Construction in Africa mostly revolves around the building of infrastructure and heavy industry. This sector is a consistent and sizable contributor to Africa’s economic growth, as well as being a top employment provider to the continent. One of the most important industries that fall within construction is mining.
Mining in Africa has been a major sector behind driving socioeconomic growth across the continent. The industry has been so successful thanks to the many state-owned Chinese banks, who have invested in developing Africa’s mines and supporting infrastructure over the past twenty years.
An overview of mining in Africa
There are a lot of construction jobs in Africa’s heavy industry sector, particularly in places where there is lots of mining activity. Some of the countries in Africa that do extensive mining include:
- Botswana
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
- Mozambique
- Angola
- Namibia
- Zambia
Not only does the mining industry provide jobs for locals and diasporas, but many ex-pats also travel overseas to secure senior management positions within the continent’s booming mining industry.
How has Covid-19 impacted mining in Africa?
Like many industries across Africa and the world, the Covid-19 health pandemic caused a lot of economic downturn for the mining sector.
Many overseas investors restricted the flow of funds to Africa, reducing the possibilities of mineral exploration, the development of new mines and limiting the development of new infrastructure to facilitate the delivery of these mined African minerals to global markets.
In fact, according to research from S&P Global Market Intelligence, African mining companies’ exploration budgets fell 10% in 202, a new four-year low!
The future of mining in a post-Covid19 world
It’s not all bad news for Africa’s mining industry, however! The reduced mining development might actually create new opportunities for the existing mining operations in place. Especially for those who supply:
- Copper
- Chromium
- Molybdenum
- Lithium
- Graphite
- Cobalt
These are expected to be in high demand, as they are vital in developing clean energy generation and storage technologies. The increased demand for the supply of these minerals might be constricted to just the current mining companies who are operating, due to these exploration and development constraints.
During the pandemic, there has been a shift in focus to many environmental, social and governance issues, including biodiversity, diversity, pollution, waste and human rights. Mining companies that can demonstrate their commitment to these objectives, as well as putting methods in place to achieve them, will be more likely to attract future investors and customers.
Of course, it’s impossible to predict what will affect Africa’s mining industry next. Most seem to point to climate change one way or another. If mining companies start incorporating environmental, social and governance risks into their corporate strategies, then there’s no reason why they can’t flourish in a post-Covid19 world. They’ll reap the benefits of technology, diversity and sustainability, all while building flexibility and resilience against future crises.
Choose Bourne Recruitment to hire for your executive jobs in Africa’s mining industry
We’ve been working within the mining industry in Africa for over 20 years. During this time, our team of recruiters have placed hundreds of candidates in senior management and board-level positions across Africa. We work closely with both global and African-based mining companies to find their ideal candidate for their mining jobs.
Whatever the location, Bourne Recruitment will work alongside your business to find and identify top candidates that match your desired job role, as well as your company ethos and culture too. We can help your company become more visible and connect you to potential candidates, so you can form a beneficial working relationship that’ll last!
If you’re interested in hiring us to conduct your executive job search within the African mining sector, get in touch today by calling:
+44(0) 161 262 1069
or use the form on our website. Please contact us if you have any further queries about our recruitment services.