Anglo American, the mining behemoth took the decision on May 7th, 2021 to divest from its South African thermal coal and demerge its assets in this space into a separately listed entity that it chose to name Thungela Resources. The name “Thungela” comes from the Zulu word meaning to “ignite” or to “set alight” or to “set on fire”. This new mining outfit was formally demerged and listed on the Johannesburg and London Stock Exchanges on June 7th, 2021 and it presented its first set of interim financial results as a standalone entity in July. Its results exceeded expectations from the market which was quick to subscribe to its shares and doubled its share price over the course of the month. The company’s name seems very instructive given this background. It has literally set light to its shares by delivering a very impeccable set of numbers

Has Africa stumbled upon an environmental apocalypse? The numerous natural disasters that have descended upon the continent hitherto—from the plague of desert locusts that have ambushed the Horn of Africa, tropical storms, floods across Eastern and Central Africa, severe droughts and heat waves to massive cyclones whose devastating effects are still felt across Southern Africa. The aftermath is a trail of death and destruction, threatening to erode hard-won development that most African countries have struggled to achieve, inflicting cascading economic consequences. Loss of lives, displacement of people, sources of income compromised, destruction of infrastructure and numerous development projects have been the ill-fated victims across the continent and have succumbed, in the wake of these natural disasters, to such events that have all stemmed from climate change.  …

The African continent has been endowed with about 30 per cent of the world’s total mineral reserves with over 60 different types of minerals. If more geological surveys are conducted systematically there is potential to discover even more extensive tracts of mineral deposits.  

Minerals are vital inputs in the production of a broad range of consumer goods, infrastructure and agricultural materials and they are also used in making transport, communication and energy applications. Minerals are a necessity in the industrialisation of many nations across the globe.…

According to the Global E-Waste Monitor Report, in 2019 the world generated 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) of electronic waste (e-waste), and only 17.4 per cent was recycled through appropriate channels. Africa in particular lacks formal governance to support e-waste management.

Households in Africa generated 2.9 Mt of e-waste in 2019, of which only 0.9 per cent was reported to be collected and recycled by the formal sector. Discarded equipment such as phones, laptops, fridges, sensors and televisions contain substances that pose serious environmental and public health risks, particularly if treated inadequately.…