NEWS ANALYSIS: Exploration touted to secure the future of mining in SA
Removal of red tape set to help identify greenfield projects and encourage junior miners
Exploration is the life-blood of any mining sector, but the problem in SA is that there is not much to speak of and it does not bode well for the future of the industry. Many a mining company CEO, speaking at the 25th Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town this week, noted that exploration is absolutely critical for the future of the industry, but more needs to be done to make it attractive for investors to take a chance on prospecting in SA. SA, with a long and illustrious history of big mining, the emphasis has typically been on major companies, to the detriment of smaller miners and exploration. Grant Mitchell, who heads up the Minerals Council’s junior and emerging miners desk, says SA has not developed the junior and exploration mining sector which is still in its infancy. In a number of other mining countries, it very different, he says. In Canada, the Toronto Stock Exchange has 1,000 juniors listed. In Australia there are around 700, while SA’s JSE only has 10 listed...
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