Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday 13 April 2016 (ECA): A two-day Expert Group Meeting convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, to examine a major study commissioned by the Capacity Development Division (CDD) of the Economic Commission of Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) successfully concluded this afternoon.
The study, titled “Domestic Beneficiation and Value Addition in the Mineral Sector in Africa: A case study of Minerals and Industrialization in South Africa”, explores an ever-present challenge in Africa’s economic policy landscape – how best to maximize the benefits Africa derives from the exploitation of its abundant natural resources and particularly how best to harness the endowment to serve as a springboard for the continent’s much-needed industrialization. The draft report was prepared by a high level team of academics, researchers and consultants led by Professor Benjamin Turok of the Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA), based in Cape Town, South Africa.
The meeting was officially opened by Mr. Tapiwa Samanga, Chief Director at the Department of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa, who extended a warm welcome to all the participants and underlined the importance and timeliness of the report on beneficiation for his country as well as Africa at large. The Chief Director particularly underlined that “while South Africa battles to stabilize its mining sector in the face of depressed commodity prices, the country is eager and ready to engage partners on the continent, to develop viable solutions to optimize the benefits of mining.”
Also speaking at the opening session, Mr. Martin Ndende, Senior Regional Advisor in CDD and Officer in Charge of the Natural Resources and Sustainable Development Cluster, also expressed his appreciation for the people and Government of South Africa for their warm welcome and hospitality.
The primary purpose of the study was to conduct an in-depth analysis of the South African minerals sector in order to: (1) identify the potential beneficiation opportunities that may exist within the industry; (2) assist the South African government to devise strategies by which to exploit those opportunities; (3) encourage South African mining companies that governmental measures to promote value addition can enhance their competitiveness and serve their long term interests; and (4) propose lessons that may be learnt by other African countries in their efforts to add value to their mineral exports.
It follows that the primary purpose of the meeting was a simple but also important one – to critically examine the draft report against these objectives, debate over, challenge and enrich its approaches, findings and recommendations, and provide feedback for its further enhancement. To that end, each of the nine chapters were presented at the meeting by the authors themselves, supplemented by comments from two discussants in each case and enriched through lengthy and insightful discussions by over 30 experts drawn from several African countries, academic institutions, the NEPAD Agency and sub-regional offices of the ECA.
Right at the beginning of the meeting, Prof. Turok provided a comprehensive overview of the issues addressed in the report, the multidisciplinary team of researchers who used equally multidisciplinary methods to tackle those issues, the tentative findings they arrived at and the conclusions and policy recommendations that flowed therefrom. Among the important conclusions and recommendations Prof. Turok underlined were the need for African countries and continental institutions including the ECA to conduct value chain analyses for each and every significant mineral in each and every African country, to go beyond the specifics and unpack the concept, and to understand the complex mix of preconditions that need to exist in order for successful beneficiation to take place.
By the end of two intensive days of presentations and debates, the high level experts at the meeting were unanimous in their praise for the quality and richness of the report and the soundness and practicability of the policy recommendations. The meeting also suggested a number of ways to further improve the quality and relevance of the report, which the team of consultants has taken on board. The draft report, after a final revision to reflect these proposed changes and some editing and formatting, will be submitted to the ECA for consideration on next steps, including publication and dissemination.
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Ms. Daisy Leoncio