MINING IN AFRICA THE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

This book covers the things that mining companies, mining executives, mining professionals and all expatriate personnel operating or planning a project in Africa need to know. I should stress that it does not reflect the realities of all African countries.
The lessons learned are based on my personal experience working for over four years in Africa as a Supervisor, Superintendent, Leader and Director in the mining industry, and setting up a company of my own. This is practical advice on matters that the experts do not tell you about, and you will not find it anywhere else; I have done the research and reported on it for your information. This is valuable information that never makes it to the board room, but if you follow it, it could make your operation and project a success story.
I was an expatriate working in the place where I was born (West Africa). I had the advantage of speaking the official languages of the countries I worked in. What I lacked was the knowledge that I needed to prepare me for working in Africa. All I had, coming out of the Pilbara where I had worked for one of the biggest mining companies in the world, was my expertise as electrical engineer and my leadership skills, which I have developed throughout my life. However, nothing prepared me for what I found when I arrived on site in West Africa. For the first time my first thought was, what I have I let myself in for? But there was no turning back; I had to make a go of it. This account is a compressed version of the things to do and those to avoid to make your project in Africa viable.
There are always two sides to a story; this side is mainly aimed at companies and expatriates working in Africa. It is what you really need to know when you are operating in Africa. As an expatriate and an African, I was often caught in the middle between the views of the expatriates and what they thought of the local staff and colleagues, and what local staff thought of the expatriate community working on their land. Being a very good listener and not taking sides (there was no side to take, as it is one team in my view) people just opened their hearts to me. I also observed operational decisions and actions that could have been done better to save money, and to avoid local staff striking and local communities blocking operations.
I have not mentioned any specific mining companies, operations and projects I have worked for in this book. However, the recommendations are based on my personal experience working in Africa, observing small details missed by most people. You now have something to help you to avoid common mistakes when operating in Africa which could potentially derail your project or operation at any time, damage your reputation and negatively affect people’s lives. As a mining company or a specialist in your field, you know what to do get your specific commodity out of the ground in order to deliver to your customer. Therefore I am not discussing factors such as the economic viability of a project, and other factors associated with a mining project or operation which I assume you are good at doing. I’m giving you very important/useful details in order for you to succeed in Africa. Maintaining your Social License to Operate, and managing local communities’ expectations are the challenges faced by mining companies in Africa in order to run a profitable operation where everyone is a winner.