While SA grapples with the challenge of rebuilding its economy, there is a subject that needs an honest airing, and that is: what can we do to encourage investment back into our mining industry? Investment has always been the backbone of mining. As the gold rush of the 1880s transpired, mining entrepreneurs of that era realised this enduring truth: you can only fully realise the social and economic benefits of SA’s rich mineral endowment by attracting capital. It is little wonder that the "gold rush" on the Witwatersrand in 1886 led to the formation of the JSE in 1887. At the time, the JSE was specifically formed for the purpose of raising capital that would fund SA’s mining sector during the gold boom. Another good example of this is the establishment of Anglo American. To realise his ambitions, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer had to raise £1m from the American bank, JP Morgan, and UK financiers to build our company in 1917. Investment is mining’s "Holy Grail". In a capital-intensive and re...
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