Mine Entra Expo to showcase latest developments in mining industry
ZIMBABWE’S prime mining showcase, Mine Entra, is considered a vital driver for resource-based industrialisation and serves as a platform to exhibit the latest advancements and innovations in the mining sector, on a local and global scale, an official has said.
The expo has gained a solid reputation for bringing together influential figures in the mining sector to shape and improve Zimbabwe’s mining landscape.
To date, the exhibition has attracted 176 exhibitors, including nine foreign companies from China, South Africa and the United Kingdom compared to seven foreign exhibitors at this time last year.
This year’s edition to be held under the theme, “Unearthing Success: The Mining Value Chains, Innovation and Industrialisation Nexus,” aims to showcase the latest developments in the mining industry, both locally and globally.
Mine Entra is hosted and organised by the ZITF Company in conjunction with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Chamber of Mines.
The annual event will take place from July 17 to 19 at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo. In a broad update, Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company chief executive officer, Dr Nicholas Ndebele said during Mine Entra, participants engage in conversations leading to knowledge and technology transfer and this helps to identify ways to innovate and optimise mining and mineral processing techniques.
“The event also exposes the various opportunities for domestic business to participate in more stages of the mining value chains and developing domestic industries, thereby ensuring that Zimbabwe captures a larger share of the profits,” said Dr Ndebele.
“The commencement of production of pig iron at Manhize is a case in point that demonstrates value addition. It shows the importance being placed on value chain development from extraction of iron ore to its value addition and eventually beneficiation before export.”
Commenting on the theme, Dr Ndebele said it resonates with the country’s current state of the mining industry noting that the mining sector has played a pivotal role in driving the economy, contributing 12-20 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounting for approximately 80 percent of total export earnings for the country.
The mining sector has grown from a US$2,7 billion industry in 2017 to a staggering US$12 billion in 2023. “It has become increasingly apparent that simply extracting minerals is not enough, they are after all finites. In line with the tenets of NDS1, we now want to increase the overall economic gains derived from mining by ensuring that local industry participates in all the stages of the value chain, from mine-to-market,” said Dr Ndebele.
He added: “We need to leverage our mineral resources to build a diverse and thriving industrial base to extract maximum value, not just from mining but the downstream industries which it can feed.
“The theme therefore encapsulates the essence of what the ZITF Company in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, the Chamber of Mines and other stakeholders, aim to achieve in the mining industry through Mine Entra.”
Dr Ndelebe said an innovation focus will play a crucial role in enhancing mining processes, optimising mineral processing techniques and developing robust value chains to improve productivity, efficiency, and profitability, while also promoting environmental responsibility.
Dr Ndebele said the presence of international participants offers opportunities for knowledge exchange and exposure to international best practices.
“Foreign exhibitors typically bring innovative technologies, cutting-edge equipment and advanced mining techniques that have modernised and optimised the industry in other countries.
These exhibits are envisaged to spur collaboration and partnerships between local and international mining companies and equipment suppliers, leading to joint ventures, technology transfer and investment opportunities, fuelling economic growth.”
Added to that, foreign exhibitors attract a broader range of visitors and investors, contributing to the overall growth and exposure of the mining industry in Zimbabwe on a global scale.-chronicle
