Africa is unfolding a bold new mining future where it is taking control of the agenda and driving change, according to Frans Baleni, chair of the executive advisory board of the Investing in African Mining Indaba.Speaking in Cape Town recently, Baleni said mining would remain a pivotal player in shaping the continent’s trajectory. "We need to ensure we position the mining industry as a resilient force for the future," he said, emphasising in particular the need for infrastructure investment. “We need infrastructure if we want to see this sector grow. To take up the opportunities in African mining it will be critical to have the required infrastructure on the ground. As a continent, that is what we need to work towards while we also need to deliver political stability and ensure we have investor-friendly environments.”Baleni said Africa had to understand that it needed to make change happen by embracing the power of positive disruption. “Disruption eventually comes to every sector and every organisation. We need to embrace it rather than fear it. We have the opportunity to make change. We can go back, we can stand still or we can go forward as a continent. We have a choice to make.”He said as a continent it was critical to understand that the future success of mining was based on information and equipping Africans with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop its mining sector for its own benefit. “We have to embrace the global realities and forge ahead to meet the challenges we face as a mining industry.”
