MINESHIFT2026:
MINE TO MARKET
Calls for a New African Mining Legacy Beyond Extraction
MineShift 2026: Mine to Market brought together mining leaders, policymakers, investors, jewellers, designers, and cultural voices to explore a future where Africa’s minerals generate enduring value beyond extraction. The event was hosted at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA).
The event reframed mining as both a finite act and a starting point, asking what is built, retained, and passed on once minerals leave the ground.
It challenged conventional narratives around Africa’s role in global mineral economies, positioning the continent not merely as a source of raw materials, but as a creator of long-term industrial, cultural, and brand legacy.
Opening the evening, Grant Crosse emphasised that MineShift is designed to provoke deeper thinking and more ambitious action across the sector.
“MineShift is not about agreement, and it is certainly not about easy answers. It is about challenging assumptions, challenging comfort, and challenging ourselves to think beyond the scraps of the past,” he said.
He added: “The future of African mining will not be defined solely by how much we extract, but by what we build, what we retain, and what we pass on.”
Guest speaker Nere Emiko reflected on Africa’s enduring…
relationship with gold, describing it as “a historic, timeless legacy.” She noted that the continent is increasingly “looking inward as it looks forward,” with growing momentum behind beneficiation, value addition, and market development.
From jewellery and design to storytelling and sound, MineShift 2026 positioned minerals not only as commodities, but as cultural materials capable of sustaining industries, skills, and brands across generations.
The shared objective emerging from the evening was clear: to accelerate beneficiation, strengthen African value chains, and ensure that Africa’s mineral wealth translates into enduring skills, industries, and brands—supporting long-term industrial capability and creative authorship.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
HEAD OF SALES & MARKETING
Amelia Van der Merwe: amelia.vdmerwe@metcon.co.za