Communities are playing an increasingly influential role in decisions that shape mining projects, livelihoods and local economies, creating greater expectations for meaningful participation, collaboration and shared decision-making.
Mining Indaba 2027 (MI27) is strengthening its focus on communities by amplifying their voices and perspectives across the programme through Community Voices. The programme creates opportunities for communities to engage directly with mining companies, investors, policymakers and industry leaders on the issues shaping their futures.
“Partnership is only meaningful when it changes outcomes,” says Mining Indaba Industry Director Laura Nicholson. “We are putting that principle into practice by creating spaces where communities are not simply consulted, but can challenge assumptions, share expertise and contribute to solutions. The Community Rights Immersive Workshop and dedicated Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Day do exactly that.”
The approach reflects MI27’s theme, “Stronger Together: Partnerships in Practice”, which challenges the industry to turn commitments into practical collaboration and measurable outcomes.
For communities, meaningful participation can influence how mining projects address employment, skills development, local economic opportunities, environmental impacts, livelihoods and decision-making. Community Voices is designed to bring these perspectives directly into the conversations shaping the future of mining.
“Community Voices brings something into Mining Indaba that the industry cannot: lived experience,” says Community Voices Programme Director David Sturmes-Verbeek. “Community perspectives create value for everyone in the room – executives, investors, regulators and policymakers.”
“The future of mining will be co-created with communities, or it will struggle to remain sustainable,” says Sturmes-Verbeek. “Conflict with host communities can carry significant costs through delays, disruption and lost trust, while investors and downstream buyers are increasingly scrutinising the social risks within their supply chains. Meaningful partnership is fundamental to building projects that can deliver lasting value.”
Integrating ASM into the future of responsible mining
Artisanal and small-scale mining is another critical part of the community conversation. The sector supports millions of livelihoods and is central to discussions around formalisation, access to finance, responsible production and local value creation.
MI27 will give ASM a dedicated platform through its ASM Day and Community Rights Immersive Workshop, creating space for industry and community stakeholders to engage directly on the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
“ASM supports millions of livelihoods and sits within conversations about formalisation, finance, responsible production and local value creation,” says Sturmes-Verbeek. “A dedicated ASM day changes the Mining Indaba conversation from how to manage the sector to how to build with it. It asks participants to understand different perspectives and work through difficult issues together. That is partnerships in practice.”
Empowering community voices
The Community Voices programme continues to create opportunities for communities to share their experiences and perspectives through video submissions. Ten winners of the Mining Indaba Community Voices video competition will receive fully supported trips to attend MI27, including delegate passes, return flights, accommodation and a daily allowance.
Community members can enter by submitting a short video about their community and its relationship with mining.
Previous Community Voices participants have highlighted the value of having direct access to industry leaders and policymakers.
“Community Voices changed my position in the industry,” says previous Community Voices winner Sonwabo Modimoeng. “I got to engage directly with executives, policymakers and industry leaders, then returned to Mining Indaba as a moderator and served as a Strategic Advisor to the Communities and Indigenous Peoples Committee.”
Fellow Community Voices winner Faith Mutete says the experience also created opportunities to apply new knowledge and relationships to her work.
“The access to industry leaders, knowledge and relationships at Mining Indaba helped me improve our gold and lithium production,” she says. “It showed me that when community and industry perspectives connect, the result can be practical change, new knowledge and real economic opportunity.”
For MI27, the focus is on creating meaningful opportunities for community perspectives to influence industry dialogue and contribute to better outcomes.
“It’s about operationalising partnerships,” says Nicholson. “We’ve built partnerships between miners and our communities. Now we’re committing to action that drives better outcomes for all stakeholders.”
Registration is now open for Mining Indaba 2027, the industry’s premier meeting place. The event takes place in Cape Town from February 8 – 11, 2027.
