Ntsiki Adonisi is an Executive and heads up the ENS Natural Resources and Environment practice. She specialises in all aspects of mining law and has a holistic perspective on mining matters due to her former position as general counsel for a leading mining group, where she was responsible for the group’s entire legal function and related corporate affairs functions. Ntsiki acts for a wide range of mining companies in all mineral commodity sectors, including the base and precious metals, coal, rare earths, sand and diamonds sectors. Ntsiki’s experience covers a broad range of areas: mergers and acquisitions; conducting mining, oil and gas due diligences; execution and registration of mining and petroleum titles; advising on the integrity, security of tenure and variation of mining titles; and structuring, drafting, negotiating and reviewing various types of agreements, from project inception to execution. She has experience in disputes in the mining and petroleum sectors, including judicial review of administrative decisions. Ntsiki is an expert in all aspects of local development including local content regulations, community development, local economic empowerment and black economic empowerment in the mining sector across the Africa continent.

Fred Arendse, CEO of the SSC Group, is a mining entrepreneur with three decades of corporate experience and the founder of the Junior Mining Council, a voluntary membership NPC entity, to represent and focus on serving the unique needs of, and to be the voice for, the junior mining sector. The junior mining sector is recognised to be vital to the overall health of the South African mining industry, especially in keeping it alive and growing. Fred is also the former Head of Transformation of Anglo American Platinum. In South Africa and in terms of the JMC mandate, the term junior mining takes on a wider meaning and includes exploration companies as well as small to mid-tier producers, professional persons, suppliers and contractors. Fred is a trailblazer. He has a degree in Business Management and Human Resources. He is a true visionary with an ongoing mission of successfully impacting the mining industry and its stakeholders. 

James Campbell has spent over 30 years in the diamond industry in a variety of leadership roles both in major and junior companies. He is currently MD of Botswana Diamonds and also a Non-Executive Director of Shefa Gems. Previously he held leadership roles at Rockwell Diamonds, Stellar Diamonds, Lucara Diamond, African Diamonds, West African Diamonds and De Beers where he spent over 20 years with notable appointments including GM Exploration and Nicky Oppenheimer's Personal Assistant. James is also Chairman of the leadership development NPO Common Purpose SA. James holds a degree in Mining & Exploration Geology from the Royal School of Mines (Imperial College, London) and a MBA with distinction from Durham University. James is a Fellow of the IOM3, SAIMM and IODSA. He is also a C.Eng (UK), C.Sci (UK) and Pr.Sci.Nat.

Bannerman Energy is an ASX-listed uranium development company that is focussed on bringing into production its large-scale Etango uranium project in Namibia. Gavin is a civil engineer with more than 30 years’ experience in the mining project space across construction, engineering and project management, most particularly within the Southern African mining industry. Gavin was the Regional Director, Mining and Minerals Africa of AMEC Foster Wheeler (now Wood plc). Within this role, he was the responsible Project Director for the development of the US$2 billion Husab Uranium Project in Namibia, now one of the world’s largest operating uranium mines.

Ian Chauke is a respected mining professional and Black Management Forum (BMF) executive with over 17 years of leadership and operational experience in South Africa’s most demanding mining environments. He currently serves as Mine Manager at Universal Coal, where he oversees both underground and open-pit operations with a strong emphasis on safety, sustainability and inclusive performance. Ian holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mining Engineering from the University of Johannesburg and has built a versatile career across major mining houses—Gold Fields, AngloGold Ashanti, Anglo American, Samancor, Exxaro and BHP—as well as within the consulting and contracting sector through Legare Mining Services, Bora Mining, Plantcor and MBR Resources. He is the Founder and Chief Ideas Officer of Legacy Talk, a platform dedicated to sparking purpose-driven conversations that inspire leadership, legacy and transformation across Africa’s industrial and professional landscapes. His technical and operational expertise spans gold, PGMs, chrome, coal, phosphate and copper, and includes work on feasibility studies, production turnarounds and modernisation programmes. Ian also plays a pivotal role in ESG leadership and youth mentorship, consistently championing people development as a core strategy for long-term industry impact. As a published thought leader, Ian has contributed to ZiMining Magazine, appeared on numerous mining podcasts and delivered keynote addresses at major industry gatherings, including the Ideal Summit in Botswana and AMMZA Zimbabwe. His work has also been profiled in the Mineworkers Magazine. Ian is an active member of both the South African Colliery Managers’ Association (SACMA) and the Association of Mine Managers of South Africa (AMMSA). His work is driven by a passion for transforming people, not just processes, and his influence continues to grow both within mining and beyond.

Heye Daun, (BSc (Eng) (Mining), MBA) is a Namibian-born mining engineer with 30 years of experience in mining and finance. After 10 years in uranium and gold mining in Namibia and West Africa with Rio Tinto, AngloGold and Goldfields, Heye spent three years in mining project finance and fund management. Since 2009, he has become a mining entrepreneur with multiple successful exits. He was a co-founder (with Alan Friedman) and President of Auryx Gold Corp., which advanced the Otjikoto gold project in Namibia and in 2012 was sold to B2Gold Corp. for CS$180 million. He then led a turn-around and subsequent merger of Ecuador Gold & Copper Corp. with Odin Mining, a Ross Beaty company, to form Lumina Gold Corp. before founding Osino Resources Corp. with Alan Friedman in 2016 and recently closing the sale of Osino to Shanjin International Gold Co. Ltd (formerly Yintai Gold Co., Ltd) for C$368m.

Jonathan is a mineral discovery geologist and amateur winemaker with over 30 years' experience in mineral exploration finance and banking in Africa. Formerly with Gold Fields and HSBC, he founded Copperbelt Minerals and discovered the now-producing 4.5mt Cu Deziwa deposit in DRC. He also founded Casa Mining and discovered the 3Moz Misisi Gold deposit and Kaminex and discovered the Mbamba Kilenda copper deposit in Bas Congo, both in DRC. He is a former director of the AIM-listed ARC Minerals and is now Managing Director of Central Gold, a company seeking to discover a new copper-gold deposit close to Moba in Tanganyika Province, DRC.

Tim leverages over 30 years of experience in the mining and engineering sectors, with a broad range of experience in mining, construction, engineering and infrastructure project development throughout sub‐Saharan Africa. He holds an Honours degree in Minerals Engineering from Leeds University and spent over a decade in production management at several Anglo-American operations in Africa followed by directorships of several listed junior exploration entities. He has been involved in the plant design and feasibility studies of various base and precious metal projects of which the Pensana rare earths project in Angola is the latest.

Dan Ginsberg is the Head of R&D and Actuarial at Discovery Green, Discovery Ltd’s renewable energy platform, which provides South African businesses with scalable, reliable and cost-effective renewable energy solutions. He was a co-conceptualiser and developer of the platform and plays a critical role in shaping its energy modelling, pricing and risk frameworks. A Fellow of the Actuarial Society of South Africa, Dan brings extensive expertise in actuarial and risk modelling, ensuring Discovery Green delivers innovative and data-driven solutions to businesses navigating South Africa’s evolving energy landscape.

Robin joined Wood Mackenzie in 2003 and has spent considerable time in both coal consulting and research roles. Consulting assignments included project due diligence, market assessments, price forecasting and coal procurement. An integral part of the research team since 2007, Robin has undertaken global mine cost estimation and supply analysis for both coal and base metals. Robin joined the coal markets team in 2012 and until 2021 was responsible for metallurgical coal markets analysis. Robin has now broadened his role to act as SME for global mined commodity markets, and is responsible for cross-commodity markets analysis.

Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, Robin spent 7 years in the power and coal industries in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Australia undertaking coal procurement, coal exploration, project development, geological and engineering roles. Robin also worked as a coal marketer selling thermal coal in Asia. Robin holds a BSc (Hons) in Geology and an MSc in Mining Engineering, from Camborne School of Mines, UK.

Alistair Hodgkinson is the Chief Operating Officer for DRA Global. Alistair joined DRA in 2007 and built up his 25 years of industry experience through his involvement in large scale mining and minerals processing projects across EMEA and implementing various greenfields and brownfields resources projects.  In his current role, Alistair is responsible for managing the operations and delivery of DRA’s diverse projects portfolio. Alistair completed his B.Sc. Eng (Mechanical) at the University of the Witwatersrand, holds an MBA from the University of Cape Town and is a registered professional engineer.

Born in South Africa, Doug has been a passionate and active participant in the formation of Australia-Africa links for nearly two decades. Throughout his career, he has worked on the ground and supported clients’ mining operations in over 25 African countries. A trusted executive advisor and business development professional, he has actively committed these skills in the pursuit of mutually beneficial, bilateral relationships between the two continents. Since arriving in Australia in 2007, he has held the role of Vice President at the Australia Africa Business Council of WA, and in 2011 he first engaged with AAMEG as interim CEO during a transitional phase of the organisation. Today Doug remains resolute in his belief that the resources industry is one of the greatest economic catalysts available for African governments to foster economic growth opportunities and capacity development in local communities. Doug strongly believes AAMEG to be a critical platform to support Australian companies operating and looking to invest in Africa.

Matthew has been involved in operational, commercial and corporate finance-related positions and roles in the mining industry across multiple commodities and geographic regions over the past 25 years. Having worked for DeBeers, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Corporate Finance, BHP Billiton/South32, Snowden Mining Advisory and, more recently at Jupiter Mines, he has developed extensive experience across multiple facets of the mining industry value chain - from resources and reserves through to legal, commercial and financial investment frameworks required for the execution of successful mining projects.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done” – Nelson Mandela’s quote is an axiom that defines Boris’ career. That latest achievement has been the successful birth of Alphamin’s Bisie tin project. Boris is an accomplished senior business and investment executive. He has a passion for Africa and the varied opportunities it holds. His ability to identify potential, unlock opportunity and celebrate talent diversity adds significant value in the growing and competitive African business and mining environment. Boris graduated with an MBA from WITS Business School, University of the Witwatersrand and a BSc (Civil Engineering) (cum laude) from the University of Cape Town - both times named on the Dean’s merit list. Boris is a member of the SA Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Sheron has 20 years of experience in leading diverse teams in the mining sector. She was part of some major teams that converted exploration projects into operational mines in Namibia. Sheron holds a Master of Business Administration (Project Management) from the London School of Business and Finance and a Master of Science in Engineering (Mining) from the University of the Witwatersrand. Recently, she led the Rosh Pinah operations through the sales process in 2023 with the operation achieving record annual metal production within cost for 3 consecutive years. In addition, she significantly improved safety and reduced dust generation at the operation. Her goals are to continue leading junior to medium-sized mining companies safely, whilst delivering record production figures and ensuring that the communities around these companies are self-sustaining.

Geert Klok serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Mines of Mozambique (CMM) since October of 2022. He is an experienced company director and holds the Certified Director designation from the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa. He has worked in the Mozambican mining industry for over a decade. Geert currently serves as the Country Director Mozambique for a graphite mining company. Geert graduated with a Master's Degree in Business Economics from the University of Groningen and holds an LLM in International Business & Trade Law from the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

With over a decade of experience in the mining industry, Jonathan Knowlden is a Chartered Accountant (SA) whose career has flourished in the dynamic and demanding sector of junior mining in South Africa. Joining as the Financial Director of Bauba Resources (Bauba), Jonathan utilised his expertise in financial management and strategic development to propel the company's growth. Jonathan joined Bauba in its greenfields phase, playing a crucial role in advancing the company's ambitious vision - developing three primary chrome operations and generating revenue from chrome and platinum group metals (PGMs) over a ten-year horizon. Under his leadership, this vision has successfully materialised. Since assuming the role of Chief Executive in 2021, Jonathan has been instrumental in Bauba’s strategic focus on chrome operations and the integration of PGMs. His leadership has driven exceptional growth, including a 300% year-on year increase in revenue and a 29% year-on-year rise in tonnage during his tenure, demonstrating his commitment to capitalising on opportunities within the South African mining sector and steering the company towards long-term success.

Patrycja, has been with the JSE for 15 years, of which most of this time has been spent focusing on local and offshore equity origination. Patrycja works in the Primary Market Division which is responsible for origination of new listings across the three asset classes, Equity, Debt and Structured Products, as well as co-creation and development of new products with the broader eco system. In her current role as Business Development Manager, she is responsible for originating new equity listings for Main Board and Altx both local and international issuers, across the various sectors with a focus on resources. Prior to the JSE, Patrycja worked for FNB, Liberty Life and learned some entrepreneurial lessons by starting a business focusing on international VAT recovery.

Zinzi Lawrence is a Senior Associate in the Natural Resources and Environment practice, specialising in mining law and environmental regulatory issues. With expertise in both upstream, midstream and downstream mining law, as well as general environmental law, Zinzi provides comprehensive legal services to both international and local clients, including government entities and state-owned companies in the mining and mineral processing industries. Zinzi's extensive experience covers a range of legal matters, including mining and environmental due diligence, drafting service level agreements and handling various statutory applications in compliance with key legislation such as National Environmental Management Act, 1998, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 and Precious Metals Act, 2005. Additionally, Zinzi offers expert legal advice on the mining law aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) transactions, surface and land use arrangements, mining law disputes and the registration and amendment of trusts, including environmental rehabilitation trusts. Her deep understanding of both mining operations and environmental regulations positions her as a trusted advisor for clients navigating complex mining law issues. 

Richard was appointed CEO of Shuka Minerals in December 2024. Already he has brought Shuka “SKA” to a secondary listing on the JSE, he is enabling the re-start of the Rukwa Coal mine in Tanzania and is finalizing the purchase of the world famous Kabwe Lead-Zinc-Silver mine in Zambia. The aim is to bring Shuka to the forefront of southern and eastern African mining. Rich is a qualified Mining Geologist (BSc Hons & MSc from The Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, London), spending the early part of his career in gold and copper exploration, mine development (Avocet Mining) and production (AngloGold). He spent 20+ years in investment banking in natural resources teams across M&A, corporate finance and relationship management. Working with many of the global metals and mining companies, he has gained a detailed knowledge of the risks inherent to the industry, the development of projects and the solutions and financeability thereof. Rich is also Chairman of London and A2X-listed Marula Mining and an independent non-executive director of Panamanian gold company, Veragold Mining Inc (Private). Rich is a Fellow of both the Geological Society and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

Louis Loubser is a B Comm graduate with an MBA cum laude, both from Stellenbosch University. He also holds a Certificate in International Quarry Management from the University of Derby in the UK. He was appointed as CEO of Kropz in January 2023. From 2018 to 2022 Louis was Chief Executive at Mooiplaats Colliery, where as CEO he is credited with turning Mooiplaats Colliery into a profitable operation. Effectively output was doubled, combined with substantial cost-reductions at every level of the business. He also led the team that turned ARM Andalusite into profitability within less than 12 months - a noteworthy achievement given the mine’s history. Previously, Louis led the due diligence and acquisition of Glen Douglas Mine, SA Block and Clinker and Infrasors Holdings for Afrimat Limited, where he was Head of Business Development, prior to being appointed Managing Director of Infrasors, a position he held from 2013 to 2018. Louis thrives on strategic management, strong leadership and driving performance in high-energy working environments.

Shammy Luvhengo is a distinguished figure in mining, boasting expertise in geology, investment banking and business development. Holding a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Geology, a Graduate Diploma in Engineering in Mining, and an MBA from the University of Edinburgh, his educational background is robust. Shammy's professional journey commenced with notable roles at distinguished companies, including Iscor Mining, Nkwe Platinum Ltd, Standard Bank, Investec, Nedbank and Universal Coal, where he drove growth and forged partnerships. As CEO of Ndalamo, his visionary leadership emphasises operational excellence, environmental stewardship and socio-economic development. Committed to advancing sustainable mining practices, Shammy is dedicated to fostering inclusivity within the sector.

Vusi Mabena is a qualified teacher with a Secondary Teachers’ Diploma and holds a BA (Hons) Degree from the University of South Africa. He furthered his studies by obtaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Management and a Master of Management Degree specialising in Human Resources at the Wits Business School. He also completed a number of certificate programmes on business management including a Certificate Programme in Financial Management from UNISA and a Programme in Applied Business Ethics. His management career started in the public sector as a teacher and he became a Principal of a secondary school and Head of Department in a college of education. After serving fourteen years in the public sector, he moved on to the private sector. He has worked at such companies as AFROX, ABSA Bank, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Chamber of Mines of South Africa (now known as the Minerals Council South Africa). He started as a Training Development Specialist at AFROX for four years and thereafter moved on to be appointed as Management Development Consultant at ABSA Bank for a further four years. He then moved on to be Head of Training and Organisational Development for four years at the IDC. He also held positions as a Skills Development Advisor as well as a Senior Executive at the Chamber of Mines responsible for skills, transformation and stakeholder relations for fifteen years. Vusi was also elected to serve on the Boards of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), the National Skills Authority (NSA) and JIPSA where he represented the South African Business Constituency. He also served on the Board of Business Unity South Africa. Vusi is passionate about people development and has always been involved with policy development in the mining sector. In his role at the Minerals Council South Africa he was involved with engaging with mining companies, mining communities, traditional authorities, unions, Parliament and government where he was mainly involved in influencing and improving mining policies in South Africa. He is currently the Executive Secretary of the Mining Industry Association of Southern Africa, a lobby and advocacy organisation of Chambers of Mines in the SADC region. He is also serving as the Secretary General of the Association of Chambers of Mines and other Mining Associations in Africa. This is a lobby and advocacy organisation of private sector organisations in the mining sector. It aims to represent the voice of the mining sector at the African Union and plays a lobbying role on behalf of the mining sector at international investment platforms. Vusi is the immediate past Chairperson and continues to serve on the Board of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism on TB (RCM-TIMS) in the mines that is funded by the Global Fund. RCM-TIMS is a multi-stakeholder organisation that aims to reduce the burden of TB in the mines, amongst ex-mineworkers and mining communities.

Mr Mosa Mabuza is a qualified geologist with a BSc (Hons) in Geology (Wits), PDA in Business Management as well as holds a Global Executive Development Programme from GIBS. He has extensive exploration experience in multiple regional jurisdictions that span SADC, West Africa and Canada, amongst others. He assumed his official duties in 2006 as Director of Mineral Economics in the erstwhile Department of Minerals and Energy and later became Deputy Director-General of the Mineral Policy (and Investment Promotion) in 2012. During his tenure as an official; he was assigned with the duties of leading the preliminary strategy for sustainable development and meaningful transformation of South Africa’s mining industry with emphasis on competitive growth and transformation as a symbolistic reinforcing concepts, the development of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill and the assessment of the progress impact on the implementation of the Mining Charter in 2009 and 2015, which respectively based the evidence value proposition for the amendments of the 2010 and 2017 Mining Charter. Mr Mabuza was represented the Department of Mineral Resources in the boards of number of science councils and State Owned Entities, including, albeit not limited to the Council for Geoscience, Mintek, and the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator. In November 2016, Mr Mabuza was deployed to the Council for Geoscience and now serves as CEO of the CGS (since July 2017). He is currently working with his colleagues to champion the refocused geoscientific programme that seeks to optimise the developmental impact, aligned with the national developmental priorities.

Mwelwa is a seasoned investments and corporate finance professional with over 12 years of expertise in mining investments, specialising in deal origination, investment strategy, capital deployment and investment management, particularly within the Southern African regional market.
Previously at ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc, Mwelwa spearheaded portfolio and business development functions, playing a pivotal role in significant transactions such as the royalty agreement with First Quantum Minerals Ltd at Kansanshi Mine Plc, the partnership with Kobold Metals for the Mingomba Copper exploration project and the acquisition of majority shareholding in Mopani Copper Mines from Carlisa Investments Corp. Before joining Prospect Resources as Country Manager for Zambia, he provided oversight at Mopani Copper Mines, focusing on development, production and financial performance analysis. Mwelwa holds a Bachelor of Commerce in International Business and Economics from Edith Cowan University (Aus), a Master of Science in Strategic Project Management from Heriott Watt University (UK) and an MBA from the University of Warwick (UK).

Tseliso Maqubela has 31 years of working experience and 23 years’ experience in public service.  He started his career as a Chemist at Eskom’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station.  He has also worked at the Atomic Energy Corporation (now NECSA), the National Nuclear Regulator, before joining the EXCO of the then DME in 2001 as Head of Nuclear Energy.  He led the drafting of the Nuclear Energy Policy of South Africa.  Tseliso has served as Director on the CEF Board and has chaired the South African Council for the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction between 2014 and 2019.  He is currently the Deputy Director General responsible for Minerals and Petroleum Regulation at the DMRE.

Kuda has over 14 years of experience in the construction and engineering industry across global projects in all aspects of the mining industry, with a heavy focus on process plant engineering. During his time, he has worked and lived in various parts of Africa and has also worked on various commodities. Based in the Fluor Johannesburg office, he is an integral part of the project leadership, commercial management and business and strategy development covering Fluor’s footprint in the region.

Mahlogonolo Mashile presently works for a Sasol mine, Bosjesspruit Colliery, as the underground Manager. She is passionate about mine production, strategy, business enablement and planning. She has 10 years' mining experience working in roles where she leads production teams, facilitated business improvement initiatives and managed mine integration systems. Mahlogonolo holds a BSC in Mining Engineering from Wits University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business Leadership (UNISA), an MBA from Wits Business School and a Mine Manager’s Certificate of Competency issued by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. She is a director of GirlLead South Africa, a leadership intervention initiative for young girls in the peri-urban and rural areas of SA, and a host of a YouTube mining podcast, Mining Insight. 

Jacob Mbele is the Director General of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, South Africa. Prior to this appointment, he was the Deputy Director for Energy Programmes and Projects. He was appointed to this position in July 2022. He has 20 years’ experience in the energy sector’s policy, regulation and enforcement and has held various senior positions in both the public and private sector. Among his areas of competence are planning for energy and power systems as well as policy development. Jacob holds a Master’s in Business Administration, a Post Graduate Diploma in Engineering (Industrial) and Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Electrical). He is the Co-Chair of the Economic Sectors Employment and Infrastructure Development Cluster.

Paul Miller has a long history in capital markets, minerals exploration and mining and is the MD of consultancy AmaranthCX and a commercial executive at Decentral Energy, where he consults on renewable energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers, mines and agribusiness.  He occasionally writes opinion pieces on both SA’s capital markets and its mining industry. 

Mametja Moshe has over fourteen years’ finance experience in corporate finance, equities capital markets, debt capital markets, black economic empowerment, accounting, auditing and corporate tax fields. She is the founder and CEO of Moshe Capital. Prior to Moshe Capital, Mametja worked at Identity Capital Partners(“ICP”), a South African investment group, as an executive in finance and senior associate in the investments team. Mametja spent over four years in banking prior to ICP at Morgan Stanley from 2007 to 2010 covering South African, Zambian and Nigerian M&A and equity capital markets and UBS South Africa (2006 to 2007) covering South African M&A. During this period in banking she led teams in the execution of transactions worth over $4 Billion. Before her investment-banking career, Mametja spent five years at KPMG Inc., serving her auditing articles in the consumer products team and later joining the corporate tax team where she covered tax compliance, restructurings, M&A and BEE transactions.

Nonkululeko Mosikare, known as Nonku to her peers, is an inspiring pioneer in the Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) industry, bringing over a decade of experience to her remarkable journey. With a BSc in Mining Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, she currently serves as General Manager at Impala Rustenburg’s 16 Shaft. Nonku’s path at Impala began in 2005 as a bursar, and after graduating in 2009, she stepped into her role as a Mining Engineer in Training. Her relentless determination led her to make history as the first female Mine Manager at Impala in 2019. Her exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication and resolute commitment to safety define her career trajectory. A passionate mentor, she actively supports and inspires young talent in the mining industry and her mine-host community.

Mzila Mthenjane is CEO for the Minerals Council South Africa. He joined the Minerals Council in August 2023 after working as Executive Head for Stakeholder Affairs at Exxaro Resources Limited. He has more than 30 years of experience in the resources industry, which has been attained in the mining and financial services sectors. He has held various board positions as non-executive director in various entities including Pamodzi Gold Limited, Fraser Alexander and Merafe Resources. He is the current Chairman of the Board of the Impact Catalyst and is the former Chairman of the Wits University Mining Engineers Association and the former President of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Lili Nupen is a founder of Nupen Staude de Vries Incorporated, a boutique law firm specialising in construction, mining and environmental law. She has extensive experience in the environmental and mining legal regulatory arena. Previously, Lili was a senior associate at Bowman Gilfillan for three years, and a director for over seven years at Malan Scholes Inc, specialising in mining and environmental regulatory law practice. She has a deep understanding of the South African mining industry and enjoys well-established relationships with its regulators. Lili has practical experience working on transactions involving both international and local mining and exploration companies throughout South Africa and Africa. She is currently assisting with the analysis of the new Mining Charter and the effect which it has on mining operations in South Africa.

Johan Odendaal is a Mineral Economist and holds a B.Sc. degree in Geology, a B.Sc. Hons degree in Mineral Economics and a M.Sc. degree in Mining Engineering. Johan is director and co-founder of mining consulting firm Minxcon (2005) and has 36 years’ experience in the mining and financial industry. This includes 19 years as an independent mining consultant and 12 years as a financial analyst involved in mine-financial analysis and valuations and corporate advisory. He headed mining research at a leading South African broking firm and spent several years at Merrill Lynch as Vice President. Johan is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Miracle Upon Miracle and Managing Director of Southern Palladium.

Adam Oehlman is an experienced mining professional with a strong background in both technical and commercial roles. He has held key technical positions at leading mining companies such as Northern Star, Superior Gold and Goldfields, and has developed commercial expertise in business development and strategic analysis,most recently, as Principal Investment Analyst at Hancock Prospecting.

Niël Pretorius has two decades of experience in the mining industry. He was appointed CEO designate of DRDGOLD on 21 August 2008 and CEO on 1 January 2009. Having joined the company on 1 May 2003 as legal advisor, he was promoted to Group Legal Counsel on 1 September 2004 and General Manager: Corporate Services on 1 April 2005. Niël was appointed as CEO of Ergo Mining Operations (formerly DRDGOLD SA) on 1 July 2006 and became Managing Director on 1 April 2008. Niël also serves as an elected Council Member with the Minerals Council of South Africa.

Hanré Rossouw was appointed Chief Executive Officer of NextSource Materials in November 2024. Hanré has extensive experience in the global natural resources industry gained over the last 30 years and joined NextSource from Sasol Limited where he was Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Sasol he was the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Royal Bafokeng Platinum and a portfolio manager at Investec Asset Management. He was also previously the Chief Financial Officer of Xstrata Alloys and held a number of other senior roles at Xstrata plc that involved extensive strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business optimisation and capital markets experience. He began his career as a graduate Chemical Engineer (Stellenbosch) at Anglo American plc and also holds a B.Comm (Unisa) and MBA (Oxford).

With over two decades of experience unlocking more than $150 billion in investment potential, Shannon helps junior mining CEOs position their companies for scale, secure critical investment and grow into mid-tier players. Through her signature Investment Alchemy and Growth Alchemy programmes, she equips leaders to navigate investor expectations, structure irresistible opportunities and lead with resilience in volatile markets. She has advised mining and other STEM sector CEOs across Africa, the Americas and Europe and is on a mission to unlock $1 trillion in development impact across the continent.

Hulme is a director of the firm and a mining attorney with over 20 years’ experience in the mining sector in South Africa and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. He has in-depth knowledge of mineral rights issues and BEE transactions in this industry. Hulme was previously the head of the mining practice at Werksmans Inc. and a director of the firm for eight years. He sits on the boards of various mining companies as a non-executive director and has a practical understanding of the industry, having begun his career as a Learner Official on the then Rand Mines Limited Harmony Gold Mine.

Errol is a geologist, registered with the South African Council of Natural Scientific Professionals. He has more than 25 years of industry experience across all aspects of exploration, mine development and operations with experience in precious and base metals. Errol has held positions in Anglogold, Cluff Mining, Metallon Gold, Clarity Minerals, LionGold Corporation and African Stellar Holdings. His senior executive roles have been on several boards of companies listed on the TSX, ASX and JSE.

Frank Spencer is a well-known renewable energy personality in the South African renewable energy space. He currently heads up Cainmani’s South Africa business, where he leads on the development of greenfields utility-scale renewables power projects for private sector offtake.  He is passionate about addressing the multi-faceted challenges of climate change and electrification across Africa, as well as the electricity challenges in South Africa. He built his first commercial grid-tied solar project in 2002 and his first off-grid community solar-wind-battery plant in 2003. He currently supports the RE industry through his work at SAPVIA.

Bernard has over 40 years of experience in the South African mining industry of which over 25 years has been in senior/executive management roles.  He qualified as a mining engineer and did a B. Com (Hons) in financial management. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Harmony for 12 years, before he founded To The Point Growth Specialists (TTP) with Clinton Halsey in 2008.

Bernard served for 11 years on the board of Sanlam and for 15 years on the board of African Rainbow Minerals.  He is chairman of Manganese Metal Company and past President of the AHI (and its inaugural chairman of the board when it became the SBI – Small Business Institute, a business chamber organisation). Through To The Point Growth Specialists he co-owns Resources for Africa Investment Conferences, which holds industry conferences like the Coal & Energy Transition Day, PGMs Industry Day, Hydrogen Economy Discussion, Junior Indaba, Joburg Indaba and the London Indaba. He chairs all of these conferences.  

Bernard currently serves on the board of Implats, Zimplats and African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation (AEMFC). He does strategy alignment, culture change and leadership development with his wife Tracey, through their consulting business THINKspiration. He recently registered as a member of the Institute of Directors.

Pienaar-Schalk (Pine) van Wyk is a qualified Metallurgical Engineer by trade, with a degree in business management. He has more than 25 years’ experience in the mining industry, encompassing roles at a senior operational, EXCO management and directorship level. His experience includes roles with AngloGold, Rio Tinto, Paladin Energy, Gecko Group, Celsius Resources (ASX-listed) and Namibia Critical Metals (TSX-listed). Pine brings a wealth of project development experience and expertise to the African mining industry. He has played an instrumental role in achieving several strategic milestones which took exploration projects into production, some of which include Langer Heinrich Mine (Uranium) in 2005, Cape Cross (Salt) in 2011 and Okanjande (Graphite) in 2016. Pine has further helped junior mining companies progress their projects by managing feasibility studies and raising capital to advance projects. He has been involved in the following commodities over the last decade: uranium, cobalt, graphite, copper, tantalum, niobium, fluorspar, salt and rare earths. In addition, he did a management buyout and birthed the Stewardship Group of Companies in 2018. Stewardship operates in the mining industry and provides drilling, engineering, construction and project consulting services.

Anthony Viljoen is a seasoned African mining entrepreneur and mining executive. He is a founding shareholder of VM Investment Company (Pty) Ltd, a principal investments and advisory company with a bias towards mining exploration and development. He has been responsible for the establishment and project development of numerous mining projects, including vanadium, lithium, tin, tantalum, coal and gold across Africa.Anthony was a founder and CEO of Lemur Resources (ASX:LMR), an Australian-listed company focused on the development of the coal basins for electricity generation in Madagascar, from inception in 2008 until the company was acquired by Bushveld Minerals in 2014. He was a founding shareholder and executive director of London-listed Bushveld Minerals (AIM:BMN), from 2011 until he exited earlier last year (2022), building Bushveld from an exploration company into a producer of 5% of the world’s supply of vanadium. His current role is as the founder and CEO of London-listed Andrada Mining (AIM:ATM), which is focused on identifying and developing technology metals for the energy transition. Under his leadership, the company identified and developed its flagship asset in Namibia, the Uis mine, which contains globally significant quantities of lithium, tin and tantalum. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Business and Agricultural Economics degree and a postgraduate qualification in finance and banking. He grew up in the mining industry in Africa and has drawn from the wealth of knowledge and experienced network of mining professionals acquired by his father and late uncle, Richard and Morris Viljoen, who were both pre-eminent professors of geology and are renowned for their contributions to the African mining industry and geology in particular. Between them, they cultivated more than a century of exploration and mine development experience.

Gervais Williams joined Premier Miton in March 2011. He is Head of Equities and manages a number of funds and trusts. His fund management career extends over 30 years including 17 years at Gartmore Group Ltd, where he was head of UK Small Companies investing in UK smaller companies and Irish equities. Gervais is a member of the AIM Advisory Council and President of the Quoted Companies Alliance. He was a member of the Patient Capital Review panel with the Chancellor of the Exchequer where the recommendations were put into legislation in the subsequent budget. Gervais has published three books, 'Slow Finance' in the autumn of 2011 (Bloomsbury), 'The Future is Small' was published in November 2014 (Harriman House) and 'The Retreat of Globalisation' published in December 2016 (Harriman House).

Michael Wrotniak joined Orion in 2015. Prior to joining the Orion investment team, Michael spent three years working for Orion Merchant Services where he was responsible for the marketing, hedging and logistics of Orion’s active offtake contracts across the refined metal and concentrate spaces. Before joining Orion in 2015, Michael held a variety of roles on Trafigura’s North American coal desk focusing on U.S., Canadian and South American exports of thermal and metallurgical coal as well as petroleum coke. He has a BS in Finance from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.