West African miners are proving to have a golden touch.Over the past decade the region has emerged as a key destination for gold mining in Africa, which was previously dominated by South Africa, according to GlobalData. “The region is proving attractive due to its economic viability and geographical potential. The African gold industry has seen a paradigm shift, from South Africa’s dominance to the rising importance of the West African countries in the last decade,” it adds.According to Endeavour Mining, which has gold mines in Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Senegal, West African countries have attracted investment by implementing new legal frameworks and mining codes to promote the development of the industry in the region.Measures include the introduction of swift permitting processes, which bring the time from discovery to production to under three years. “All jurisdictions have adopted a responsible approach to mining development, with stringent environmental standards in place and mining codes consistent with international principles,” according to the Endeavour website.New mines and the expansion of existing operations have created a demand for project cargo services. Shipping lines are now competing with logistics companies through the ports that the lines or their subsidiaries operate for a share of the business.There are also relative newcomers, which give an indication of trade f lows. Istanbul-based Core Shipping has established a semi-liner service from the Black Sea and the Mediterranean to West African countries. The service is focusing on transporting bagged minerals, steel, project cargo, dangerous goods and containerised cargoes. In addition to gold, West Africa is rich in other minerals such as bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, and manganese.
