Mining Indaba 2018

5 February 2018

Speaker: Bold Baatar, Chief Executive, Energy & Minerals

Bold Baatar says that the mining sector is at a turning point, and that Africa has a great opportunity to drive tomorrow’s industry.

Speaking at Mining Indaba 2018, Bold said that never before has our industry seen such a coming together of trends and challenges.

“Technology, society and markets are moving dramatically at rapid pace, demanding a fundamental shift in the way we think,” he said.

“Africa is the largest untapped source for growth in mining … and yet Africa’s greatest resource is its people. With 200 million people aged 15 to 24, Africa has the youngest population in the world … perfectly poised to take advantage of the opportunities.”

Our industry’s success depends on people, technology and talent: “We will create sophisticated technical jobs, which will require investment in re-skilling,” said Bold. “Rio Tinto will be part of Africa’s future.”

Highlights

• Human progress is interlinked with mining: iPhones, buildings, houses, trains and the boom of electric vehicles are only possible with the minerals and materials from mining
• With the “digital revolution”, our industry’s needs are changing – and we’re creating new employment opportunities
• The mine of the future will produce differently, it will look different, and it will need a different type of human input
• The skills that drove Africa’s telecoms boom will drive tomorrow’s mining industry
• Africa’s mining expertise provides further advantage in capturing the opportunities