Crucial Requirements

Exploration, junior culture needed to save mining – Bristow

- Martin Creamer

Unless South Africa starts exploring again and finds new ore deposits, the country will continue to turn out the lights of the mining sector.

With poor policy added, disinvestment and lack of interest will ultimately stop South Africa’s mining industry in its tracks, which will deal a colossal blow to the South African economy.

The urgent need to explore, develop and instil a junior culture in South Africa’s resources sector is emphasised by highly experienced resources consultant Dr John Bristow, a renowned former De Beers geologist.

“We need the leadership to look at where we take this industry, and it’s a resources industry and not just mining. We need to go back to the value curve and we need to go and work on the front of the value curve, which is exploring and finding new orebodies,” said Bristow, who added that South Africa could emulate many global models, not the least being that of Peru.

Exploration expenditure in Peru grew to $151.8-million in the first half of the year, a 28% increase, compared with the same period in 2016. Exploration in Peru is reactivating the as pricing for key commodities such as zinc and copper increase.

Required is a combination of exploration, development and mining, helped by enabling policy.

Instead, South African mining is on a downward trajectory because the legislative framework is frightening away investment.