Event Details
Date:
February 09, 2026 to February 12, 2026
Venue:
Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
Location:
Cape Town, South Africa
Contact:
In February, the IGF will be attending African Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town, South Africa. Secretariat staff will be participating in sessions, meeting with members and other partners, and organizing side events.
IGF Activities at 2026 Mining Indaba
Side Event | Skills for the Future of African Mining
- Date: Monday, February 9, 2026
- Time: 14:30 – 17:00
- Location: The Cullinan Hotel
- Organizers: IGF and Global Affairs Canada
- Register now
Africa stands at a pivotal moment as AI, automation, advanced geological mapping, and low-carbon technologies redefine the mining sector. With 30% of global mineral reserves and rising demand for transition minerals, the continent’s ability to benefit from the energy transition increasingly depends on its human capital. This session will explore partnership models that can build a resilient, diverse, and future-focused skills ecosystem capable of driving Africa’s mining sector through the low-carbon transition.
Side Event | Strengthening the Business Environment for Battery-focused Special Economic Zones in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia
- Date: Wednesday February 11, 2026
- Time: 09:00 – 12:00
- Location: Rockefeller Plaza
- Organizers: IGF
- Register now
In 2022, the DRC and Zambia signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop a value chain leading to the production of electric vehicle batteries between the two countries. Building on this agreement, in 2023, the two countries signed a Framework Agreement with Afreximbank and the Economic Commission for Africa to develop Special Economic Zones for the production of battery electric vehicles and related services. This workshop will aim to build a way forward on strengthening the business environment for the respective special economic zones, and how the IGF can support the two countries to do so.
Side Event | Prospects for (Re)-Mining Wastes and Tailings for Copper and Lithium
- Date: Wednesday February 11, 2026
- Time: 14:00 – 17:00
- Location: Rockefeller Plaza
- Organizers: IGF
- Register now
This expert dialogue forms part of the IGF’s broader efforts to engage with technical experts and countries that are already revalorising tailings and waste rock through remining and reprocessing initiatives. Its objective is to consolidate existing knowledge, practical experience, and lessons learned to inform the development of a scoping study and initial policy recommendations for governments. These recommendations and action plans will outline the conditions needed to unlock the potential of waste rock and tailings re-mining and re-processing, while safeguarding the environment and mining communities. The work will also inform future IGF technical assistance and capacity-building activities in selected countries seeking to access critical minerals, including copper, lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements, that may be recoverable from legacy sites through revalorisation of tailings, or reuse of waste rock, such as for construction aggregates.