This year’s Junior Indaba is one of many conferences that have been postponed because of the international Covid-19 crisis, and although new dates have been set for November 3 and 4, the organisers have to remain flexible and adaptable to an uncertain and unprecedented set of circumstances.

Junior Indaba organiser Resources 4 Africa conference manager Ros Hinchcliffe tells Mining Weekly many of the speakers have confirmed their availability for the new date, and the original focus of the programme is still highly relevant.

However, she notes that the focus of the agenda will continue to be reviewed as part of an ongoing process as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds.

Many of the issues faced by the junior mining sector are ongoing challenges, with or without Covid-19, such as financing, legislation, politics and new technology –however, in addition, the specific impact of Covid-19 will be addressed as well.

“The impact of the virus has been far-reaching. It has to be part of the conversation. It can’t be ignored,” Hinchcliffe notes.

She says the general feedback that Resources 4 Africa has received from junior miners is that they are expecting a tough time in the near future. She expects that many juniors will struggle to stay afloat, and quite a few may fold. Moreover, she laments that even less funding will be available for juniors, given the significant economic impact.

The Junior Indaba this year will, therefore, place much focus on how juniors can survive these trying times.

“Those who have managed to weather the storm – how are they doing it? What have they done? What lessons can others learn from them going forward? When traditional funding options are not as available as before, what are some of the more innovative ways that juniors are getting funding?”

Hinchcliffe highlights these questions as some of the key issues that will drive discussions, as even larger mining companies are going to find the coming months difficult.

She adds that it is also important to explore how junior miners will manage the implementation of physical distancing requirements in sometimes crowded mining environments.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a National Address on April 21 that Covid-19 is going to be a problem for the country for the foreseeable future, with some experts predicting it will continue to directly affect businesses for at least the next two years.

Therefore, more stringent hygiene protocols will need to be adopted by juniors to limit the spread of infections. Moreover, Hinchcliffe says it will be necessary to discuss what the demands of unions will be to protect their members from risk of infection.

“There are many unknowns at this stage. However, we believe that we will have a much better understanding of the situation and the way forward for the industry by the time the Junior Indaba takes place in November.”

There will also be discussions looking back over the year, pertaining to the lockdown, its impact on the economy and what measures must be put in place to avoid a recurrence.

Further, Hinchcliffe says Resources 4 Africa is also working at securing key speakers from across Africa to ensure a wider view of junior mining that is not wholly focused on South Africa.

“This year we are aiming to have input from organisations from, for example West Africa, such as the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, as well as from East Africa, and from the Southern African Development Community, such as the Botswana Chamber of Mines.”

She notes that while South African junior mining continues to face various challenges, there are many learning opportunities that arise from sharing lessons learned in other African countries.

Virtual Attendance Possibilities

Hinchcliffe says Resources 4 Africa is closely monitoring the developments surrounding Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings, and whether conferences and events of this nature will be allowed by November.

She says the possibility of hosting the event, or portions thereof, through virtual conferencing and live-streaming platforms is being investigated.

“I think it will be quite important by that stage for events, such as the Junior Indaba, to have these options available for delegates. However, we continue to discuss the options as this unprecedented situation evolves.”

She notes that virtual attendance would somewhat undermine one of the greatest benefits of attending events like the Junior Indaba, which is networking opportunities.

“Our research into the junior mining market shows that the ample networking opportunities is the main reason people attend. Everybody is there in the same space and you can physically interact, move about and meet people freely. Online platforms make this a bit more difficult,” she explains.

Resources 4 Africa will continue to keep the industry updated on Junior Indaba developments through its website.