Investing in African Mining Indaba (Mining Indaba) has announced that South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, will deliver the presidential keynote address at the upcoming ‘Mining Indaba Virtual.’
Following the announcement, Ramaphosa will be joining the already confirmed president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, and Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, at the event which will be held on 2-3 February 2021.
Ten months ago, the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic, in which South Africa had been praised for its hard lockdowns ensuring the virus was contained. Almost all industries were disrupted and shut down, including the mining operations within the country, excluding those supplying coal to power generator, Eskom.
As the world starts to recover from the global pandemic, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry remarked on the government’s “well-thought-out” plan to gradually reopen particular economic sectors, while continuing to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mining industry was one of the first to reopen, as it represents eight per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and up to 60 per cent of South Africa’s exports.
Many of the large mining operators helped combat the virus by developing their own health and safety regimes and working closely with the government to transform facilities.
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