The Critical Minerals Africa Group (CMAG), the advocacy group seeking to foster deeper relations between Africa and global markets, and put Africa at the heart of international discussions surrounding critical mineral’s policy, is proud to have co-hosted a side-event with the Africa Finance Corporation at the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town. Chaired by CMAG’s chief strategy officer Olimpia Pilch, the event focused on catalysing investment in Africa’s critical minerals’ sector. 

During the panel discussion, Nyoko Isabela, head of mining and finance at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, offered insights into how different stakeholders with varying interests and concerns view risk when approaching mining projects, and how this can affect how projects are financed. 

“The broad strokes in scanning for risk that we perform as banks entail assessing technical soundness, financial and economic merits, compliance integrity and market review. But even these are hardly enough to close the huge chasm between investor expectations that are strongly pitted in short-termism reflective of a world in flux, and the funding requirements that are needed for longer time-frames fraught with vacillating risk dynamics,” she said. 

“What is needed in my view is a deliberate effort to realign expectations through clear-cut, consistent policies that encourage long-term investment.” 

Veronica Bolton Smith, CMAG’s CEO said, “There is an enormous amount of potential for Africa to leverage its critical minerals’ resources for both domestic industrialisation and broader economic transformation, but to do that, it needs adequate amounts of financing. Most mining projects are worth billions of dollars – finding the cash to finance such large projects is never going to be easy, particularly in a region which also has to deal with additional regulatory and geopolitical risks.” 

“CMAG’s conversations with policymakers and stakeholders at the Mining Indaba are an important part of our mission in coordinating industry expectations and interests, and helping to formulate sound, long-term policy frameworks which can unlock the capital Africa needs to seize the full potential of its critical minerals.”