During the 2023 Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town, one of the major topics that came up was supply chain interruptions brought on by the Covid-19 epidemic to the mining industry.
This is due to Covid’s two-year drought for the annual Indaba.
And MUKWANDI CHIBESAKUNDA, the managing director of ZANACO Bank, claims that because local mines account for 70% of export revenues, her bank had to evaluate its supply chain.
She claims that the supply chain disruptions caused the waiting period to expand from one month to around a year, which had an impact on Mines’ operations.
Ms. CHIBESAKUNDA mentioned that ZANACO began looking at the best ways to create capacity among locals to source import substitutes for mining enterprises during a panel session looking at lessons learned from disruptions caused by Covid to the mining industry.
Additionally, Chief Executive Officer CLIVE GOVENDER of CGC Consulting and ADAPT Digital Solutions stated that Covid made businesses reevaluate their supply chain risks and plans for diversifying their supply bases by purchasing goods from other geographic locations.
Additionally, RIAAN KOPPESCHAAR, chief executive officer of EXXARO Resources, stated that his organization had to use emergency processes to identify potential suppliers of items they were having trouble with.
The disruption of supply chains in the mining industry, according to Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa Chief Executive Officer LEHLOHONOLO MOLLY, provided his members the chance to show local lining firms what they were capable of.
The Zambian delegation, led by Mines Minister PAUL KABUSWE, expressed satisfaction with the outcomes as the Mining Indaba came to an end.
Along with his Finance colleague SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE, Mr. KABUSWE participated in a number of panel discussions and held a number of side meetings with possible investors.
