For explorers, developers and investors in early stage mining operations, The Junior Indaba taking place on 9 and 10 June 2026 at the Country Club Johannesburg in Auckland Park, is where you will not just hear about mining—you will be part of the future of the industry.
The Junior Indaba is hosted by Resources 4 Africa supported by lead sponsors DRA Global and ENS, mining industry partners including Minerals Council South Africa, and premium sponsor Rand Mutual Assurance.
The Junior Indaba will feature the pipeline stage—where ideas, risks and bold bets represent the potential future for the mining industry.
Bringing together over 50 speakers in 13 sessions over two days, programme highlights include:
- Keynote speaker Nolitha Fakude, Chair of Anglo American South Africa, reflecting on how junior mining can create a competitive advantage for African countries in the global supply of critical minerals
- Mzila Mthenjane, CEO of Minerals Council South Africa, leading a panel on what are the best opportunities for junior mining in Africa, with the leadership from the chambers of mines in Botswana, Angola and Zambia
- The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) and the Council for Geoscience, analysing the optimum funding models and criteria for project viability
- And Fred Arendse, Founder and President of the Junior Mining Council and Jacob Mbele, DMPR Director General thrashing out the implications for junior miners of the proposed amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.
In the Mythbusters session Billy Mawasha, CEO of Bokamoso Gold; Hulme Scholes, Director at Malan Scholes; Lili Nupen, Director of NSDV; and Claude de Baissac, CEO of Eunomix will debate whether gold is the new bitcoin; is SA now investor friendly and if ESG is a fad that Trump killed!
Several companies will showcase their projects and investment opportunities, including Ongwe Minerals, Gold Ore and Lexington Gold. Iron ore, manganese, graphite and rutile projects will also feature.
Bernard Swanepoel, Chairman of The Junior Indaba says: “If you think mining conferences are all grey suits and dull slides, this one will prove you wrong. The Junior Indaba is the wild frontier of the industry. You’ve got geologists chasing the next big discovery, dealmakers talking fast and dreaming big, and projects that could become the backbone of entire economies.”
If you want a conference that’s interesting, a little unpredictable, and is a sign post to where economic growth is headed next—The Junior Indaba is it. It’s where the story begins.
