The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), His Excellency Mr. Elias Mpedi Magosi, joined high-level delegates including ministers, investors, and industry leaders on 9 February 2026 for the official opening of the 2026 Investing in African Mining Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa.
His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia and Incoming SADC Chairperson, delivered the keynote address. He stressed placing mining at the heart of Africa’s economic renewal, advocating partnerships focused on long-term value over extraction alone. Hichilema called on stakeholders to collaborate, ensuring mining uplifts local communities and fuels growth.
South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Honourable Gwede Mantashe, welcomed attendees. He urged African nations to coordinate with global capital, cautioning that fragmented strategies undermine progress in critical minerals, beneficiation, and investment.
Later, H.E. Magosi joined a panel hosted 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.” He highlighted regional cooperation’s vital role in sustainable development, warning that disjointed policies raise uncertainty, transaction costs, and barriers to cross-border investment.
On 10 February, H.E. Magosi will take part in the SADC Ministerial High-Level Public Private Mining Dialogue, chaired by Honourable Gwede Mantashe.
