IGF Activities at 2025 Mining Indaba
- Isabelle Ramdoo, IGF Director, spoke at a session on Evolving African Policy and Value: Developing a Mutually Beneficial Mineral Blueprint, part of the conference’s Intergovernmental Summit track.
- Ege Tekinbas, IGF Senior Policy Advisor, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, joined a panel asking Is Policy a Blocker to Technology and Innovation? The panel was part of the conference’s Tech & Innovation Hub.
- Jonathan Hamisi, IGF Senior Policy Advisor, spoke at a roundtable on Technical Frontiers and Innovations in Mining Science for the Clean Energy Transition: Examining U.S.-Africa Collaborations. The event was part of the conference’s Industry Intel track and organized by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- Jonathan Hamisi, IGF Senior Policy Advisor, spoke at high-level dialogue on Financing Africa’s Transition Minerals: Unlocking Value Chains for Sustainable Growth, organized by the Natural Resources Governance Institute, in collaboration with the Minerals Commission of Ghana and the Africa Center for Energy Policy.
Side Event | Future Proofing Mining through Skills Development and Local Employability
- Organized by the IGF, the International Labour Organization, and Global Affairs Canada
The mining industry is at a turning point, shaped by technological innovation, sustainability requirements, geopolitical instability, and changing global markets. The shift away from fossil fuels and the growing demand for critical minerals emphasizes the urgent need for a skilled and adaptable workforce. However, the sector is experiencing a significant skills shortage, particularly in Africa, where resource-rich developing countries face limited access to specialized training, barriers for women and marginalized groups, and fierce competition for skilled labour.
This dynamic discussion on how to attract and retain talent in this evolving landscape saw expert panelists discuss
- industry needs and skills gaps in Africa, with a focus on Southern Africa;
- barriers to training and career opportunities for women and marginalized groups;
- strategies for developing new talent pipelines to future-proof the mining workforce.
Breakfast Side Event | Critical Choices: Can responsible sourcing empower Africa’s local Economies?
- Organized by the IGF and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)
As the world races to secure critical minerals for the transition to low-carbon technologies, Africa’s resource-rich nations have significant potential to benefit from rising demand. However, the path to prosperity is complex. Global policies and regulations on responsible sourcing—such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) in Europe—are reshaping how minerals are extracted and traded. These initiatives aim to uphold high environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, but they also present both challenges and opportunities for local economies.
This breakfast side event addressed key questions, including the following:
- Are global responsible sourcing initiatives helping or hindering Africa’s mineral development and beneficiation goals?
- How can African stakeholders collaborate to design responsible sourcing policies that avoid creating barriers to growth?
- What role do African governments and regional bodies play in developing home-grown standards and frameworks for responsible sourcing?
- How are African institutions supporting the implementation of these initiatives in producing countries?