Head of Sibanye-Stillwater Digital Mining Laboratory (DigiMine) at Wits Mining Institute, South Africa.

Best known for his academic and intrapreneurially leadership in the application of digital technologies to transdisciplinary research and project management.

Under his leadership, DigiMine has initiated several new projects for smart, secure and sustainable mining.

His research interests are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Satellite Remote Sensing, GIS, Machine Learning applied to Smart Mineral Explorations and Cyber-Physical Spatial Data Modelling.

With extensive experience in engineering and management, Dr Gopal brings skills in engineering systems, autonomous and digital systems, research and development management, product development, business development, strategic business planning and stakeholder management

Alex Fenn is the Head of Innovation at Sibanye-Stillwater. A South African native, his mission is to make a difference and add significant value to the broader metals industry through innovative solutions to significant global challenges developed at Sibanye-Stillwater.

As Head of Innovation, he coordinates the Group’s research and development, and innovation initiatives, identifying opportunities for shared value creation through means, mechanisms and technologies .

Prior to his current role, Alex served in numerous roles associated with Engineering and Improvement.

Passionate about people, business, and organisational transformation, Tebogo most recently led the organisational effectiveness function in the Anglo Platinum business since 2013.

Tebogo has been an HR professional and practitioner for over 23 years in various sectors ranging from government State Owned Entities (SoE’s), consulting and corporate, with seventeen of these years in the mining industry spanning diamonds, ferrochrome and PGM’s including the role of
Senior Operational HR Manager at De Beers, Platinum BU Operations and she currently assumes the role of HR Manager in Petra Diamonds.

Tebogo holds a National Diploma in Human Resource Management (1999) from University of Johannesburg, a Management Development Programme (MDP) from GIBS (2004), an Executive Preparation Programme in Mining from Wits University (2005), Advanced Leadership Development Programme from London Business School (2009), Future Shapers from Duke CE (2021) and is currently enrolled with HULT University for the Global MBA specialising in Digitalisation & Innovation.

In this role Beeuwen is responsible for managing the sub-programme consisting of Aerospace, Chemicals, Mining, Minerals Beneficiation, Technology Localisation & Advanced Manufacturing.

Beeuwen also serves as a Board member of the Council of Geoscience and has had a long career in mining science and innovation.

Resolution Circle offer technical training of apprentices to become artisans and engineering diploma students from Universities of Technology studying to become technicians.

We offer practical workshop and experiential training, also called Work Integrated Learning (WIL). We also offer short learning programs specialising in technologies such as Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing), Arduino, CNC Machining, Internet of Things (IoT), Optic Fibre, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Rasperry Pi, Robotics and Solar Photo Voltaic (PV).

Johan du Toit has more than 20 years’ experience in delivering complex technology and business transformation projects in Africa, Europe and the Far East. Renowned for finding practical solutions for complex problems, serving and contributing to the IT Steering Committees of a number of blue-chip organisations on a continuous basis.

Programme Manager: Digitalisation, IoT, AI, Technology Research, Development and Innovation Minerals Council South Africa

Co-Chair: Industry Internet of Things Consortium (IIC) Mining Vertical Working Group

Chair: Security Maturity Modelling for Mining, Work Group @ Industry Internet of Things Consortium (IIC)

Chair: MCSA IT Management and Policy Committee (ITMPC)
Participating member and SA Convenor, Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG)

Member: SAMERDI Research Centre (SRC) Steering Committee

Member: Digital ID (‘IamZA’) Community

Mr. Lehlohonolo Amos Molloyi, CEO of Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (MEMSA), a cluster representing 53 local OEM’s and service providers in the mining industry, and Mr. Molloyi serves on the following committees:

• Member of the SAMERDI Steering Committee,
• MerSETA Metal Chamber,
• Steel Master Plan Working Committee,
• Test Mine Steering Committee and
• Recently appointed to the NFTN-RDI Steering Committee.

Lehlohonolo holds a National Higher Diploma in Extractive Metallurgy from the University of Johannesburg, and a Marketing Management certificate from University of South Africa.

His 25 years’ experience as a process metallurgist, operations specialist and experience as an executive manager at mines such as; Anglo Coal, Anglo Gold, Gold Fields, Kumba Resources, TransHex, and Etruscan Diamonds, together with his vast practical experience in mine and process operations, executive and strategic management implementation and passion for the future of South Africa, make him an energetic and formidable champion for local mining equipment manufacturers.

Nimrod Zalk sits on the boards of the South African Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) and the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA).

He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town.

He has been involved in a range of processes related to South African and African industrial development including:
- Development and implementation of various sector Master Plans and Strategies; Green industrialisation; and building international manufacturing export competitiveness.
- Development and implementation of South Africa’s National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF) and Industrial Policy Action Plans (IPAP); design and implementation of key industrial policy initiatives including various sector strategies, industrial financing instruments, and leveraging procurement for industrial development; and the development of the DTI’s sector strategy methodology.
- Multilateral institutions including UNCTAD, UNIDO and the ILO; Professor Joseph Stiglitz’s Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD): Africa Task Force; Ethiopian industrial development and policy; and the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) process.
- Measures to deal with monopolistic behaviour in the South African economy.
- The South African Renewables Initiative (SARi).

He has authored papers on a range of topics including:
- Industrial development and policy
- Competition and Competitiveness
- Regional economic development

Sietse holds a Master's Degree in radiation physics and as Manager at the National Nuclear Regulator, he was responsible for the establishment of a regulatory framework for radiation protection in mining.

He did his MBA with a focus on integrating sustainability issues into the strategy of businesses before joining Xstrata as a manager responsible for safety, health, environment and quality.

In 2004 he was appointed as the Head of Safety and Sustainable Development in the Minerals Council (formerly Chamber of Mines) where he enjoyed being part of the mining industry's safety and health enhancement initiatives.

Since 2015 he serves as the Senior Executive: Modernisation and Safety where his purpose remains helping to facilitate a people-centric modernisation of the mining industry.

Tapiwa Samanga, is Group CEO of the Production Technologies Association of South Africa (PtSA), the organised voice of the South African Tool, Die and Mould-making (TDM) sector.

A passionate industrial development practitioner, Tapiwa has a unique blend of expertise and experience, holding a Master of Law in Mining Law and Policy, Masters in Business Leadership and a BSc Hons in Mining Engineering, as well as post-graduate certificates in business leadership and business administration. For over 25 years, Tapiwa has worked in commercial and developmental mining initiatives, industrial development, regional economic and market integration programmes including a stint as Director of Industrial Development and Trade at the SADC Secretariat, and has worked and consulted in several African countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, South Africa, Malawi and Liberia.

Bongi Ntsoelengoe is the Executive Manager for Future Production: Mining. She joined the CSIR on 6 April 2020 from Kumba Iron Ore Limited, a division of Anglo-American plc, where she had been the Manager of Technology, since January 2014. In her role as Manager of Technology, she was responsible for leading Kumba’s digital technology strategy and innovation roadmap, which has seen the company roll out some significant technologies, such as full autonomous drilling fleet at Kolomela Mine, advanced process control for plant operations, autonomous braking system for haul trucks, as well as remote-piloted aircraft systems (drones), as a new tool for surveying and other applications. She has been recognised as a leader in the field of mine modernisation, which led to her being a panellist at several conferences and, most recently, at the 2020 Investing in Africa Mining Indaba.

Bongi has over 15 years’ experience in the mining industry, having worked in iron ore and base metal commodities. Her career started after graduating from the University of the Witwatersrand with a BSc in Metallurgy and Material Engineering. Bongi holds a Master of Business Administration from GIBS, University of Pretoria, and a BSc (Hons) Metallurgical Engineering, University of Pretoria. She also has a Certificate in Business Management, University of South Africa, and an Advanced Management Programme Certificate, University of Navarra, IESE Business School.

She has held various positions in the mining industry, which has given her experience in the processing of minerals, delivering capital projects, technology research, innovation and modernisation across the mining value chain, including the marketing of commodities. Bongi also served as a member of the innovation steering committee at the Minerals Council of South Africa and she is also a Council Member for the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Philippa Rodseth is an architect by profession, a banker by training and a manufacturing
activist by passion.
Her career began as an architect working on commercial projects in South Africa and
Hong Kong. After obtaining an MBA from WITS Business School, she worked in the FirstRand Group in a leveraged finance division for seven years. In 2012 she established her own business, Spoke Consulting, which identifies and accesses funding for projects in Africa.

Philippa became Executive Director of the Manufacturing Circle in 2015 to elevate the voice of manufacturing in South Africa. The Manufacturing Circle engages with key stakeholders to advocate manufacturing as the engine of growth for our economy, influence policy, and highlight opportunities and key priorities for the sector. In pursuit of these objectives, the Manufacturing Circle meets periodically with government ministers, heads of key state-owned entities, provincial and local government leaders; and other business sector leaders.