Lubumbashi, Congo (Kinshasa), July 12, 2019 --(PR.com)-- “We could not have asked for a more perfect event this year to celebrate 15 years of DRC Mining Week. Fifteen years of commitment to a mining industry that has shown passion, perseverance and vision,” says Emmanuelle Nicholls, the Group Director: Mining at Spintelligent, the organisers of DRC Mining Week which took place in Lubumbashi, the heart of the Copperbelt, from 19-21 June.

The event broke records on all fronts says Mrs Nicholls: “Our expo space was sold out and our opening session was packed. With a record 4908 attendees, up from 2630 in 2018, we also doubled the expo space that was sold. We furthermore had 209 sponsors and exhibitors, compared to the 161 last year and hosted five international pavilions from France, Germany, South Africa, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, compared to three in 2018.”

She adds: “If you consider that we do not have the luxury of a conventional expo space, but rather took over a hotel and used every available space inside and out, it is also a testimony to the innovative and go-getter attitude of our team that we delivered a world-class event!”

The DRC Mining Week organisers are also pleased with the continued engagement on all levels of the stakeholders in the mining industry, which confirmed their commitment to the future of the DRC.

Mrs Nicholls explains: “From the mining houses, which were well represented, to the financiers and service providers, to government. We were so pleased to host as one of our VIP guests representing the DRC government, Mrs. Gety Mpanu Mpanu, Deputy Chief of Staff of The Head of State in charge of Infrastructure, Mineral Resources, Hydrocarbons, Energy and PT-NTIC in the DRC Presidency. Mrs. Mpanu’s energy and dedication was contagious and her passion for the mining industry was clear and she spent the full three days at the event, speaking in the conference and spending a lot of time on the expo floor and meeting with many of our stakeholders and partners.”

Mrs. Mpanu was joined during the opening session by:

- Andrew Maswanganye, Consul General South Africa in the DRC
- Albert Yuma Mulimbi, President, Gecamines / President of the Federation of Congo Entreprises (FEC), DRC
- H.E. Jacques Kyabula Katwe, Governor of Haut Katanga, DRC
- Joseph Ikoli Y’ampeke, Executive Secretary, Minister of Mines, Ministry of Mines, DRC
- Simon Tuma Waku, Vice President, Chamber of Mines, DRC
- Veston Malango, CEO, Chamber of Mines, Namibia
- Amedeo Anniciello, CEO Standard Bank, DRC

More than 30 countries were represented at DRC Mining Week and 63% of the exhibitors were international companies.

“The opportunities are huge. The DRC Mining Week has been a huge show, better and bigger than ever before. The feedback we have received from the South African companies, also from some of the Australians and Germans, has been very positive. They have received good enquiries and that is what really counts.” This is according to Eric Bruggeman, CEO of the South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC) that was part of the South African pavilion at DRC Mining Week. The South African Department of Industry (dti) organised the South African pavilion which comprised more than 35 South African companies who displayed their specialised mining technology and services to what is regarded as an increasingly key market in the industry.

Mr. Bruggeman said in an interview with Mining Review Africa that the opportunities in the DRC “Are huge, mining is huge. Cobalt, DRC has the biggest resources in the world. Copper, fourth biggest in the world.”

He added that the new Mining Code that was approved in DRC about a year ago has not had any significant effect on business yet. “Obviously, it will have an effect on the country,” he explained, “depending what happens in the long term. But when you are supplying equipment to a mine and the mine is operational, you continue supplying equipment to the mine. How they will sort it out, is it as bad? We’ll have to wait and see.”

Industry support
Standard Bank was the exclusive Diamond Plus sponsor this year and has already confirmed that it will return in the same partner category for DRC Mining Week in 2020. Orange, Tenke Fungurume Mining and Vodacom were Diamond sponsors while AEL, Catoca, Engen, HP and Kamoto were Platinum sponsors.

DRC Mining Week is organised by Spintelligent, a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award winning organiser of exhibitions and conferences across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining and agriculture sectors. Other well-known events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week & POWERGEN Africa, Future Energy East Africa, Future Energy Nigeria, East & Central Africa Mining Forum and Nigeria Mining Week. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group.