The overarching theme of the 2026 Indaba was “Stronger together: Progress through partnerships,” highlighting that cross-sector collaboration (governments, investors, private sector and communities) is essential for generating capital and advancing mining projects.
Policy and regulatory certainty, smart governance and collaborative frameworks were discussed as key enablers to unlock long-term investment across Africa’s mining sectors.
De-risking and Local Capital Mobilisation
The CEO of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) stressed the need for stronger collaboration, smarter regulation and catalytic African capital to unlock the next wave of projects, moving beyond just attracting foreign capital to leveraging domestic investment vehicles.
National & Regional Investment Promotion
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema highlighted that over US$12 billion has been invested in Zambia’s mining sector since 2022, underlining exploration data initiatives and regulatory strengthening to boost investor confidence. Regional actors, including the North West Provincial Government (South Africa) and various African nations like Liberia and Gabon, used the Indaba platform to promote specific investment opportunities, industrialisation and mining value chain expansion.
Partnerships & Infrastructure Linkages
Participants emphasised pan-African cooperation and regional funding partnerships, for example between South African and DRC funding entities, as strategic tools to attract investment and accelerate mining development. Investment dialogues also touched on trade corridors and logistics bottlenecks as critical enablers of efficient market access and capital deployment.
Strategic Focus Areas for Investors
A recurring investment discussion was around **critical minerals and the energy transition**, with sessions highlighting global demand for secure, sustainable supply chains for materials like graphite, cobalt and others that feed green technology markets. Debate also included digital and technological advancement, with calls for aligning technology decisions with life-of-mine planning to improve productivity and investment appeal.
Investment Barriers & Regulatory Concerns
Some stakeholders, including industry bodies, warned that policy uncertainty, particularly around mining law reforms in South Africa, could weigh on investment decisions and tenure security.
