South Sudan’s minister of Mining, Martin Abucha, and his Undersecretary Dr. Cosmas Pitia Kujjo is leading a delegation of South Sudan officials to the African Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
The conference kicked off from 06-09 February 2023 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, under the theme ‘Unlocking African Mining Investment: Stability, Security, and Supply’. The African Mining Indaba is aimed at driving investments in Africa and the globe.
While in South Africa, the minister and his delegation held several meetings with various investors on mining and energy in a bid to involve them in the country’s ailing mining sector.
In his statement to the media in Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Abucha hinted that after the ongoing conference in Cape Town, more than two companies will arrive in Juba to invest in the sector.
“As a mining institution, we are indeed exposing South Sudan to other investors who are interested to invest in South Sudan. We are telling them exactly what we have in South Sudan, the opportunities that exist, and how they can come in. Of course, our investment laws are very friendly, so there is a good opportunity for investors to come,” stated Minister Abucha.
He revealed that they have met some interested investors and that about three companies will be in Juba after the conference.
“South Sudan is not known. The reason for us to attend this conference is to bring South Sudan to the world so that the whole world knows about the opportunities that exist in South Sudan, they need to know that South Sudan is peaceful, the political environment is good and the investment climate is very good. That is why we have come here so that we can tell the story about South Sudan, not others to tell it in their way, but we should tell it in our way,” he added.
In a statement at the sidelines of the event, Dr. Cosmas Pitia Kujjo, the undersecretary at the ministry of mining said, the African Mining Indaba was a great opportunity to meet interested investors to invest in the mining sector in South Sudan.
On Tuesday, 07 February 2023, both President Cyril Ramaphosa and DR Congo President Tsekhedi delivered keynote addresses, emphasizing the importance of having regulations on regulated mining in Africa. It was also suggested at the conference that the World Bank should finance all geological surveys in the mining sector.
The Indaba is the largest mining investment event in Africa attended by Heads of State and Government, senior government representatives, mining industry leaders, and investors from all over the world.
South Sudan’s participation is part of the government’s continuous efforts to secure investment in the country, including in the mining sector; engaging with different sectors and stakeholders in the economy, and building partnerships on the continent and around the world.
As part of the government’s accelerated efforts to have a reliable electricity supply, the Indaba is an important platform for engagement among public and private sector actors on sustainable solutions to the power challenges crippling the African economy and the move to green energy.
This year’s African Mining Indaba brought nearly 9,000 delegates from across the globe and about 42 ministers of mining from Africa and across the globe are attending the event.
The meetings the minister and the Undersecretary attended included; the Presidential address by the two presidents of South Africa and DRC Congo, including a meeting with Rio Tinto mining company officials, representatives of Savanah and VUKA on the SOUTH SUDAN 2023 mining conference, Ma’aden company from Saudi Arabia. The two officials also met with IGS Company and discussed the geological survey of South Sudan.