The President of the Mozambican Chamber of Mines (CMM), Geert Klok, has encouraged South African small-scale mining companies to invest in the country. The invitation was made during the 10th edition of the Junior Mining Indaba, held in Johannesburg, a conference recognised as a meeting point to discuss the challenges and opportunities in mining in South Africa and other African countries.
According to a statement from the Chamber of Mines, Mozambique’s mineral resources remain relatively untapped for historical reasons. Geert Klok emphasised that ‘this represents a great opportunity for mining companies, the term used to refer to small and medium-sized enterprises involved in the exploration and development of new deposits. These companies play a crucial role in the development of the sector. Research and exploration work is currently underway for minerals such as heavy sands, rare earth elements, lithium, gold and magnetite.’
The document emphasises that Mozambique has a young but well-established mining industry, which includes, among others, minerals such as heavy sands, coal and graphite. ‘Mozambique is currently the third largest producer of natural graphite in the world. Due to its geographical location, with 2,500 kilometres of coastline and established logistics corridors, the country is especially attractive to mining companies looking to export minerals in large quantities,’ it adds.
Investors in mining companies are generally based in the UK, Canada and Australia. Boris Kamstra emphasised that ‘investors may not be familiar with certain African countries and may face language barriers. This can lead to a greater perception of risk on the part of the investor.’
Geert Klok emphasised that African mining jurisdictions should strive to position themselves as investor-friendly. ‘Organisations representing the mining sector, such as the Mozambique Chamber of Mines, have an important role to play in this context,’ he concluded.
The CMM is a formal private sector organisation that aims to represent the entire mining sector in Mozambique. It was founded in 2012 by some major international mining companies, including Kenmare Resourcess, ENRC, Grafite Kropfmühl and others.
