Improved sentiment on the back of a newly appointed Minerals Resources Minister, the publication of and the subsequent consensus on Mining Charter 3 after extensive consultations, and mixed global commodities demand influenced by macroeconomic developments – primarily US-China trade tensions – made for a year of significant changes in the mining industry. Law firm Hogan Lovells partner and mining head Warren Beech notes that while the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa and his appointment of Gwede Mantashe as Mineral Resources Minister brought about a sense of optimism, it wore off quickly when “investment didn’t flow in as fast as expected, and other factors, such as international demand, issues pertaining to safety and rising operational costs, continued to dampen expectations”.
