CAPE TOWN – One of the world’s leading mining companies, the Zijin Mining Group, is sponsoring the Cape Town-hosted Investing in African Mining Indaba for the first time this year.
The Zijin Mining Group is one of the largest multinational mining groups in the world with interests in gold, copper, zinc and lithium exploration and development.
The mining giant is also engaged in engineering and technological research and development.
The mining indaba is taking place between February 6 to 9 and is the largest mining investment event in Africa.
The event brings together ministers, senior government representatives, mining companies, miners, and investors all under one roof.
Nkwe Platinum and SA’s Zijin Platinum announced the Zijin Mining Group as a sponsor of one of the biggest mining events in the world.
Zijin Mining ranked 325 in the 2022 Forbes Global 2000 list, number one among global gold companies, number seven among metal miners; number 407 in the 2022 Fortune Global 500 list, and number 53 in the Fortune China 500 list.
Zhiyu Fan, the chief executive of Nkwe Platinum, said the Zijin Mining Group was a major investor in the South African mining industry through its wholly-owned subsidiaries. He said their flagship project in the country was the Limpopo-based Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine.
“The company strongly adheres to the co-development belief of ‘Mining for a Better Society’ and believe that the development of enterprises is closely related to the sustainable development of our surrounding communities.
“Through, education, industrial support, infrastructure construction and disaster relief, the group is committed to developing and working together in a mutually beneficial and harmonious way for the benefit of all,” Fan said in a statement.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to attend the event this week and promote his investment and structural reform agenda in order to enhance South Africa’s reputation as a mining investment destination.
Meanwhile, the Nkwe Platinum has spent more than R50 million on its social and labour plans, including investing in the upgrading of the Garatau community access road, community skills development programmes and solar-powered water systems for the benefit of communities bordering the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine.
The platinum mine is also working closely with local businesses, awarding contracts of R7.6m for the site preparation work for the box cut in 2021; R36m of crushers material supply; tipper truck and diesel supply; as well as various other projects in 2022.
Community representatives Mphahlele Klaas Mpuru of Garatau, Mpho Komani of De Kom, Mbuzeni Nkosi of Hoepakrantz, and Maandagshoek’s Kgaphane Lazarus signed a media statement in which they said they had good relations with the the Nkwe Platinum Mine.
“We, as the mine communities of the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine, and as respective community representatives have been enjoying a good relationship with Nkwe Platinum.
“Our communities have suffered for a very long time due to unemployment and poverty but since the start of the mine, our lives have really started to improve.
“We thank you Nkwe Platinum for all you have done for all four mine communities by constructing a tarred road; completing the water project and providing clean water; offering corporate social investment projects; providing skills training and skills transfers; creating employment directly and indirectly; and allocating procurement and business opportunities, among others.
“While there are challenges, Nkwe Platinum has demonstrated its commitment to us for working together with us and building a better society for us, and we are very happy to be part of Nkwe Platinum mining project,” they said.
In August, 2022 Nkwe Platinum and Zijin Platinum embarked on a significant step forward in the digital transformation of the local mining industry by joining hands with MTN and Huawei in signing an agreement to build South Africa’s first 5G-enabled metal mine.
The first step in getting there was the construction of the 5G transmission tower on site which was completed in September, 2022.
Once complete, it will effectively demonstrate how a number of emerging technologies can be combined with 5G to improve functions across the mine to further enhance South African mining industry standards.