The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has called for stronger Public-Private partnership and collaboration to accelerate mineral investment, job creation, and economic growth in the region.
The call was made during the first SADC Ministerial High-Level Public Private Mining Forum held on 10 February 2026 on the margins of the 2026 Investing in African Mining Indaba in Capetown, South Africa.
The Forum was facilitated by Mr. Tapiwa Samanga, Group Chief Executive Officer at Production Technologies Association of South Africa (PtSA) and was attended by SADC Ministers responsible for Mining and Minerals, private sector under the Mining Industry Association of Southern Africa (MIASA), representatives of the Chambers of Mines from SADC Member States and other industry leaders.
Honourable Phumzile Mgcina, the Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources of the Republic of South Africa, on behalf of Honourable Minister Gwede Mantashe, Chairperson of the Committee of SADC Ministers responsible for Mining, highlighted the importance of strengthened cooperation between governments, private sector, and communities through policy harmonisation, optimisation of resource use and access, and the need for a collective voice on African mining issues globally.
The Deputy Minister emphasised that regional competitiveness improves when Member States move from fragmented competition to complementarity, and when SADC institutions coordinate implementation across borders.
The SADC Executive Secretary His Excellency Mr. Elias Mpedi Magosi underscored SADC’s position on minerals as anchored in a regional approach to the exploitation of minerals such that the developmental impact of finite mineral extraction is optimised for sustainable economic growth, industrialisation, and inter-generational equity.
He highlighted SADC's regional instruments, including the SADC Mining Protocol, Regional Mining Vision and the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2015–2063) as key policy and strategic blueprints for the development of the mining sector in the SADC region.
H.E. Magosi outlined SADC's value proposition to investors, citing the region's potential as a coordinated, competitive, and investment-ready mining destination. He reiterated SADC's vision for a sustainable, well-governed mining industry that drives regional industrialisation and adds value to raw minerals, benefiting current and future generations.
On behalf of the Private Sector, MIASA President Mr Jean Luc Marquetoux and Executive Secretary, Mr. Vusi Mabena, welcomed SADC’s commitment to facilitate engagement between public and private sectors, highlighting the need for regular engagements that would lead to accelerated growth and transformation of the Mining Sector in the SADC region.
The leadership of MIASA affirmed Private Sector’s readiness to engage Ministers and the Secretariat through structured mechanisms that advance implementation of the SADC Regional Mining Vision, which aims to foster transparent, equitable, and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to drive sustainable growth and industrialisation across the SADC region.
The Forum agreed on key strategies to promote responsible mining in the region. These include leveraging SADC regional instruments and mechanisms under the Regional Mining Vision and Action Plan to ensure coherent implementation and reduce duplication across SADC Member States; implementing community benefit mechanisms, including formalisation pathways for artisanal miners to operate legally and safely, while reducing environmental harm; and strengthening regional training capacity and technology capability to support beneficiation, safety, and competitiveness in the mining sector.
To strengthen Mining cooperation in the SADC region, the Forum outlined key next steps to drive regional mining development. These include:
The SADC Secretariat will convene regular follow-up engagements, including extraordinary meetings for urgent issues, to sustain ministerial and technical cooperation.
Member States and MIASA will support private sector participation in strengthening regional mining governance and improving regulatory coherence.
SADC Member States and industry partners will prioritize cooperation on responsible mining, artisanal mining formalisation, skills development, technology capability, and policy harmonisation to support value addition.
The 2026 African Mining Indaba provided a platform for SADC to showcase its potential as a premier mining investment destination and promote regional integration and cooperation in the sector.
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Highlight of the SADC Executive Secretary engagements at the 2026 Mining Indaba
The SADC Executive Secretary participated in high-level meetings and engagements during the 2026 Investing in African Mining Indaba under the theme; "Stronger Together: Progress Through Partnerships," He was accompanied by the Director of Industrial Development and Trade, Mr. Kassee Dhunraj, the Senior Programme Officer – Value Chains, Mr. Calicious Tutalife, Mr. Noel Lihiku, Programme Officer for Clusters and Mr. Farai Manhanga, Programme Officer Value Chains.
Ministerial Symposium - 8 February 2026
On 8th February 2026, H.E. Magosi took part in the Ministerial Symposium. Held under the theme; “Banking on Africa: Mobilising Capital Through Partnership", the Symposium which served as a premier forum for African government leaders and industry executives to align on strategies for "Banking on Africa", focusing on actionable, high-level policy dialogue.
During the discussion, H.E. Magosi provided SADC’s regional perspective to implementation, ensuring Africa's mineral wealth is translated into economic benefits, emphasising the need for collaboration on the utilisation of vast mineral resources in Africa.
Official Opening of the Mining Indaba - 9 February 2026
On 9 February 2026 joined several high-level delegates including ministers, investors, and industry leaders at the official opening of the Mining Indaba where His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia and Incoming Chairperson of SADC delivered the Keynote Address. H.E. Hichilema emphasised the importance of positioning mining at the centre of Africa's economic renewal, calling for partnerships that prioritize long-term value creation over mere extraction. He urged stakeholders to work together to ensure that mining benefits local communities and drives economic growth.
Panel on “Green Minerals, Green Industries: Mobilising Regional Partnerships and Finance to Advance Rights-based Development” - 9 February 2026
On 9th February, the SADC Executive Secretary was part of the panel organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Open Society Foundations (OSF) titled; “Green Minerals, Green Industries: Mobilising Regional Partnerships and Finance to Advance Rights-based Development”.
In his contribution, H.E. Magosi emphasised the crucial role of regional cooperation in promoting sustainable development, noting that fragmented policies and uncoordinated approaches to minerals development can increase uncertainty, raise transaction costs, and slow down cross-border investment.
