deputy Director and Head of Project Development & Investments, Africa Finance Corporation
Samantha Carl-Yoder, Principal, Public Policy, Brownstein (moderator)

Venue: One & Only Cape Town, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront

17:30 Partnering for Progress: Investing in Tanzania’s Minerals Value Chain

Taking place on the margins of Invest Africa’s Mining Series 2026, this event, hosted in partnership with Breakthrough Attorneys, will highlight bankable opportunities across Tanzania’s critical minerals value chain, from exploration through to processing, while outlining the regulatory frameworks supporting responsible investment. For more information about this event and how to register, click here.

Venue: The Watershed, Workshop 17, 17 Dock Road, V&A Waterfront

Wednesday 11 February

08:00 Panel Discussion: Mining the Future – Technology and Innovation in Africa’s Green Transition

Technology is rapidly transforming the global mining sector, and Africa stands at the cusp of this innovation wave. Automation, digitalisation, and remote operations are helping companies optimise resource use, reduce costs, and improve safety. Each are critical factors in a sector facing labour shortages and rising ESG expectations.

An area where new technologies, such as smart data technology, have become essential in the sourcing, tracing, and distribution of minerals. The use of blockchain technology has provided significant improvements to the transparency within the mineral supply chain with traceability of minerals more attainable.

This session will explore how African mining can harness the full potential of emerging technologies to drive standards in traceability and replicate traceability standards in the critical mineral supply chains. The panel will discuss the positive outcomes on Africa’s green transition and ensuring sustainable supply chains.

Panellists:

H.E. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Mines and Land Resources, Republic of Ghana
Marie-Chantal Kaninda, President, Glencore DRC
Andrew Lockwood, Vice President, Technology, Xcalibur Smart Mapping
Alexis Akwagyiram, Managing Editor, Semafor Africa (moderator)

Venue: One & Only Cape Town, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront

11:30 Panel Discussion - Powering Critical Minerals in Southern Africa: Making Renewable Energy Bankable for Critical Minerals Projects

Renewable energy is now essential to unlocking critical minerals, however projects are stalling at the point of delivery. Complexities in PPA, risk and infrastructure limitations are preventing the necessary flow of capital to scale projects at pace.

This forum brings together leaders from mining, energy, finance and government to cut through the execution challenges and explore how to structure, finance and deliver renewable energy that is truly bankable, and capable of underpinning Southern Africa’s critical minerals growth.

Speakers:

Hon. Dean Macpherson, Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Republic of South Africa
H.E. Antony Phillipson CMG, High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Dalu Ajene, CEO & Head of Coverage, Africa, Standard Chartered
Jed Goldstein, Infrastructure Lead, First Quantum Minerals
Isabel Fick, Group Head of Trading and Operations, Africa GreenCo
Lisa Pinsley, Fund Head: African Transition Acceleration Fund | African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM)

Venue: One & Only Cape Town, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront

18:00 Mining Series 2026 Closing Reception

Keynote Speakers:

Ms Pinky Sharon Kekana, Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Republic of South Africa
Donovan Chimhandamba, President & CEO, Nyanza Light Metals
Dr. Carlos Lopes, Professor at Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town
Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO, Africa Finance Corporation

Venue: Utopia, 40 Chiappini Street, De Waterkant

*Please note this programme is subject to change.