Economics

The Minerals Council’s Economics team provides input on matters affecting investment in the South African mining industry and issues facing the mining industry with an economic impact. Its function includes collating and analysing data and information on behalf of the industry, and advising industry on responses and positioning in respect of critical issues

Critical team members

• Hugo Pienaar: Chief Economist
• Bongani Motsa: Senior Economist
• Christian Teffo: Deputy Head: Techno-economics
• André Lourens: Economist

Context

Although mining provides the single greatest part of South Africa’s export revenues and employs directly and indirectly, more people than any other comparable sector, it faces significant regulatory uncertainty compared to international peers. So, though the Minerals Council’s Economics team would wish to reposition mining as the country’s leading economic sector with a doubling of its real investment by 2030, these many hindrances act against attaining this goal.

Key Activities

• Positioning the Minerals Council as a principal advocate to government on major policy positions that affect or are affected by mining and endorsed by members.
• Providing strategic support and advisory input to members, facilitating interaction among mine employers, examining policy issues and other matters of mutual concern to define desirable industry-level stances. Consultation and co-operation occur on a voluntary basis and do not encroach on the managerial controls or prerogatives of our individual member mines and mining groups.
• Representation on formalised policy positions that our membership holds to various organs of South Africa's national and provincial governments and to other relevant policy-making and opinion forming entities inside the country, and internationally.
• Assimilating mining industry positions into the broader South African business positions, through interactions with other non-mining relevant chambers.
• Improving awareness and promotion of South African mining with local and international investors/organisations.

External initiatives

• Ensure mining company representation on government forums pertaining to health and safety, security and infrastructure.
• Establish and ensure ongoing effectiveness of regional mining chambers to unlock cross-border synergies.
• Infrastructure forums across the mining industry with multiple stakeholders to ensure optimal allocation of capital and growth of South African mineral resources.