Conference Agenda

Nedbank will bring a decisive, practitioner-led perspective to 121 Mining Investment Cape Town with a panel discussion that challenges a long-held industry assumption: “A DFS is not bankable unless it comprises a funding plan.” Drawing on more than 20 years of project financing experience, Nedbank will explore why many so-called “definitive” feasibility studies fall short by excluding a clear capital procurement and financing strategy, how this omission can delay construction and jeopardise capital raises. The discussion will highlight the critical interdependence between funding structures and procurement decisions and why integrating a robust funding plan into a DFS is essential for juniors seeking to accelerate development and secure investment with confidence.

One of the Copperbelt’s most critical constraints to investment is reliable and affordable power. Experts from industry, investment, and energy will participate in a forward-looking panel at 121 Mining Investment Cape Town focused on how ongoing energy deficits in the DRC and Zambia are impacting mining operations, project timelines, and investor confidence, and what practical, near-term solutions are available. Drawing on actual project experience across the region, the panel will explore how innovative financing models and renewable energy projects can unlock capital for both mining and power infrastructure, while highlighting the importance of collaboration between miners, energy providers, and governments to build a more resilient, predictable energy ecosystem capable of supporting the next phase of copper production and regional growth.

Africa and the energy transition dominate the headlines, but beneath the narrative lies a tougher question: who is truly bankable, which commodities are losing capital support, and which project timelines stand up to financial scrutiny? This session moves the discussion from policy rhetoric to the realities of investment, capital flows, and bankable execution.

Africa’s future supply gap is real, measurable, and dangerously under-discussed. Without a new wave of discoveries, the entire mining investment thesis risks collapse. This panel examines the structural and financial realities constraining exploration — and what must change to unlock the next cycle of growth.