According to the Australia-Africa Mining Industry Group (AAMIG), Australia’s mining industry can play a key role in helping Africa meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were launched in New York late last year.
AAMIG CEO Ms Trish O’Reilly recently told a conference in Australia that Australian mining companies’ track record of investment in Africa meant the industry could play a lead role in meeting the SDGs.
With the African Investing in Mining Indaba being held next week, Australian companies will be one of the biggest groups represented at the conference.
Trish O’Reilly said: “In-ground discoveries made by Australian companies in Africa amount to A$687 billion, and it is this mineral wealth that Australia can help unlock and translate into socio-economic growth, benefitting Africa’s people.”
“The predicted investment by Australian companies in mining, and the resulting jobs growth, training, tax revenue and infrastructure development, including roads, rail and electricity, will be vital in efforts to permanently lift millions of people out of poverty. In this sense, the Australian resources industry’s future investment in Africa is a potential game changer.”
More than 200 Australian resources companies and 700 service and supply firms are involved in exploration, extraction and processing activities in Africa. There are more than 1100 projects in various stages of development across 38 countries in Africa.
AAMIG’s interaction with African governments over the past year has reaffirmed the belief that African nations are hungry for investment from Australian companies.
“In Australia, we have developed world-class technology and expertise in the resources sector over 150 years. We have refined a model that has strong regulatory standards, transparency, good governance, works well with local communities and integrates indigenous people into the associated economy through employment and procurement. We are proud of the quality of our domestic resources industry and we are exporting it to the world,” Trish O’Reilly said.
“The challenge for Africa will be to attract investment which can lead to increased revenue for governments, employment of thousands of people and provide the training and opportunity for a new generation of African leaders with the global skills required to compete on the international stage.
“Mining can provide those opportunities and Australian companies operating across Africa are already well-regarded for their ability to provide positive social impacts on their host communities. However, they must continue to be innovative in their approach in order to both increase these positive impacts and improve their standing on that continent,” Trish O’Reilly said.
Yolanda Torrisi is Chairperson of The African Mining Network and comments on African mining issues and the growing global interest in the African continent. Contact:yolanda@yolandatorrisi.com
