Archive for the 'Mining' Category
February 8th, 2012 by Tom Minney
Tanzanians are set to share the gains of the exciting blue-violet gems that bear their country’s name, tanzanite. Richland Resources Ltd (richlandresourcesltd.com), listed on the London Stock Exchanges’s AIM market (ticker: RLD) says that it plans listing at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (www.dse.co.tz) by April, according to local press reports reprinted on the company’s website today (8 Feb).
According to one report in East African Business Week, Dotto Medard, the firm’s corporate and PR manager, said: “We are in the final stages of listing on the Dar bourse, largely to avail opportunity to as many Tanzanians to be part of the tanzanite industry.” Apparently all Richland’s issued capital will be freely traded on the DSE and will be available to Tanzanians to buy and sell on the market without any restrictions on the number or shareholding available for Tanzanians. Another report in Tanzania Daily News says the listing will be completed by April and there may be a float of 20% of the share capital.
On 6 Feb the coloured gem stone miner announced that new tests have indicated the life of its Mereleni mine in Tanzania could be extended by 30 years. The total indicated resource of the mine is now estimated at 105 million carats, up from 72m carats. Between 2004 and 2011 the mine produced over 11.5 million carats from around 266,000 tonnes of material. The new tests have made the asset “JORC compliant”, conforming to internationally recognised measurement standards.
The company is involved in tanzanite mining, processing, cutting and distribution. The local subsidiaries are Tanzanite One Mining will continue to operate with its name along with Tsavorite One Mining Limited, Tanzanite One Trading Limited, Tanzanite Laboratory Limited and Urafiki Gemstone EPZ Limited. It has recently moved into other coloured gemstones, including tsavorite and sapphire. It says TanzaniteOne Mining has been one of the largest mining contributors to tax in Tanzania. It has invested over US$100m through mine acquisition, development and ongoing mining activities and directly employs 650. Mr. Medard pledged: “the Company will continue to support significant growth in the Tanzanian economy, through export earnings, tax and royalty payments.”
It is the largest miner and supplier of rough tanzanite and uses its position to influence the entire channel, from mine to market (it markets tanzanite globally), ensuring maximum stakeholder value at each stage. It requires large capital investment as tanzanite mining is currently operating at down dip depths of over 900 metres and needs sophisticated equipment and experience. Other expansion plans include a modern plant for cutting and polishing the tanzanite stones under the supervision of Urafiki Gemstone Ltd.
Richland backs successful community projects including support to primary and secondary schools, medical dispensary, community centre and water for people and livestock. It also provides assistance to small-scale miners including geological, mining, surveying, safety and logistical. tanzanite gem is its unique beauty, plus the finite nature of a single known resource at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania.
January 10th, 2012 by Tom Minney
The JSE Ltd (www.jse.co.za), South Africa’s securities exchange, is hoping to attract more listings from the rest of Africa in 2012 and to expand its range of products and services. This year should also see the JSE installing its equity trading system in Johannesburg, to avoid dependence on a transatlantic cable connecting it to the London Stock Exchange.
Nicky Newton-King, who took up her post as CEO last week after succeeding Russell Loubser and the first woman to hold the post, told Business Day newspaper the plan was to offer more access to African companies and products such as exchange-traded funds products that enable people to access new investments: “With the rules of inward listing being relaxed, we would also like to attract more inward listings.” Besides IPOs, Newton-King said she expected to see more types of products, such as depository receipts and derivatives linked to companies being offered.
The JSE is in “good conversation” with several companies elsewhere in Africa over more potential listings. Last November she told Reuters: “We’ve got good conversations going … particularly on the continent.” She said the bourse is targeting mining, telecommunications and financial services: “Our approach is to look at issuers that need capital — need investors where their home markets might be too small. So we’ve got a lot of different segments we are looking at, but we are looking at particular issuers rather than trying to speak to everyone.”
The JSE already has 14 African companies listed, with 4 different debt instruments and 1 African ETF. Last year Reuters highlighted that some growing African firms preferred other international exchanges, particularly the London Stock Exchange and its AIM market, over the JSE for raising capital and listings, as highlighted in stories on this website. The JSE seeks closer cooperation with other African exchanges as it competes with other world bourses: “Clearly we need to be trying to find a way to cooperate with African exchanges, with African issuers to bring more African product to the table here in SA, where we have a lot of international investors everyday.”
The JSE attracted a total of 16 listings last year, with a combined market capitalisation of more than R35 billion (US$4.3bn), according to data from the JSE’s director of issuer services, John Burke. There were also a number of initial public offerings from the property sector. About 15 companies de-listed last year and 21 were on the suspended list. The number of new IPOs worldwide is lower since the start of the global financial crisis. Newton-King said there is a pipeline for potential listings in 2012: “Definitely there’s a pipeline, there’s always a pipeline. We never talk about the number since how many companies actually list and when they list is very much dependent on the economic circumstances of the country and whether the companies themselves are ready to list.
“We are looking forward to being able to attract a wider range of companies and investment opportunities on the JSE.”
The plan is still to use the same computer provider, Sri Lanka’s Millennium IT which is a subsidiary of the LSE. In terms of a February 2011 press release, the JSE is to migrate to a new system Millennium Exchange™, which the LSE has also adopted, in the first half of 2012. Millennium IT systems are used on many African stock exchanges.
Newton-King told Business Day she hoped this will minimise the outages experienced last year, which were linked to technical issues on the transatlantic cable. The JSE halted trading on its equity markets at least twice last year, which led to the exchange attracting criticism from trading houses, which often spoke anonymously to the media.
She said: “We are critically dependent on information technology (IT) and invest heavily in IT to ensure it is robust and able to handle increased volumes as the JSE grows. Our equity systems are run in London and there’s been some trading outages in the lines between us and London…. We are bringing the systems back to avoid that. We will continue to look at whether our technology is robust enough to withstand volumes.”
She did not give much information on rumours that the JSE is talking with SA Treasury on starting a trading market for carbon credits but said the JSE was looking at the possibility and how it would work with others.
Of the type of environment that she envisions at the JSE, Ms Newton-King says: “In 2012 I would like the JSE to be recognised as a place of excellence, a place where SA’s top talent would come and work, where our clients recognise that we provide products and services that are valuable to them.”
Her former post as deputy CEO no longer exists and duties that fell to her are being given to other people so that they can also grow.
December 22nd, 2011 by Tom Minney
The International Finance Corporation (www.ifc.org), a member of the World Bank Group, on 20 Dec agreed to invest some CAD1,250,000 (Canadian dollars, equivalent to US$1.2million) in nickel and copper exploration. Sama Resources Inc (www.samaresources.com) will use the funds raised to advance the Samapleu project in eastern Côte d’Ivoire, near the border with Guinea, which it hopes will provide future jobs and government revenues to Côte d’Ivoire. The transaction is set to close in December.
The country has significant mineral resources but development of the mining sector has been hampered by political and military crisis during the past decade. IFC’s support to the Samapleu project will help promote good environmental and social standards in the country’s mining sector and send a positive signal for future foreign direct investment in the country.
IFC will work with Sama to ensure that exploration and any subsequent mine development is carried out in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner.
Dr. Marc-Antoine Audet, President and CEO of Sama, said in a press release (search “samapleu” on IFC website): “Sama is pleased to welcome IFC as a shareholder and partner on the Samapleu project. We look forward to drawing from IFC’s expertise to help ensure that the progress at Samapleu follows global best practices for the mineral exploration industry, the environment, and for working with local communities.”
Tom Butler, IFC Global Head for Mining, added: “We are excited to be making IFC’s first mining investment in Côte d’Ivoire through Sama, a company we believe has the leadership and resources to make the Samapleu project a success. This investment aligns with our strategy to support early-stage exploration companies with financing and advice.”
IFC offers mining clients in developing countries a broad range of financial and advisory services throughout the mining life cycle. Its early-equity investment programme is to help exploration-stage companies, such as Sama, with financing and advice on best practice in environmental and social management.
IFC is the largest global development institution focused only on the private sector. In fiscal 2011, investments climbed to an all-time high of nearly $19 billion.
IFC is acquiring 3,968,254 units, each of 1 common share and 1 warrant, out of 5,105,539 units offered by Sama to IFC and 2 other investors in a private placement. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase 1 common share of Sama at an exercise price of CAD0.4725 per common share for a period of 4 years, subject to Sama’s right to accelerate the expiration of the warrant.
The issue price per unit is CAD0.315 Canadian dollars. It is expected that after completing the subscriptions to IFC and the other 2, there will be 66,013,174 Sama common shares outstanding and IFC will directly hold approximately 6.01% of the outstanding share capital and approximately 11.34% of the outstanding share capital if it exercises all its warrants
About Sama Resources
Sama is a growth-oriented resource company focused on exploring and developing nickel-copper-sulphide and laterite resources in West Africa. Its goal is to become the first poly-metallic producer in the region along side its joint venture partner SODEMI (Société pour le Développement Minier de Côte d’Ivoire – www.sodemi.ci). Its key assets are Samapleu project in Côte d’Ivoire and Lola project in Guinea, both in exploration phase. Future production from Samapleu will be managed by a joint venture controlled 66⅔% by Sama Nickel Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sama, and 33⅓% by SODEMI. The licence encompasses 449 square kilometres and hosts nickel-copper and nickel-cobalt rich laterite deposits, and the newly discovered massive chromites occurrences.
The Lola project is 100% owned by Sama and encompasses 1,212 square kilometres adjacent to the Samapleu project. The Lola project has strong potential for nickel and copper mineralization and nickel-cobalt rich laterite.
September 30th, 2011 by Tom Minney
In an article this morning (30 Sept), FT Tilt writer highlights a swift move by a state-backed Chinese company to acquire upstream mining assets in Africa. Writer Denise Law says Hong Kong-listed Minmetals Resources (MMR – www.minmetalsresources.com), part of China’s biggest metals trader, has offered C$1.3 billion ($1.25bn) for Toronto-listed Anvil Mining (www.anvilmining.com), with an all-cash offer for Anvil at C$8 per share, a 39 per cent premium to its closing price in Toronto on Thursday (29 September). The deal is subject to shareholder approval.
In April MMR bid $6.5bn for Equinox Minerals with mining assets in Saudi Arabia and Zambia but was outbid by Canada’s Barrick Gold and withdrew.
The author comments “underlining how state-backed Chinese companies were becoming increasingly reluctant to over-pay for overseas assets.” The article quotes Mark Hinsley, analyst at Foster Stockbroking in Sydney as saying the Chinese are keen to buy and current worries of slower global growth and extreme market volatility are giving them opportunities to buy up cheaper assets: “Chinese mining companies with strong balance sheets will use this opportunity to pick up assets as equity markets get pushed back and valuations fall.” He added that Africa will be an attractive destination for the Chinese, “given the supply/demand dynamics of copper and the huge exploration potential and operating cost landscape of Africa”.
Anvil’s main asset is the Kinsevere mine in DRC, which produces 60,000 tonnes of copper cathode a year. According to an MMR statement, the takeover would increase MMR’s copper output by 60%: “Anvil’s copper operations are an excellent fit with MMR’s strategy to build an upstream, international diversified base metals company. Anvil provides a sound platform and experienced management and operations team for MMR to further expand into the Central African copper belt and Southern Africa.”
A note by Foster Stockbroking says it is unlikely that a rival will emerge with a bigger bid for Anvil given that MMR’s offer is attractive. It notes how fast MMR is working to close this deal, from announcing a strategic review on 4 August to takeover bid, a total of 8 weeks. “This demonstrates the pace at which the Chinese can move to act on a strategic C$1.3bn deal. In our view, the valuation is compelling and unlikely to be trumped.”
Other Chinese mining companies looking to expand further in Africa, especially in DRC, include China Non-Ferrous Metal Mining and Jinchuan Grou as regional consolidation in the copper industry continues to play out. Hanlong Mining is also currently trying to acquire Sundance Resources, which has iron ore assets in Cameroon.
August 25th, 2011 by Tom Minney
As the East African region moves towards faster integration, Tanzania is preparing to ease controls on the amount of shares foreigners can buy, in line with changes in the rest of the region. The Dar Es Salaam Stock Exchange (www.dse.co.tz) is also hoping to increase from 15 to 18 listed companies and is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) for Precision Air (www.precisionairtz.com) during September and cross-listings of 2 mining firms listed in London.
Gabriel Kitua, CEO of the Tanzanian bourse, told Reuters on 24 August at a meeting organised by the Nairobi Stock Exchange: “Tanzania is not exactly a closed market. Up to 60% of any listed security is available to any citizen of the world, 40% is reserved for Tanzanians… with time, the control will be erased especially as we go to the regional monetary union where free movement of funds across the countries will automatically be there.”
Reuters says the 5-nation East African Community (EAC) bloc of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya aims to have a monetary union in place in 2012 and move to a political federation by 2015. It reports that Tanzania has the tighter capital controls, including barring foreigners from investing in government securities.
Kitua also said that the approval of the cross-listing of African Barrick Gold Corporation (www.africanbarrickgold.com) is advanced: “The approval process is almost complete”. He added “The other one is in very initial stages … it is a mining company,” according to Reuters.
Barrick (ABX, listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges) owns 73.9% of African Barrick Gold and raised $884 million through offering the rest of the shares in an IPO on the London Stock Exchange in March 2010. Barrick describes itself as “the gold industry leader, with a portfolio of 26 operating mines and advanced exploration and development projects located across 5 continents”.
Precision Air’s listing application was received and being considered by the Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA) in February, according to local news reports. At the time it was reported that Precision Air sought to raise $25m (about TSh38bn) in the IPO. Kenya Airways owned 49% and Michael Shirima, the founder and chairman of the airline, owned 51%. The IPO would see their stakes diluted to 34.2% and 34.6% respectively.
Reuters also adds that East African Breweries Ltd of Kenya is expected to offload its 20% stake in Tanzania Breweries Limited in a public offering. Kitua rejected claims in a regional paper earlier this year that EABL had been compelled by Tanzanian authorities to offer the shares at a set price: “In capital markets there is no compelling of people. This is a free market economy and decisions are done by the board of directors of the companies and no one can interfere with that.”
The agency says the most heavily traded shares on the DSE are banks such as CRDB and National Microfinance Bank and manufacturer Tanzania Cigarette Company. TBL is the biggest by market value.
“For the last 12 months the Tanzania share index has risen by 17% and the all share index by close to 7%. The market has been growing,” Kitua said. The Tanzania share index excludes shares cross-listed from the NSE, including Kenya Airways. Kitua said the postive performance is due to good earnings by listed companies and the stable Tanzanian economy: “There are signals that the trend will be on an increase for the next 6 months.” He warned that inflation is past 10% and is emerging as a challenge.
The DSE delisted the National Investment Company (NICOL) with effect from 6 July after a 1-month suspension from 6 June and it become the first company in the 12-year history of the Tanzanian bourse to be delisted. This was on account of the firm’s failure to submit 2009 and 2010 financial results, and failure to comply with a directive from the DSE Governing Council about plans to sell 22m shares it owned in National Microfinance Bank (NMB), which is also listed.
July 25th, 2011 by Tom Minney
Tullow Oil plc (www.tullowoil.com) is expected to start trading on the Ghana Stock Exchange (www.gse.com.gh) from 27 July after allocating 3,531,546 ordinary shares of 10p each in a successful offer of up to 4,000,000 shares. The company says this is the largest primary share offer completed on the GSE and will more than double the market capitalisation.
The offer was open between 13 June and 4 July and shares were offered at 31 Ghana Cedis. During this period, 10,147 valid applications were received for 3,531,546 shares, representing 109.5 million Ghana Cedis ($72.3m). Everyone who submitted a valid application is to receive their shares in full, applicants are to have their GSE Securities Depository Accounts credited with their allotted shares today (25 July) and can start trading the shares on 27 July.
Tullow is also applying to the UK Listing Authority (www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/doing/ukla) to admit the extra shares to the Official List (they rank pari passu with previous shares) and to the London Stock Exchange plc (www.londonstockexchange.com) for the shares to be admitted to trading, also expected for 27 July. The same would apply to the Irish Stock Exchange (www.ise.ie).
Aidan Heavey, chief executive, said in a company announcement: “I am delighted by the success of our offer on the Ghana Stock Exchange, the largest primary share offer ever completed in Ghana. Ghana remains at the heart of Tullow’s investment decisions and underpins our long-term future in Africa.
“I would like to welcome all new shareholders, including Ghana’s National Basic Pension Scheme, to Tullow and thank them for their investment in the company. I look forward to updating all our shareholders with news of our progress, both in Ghana and beyond, over the coming years.”
BLOG PREDICTION: Look out for the rise of African financial institutions such as pension funds and life assurance. What do you think?
May 31st, 2011 by Tom Minney
The London Stock Exchange (www.londonstockexchange.com) has long been a global centre for capital, particularly where African investments are concerned. It is also the world centre for Eurobonds and several leading African equities are traded in London. There are several reasons to come to London, either through listing or cross-listing, including being closer to investors and sources of capital such as funds and investment trusts and also because investors may find it more attractive to invest in companies that are listed on a well-known and recognized stock exchange. A few international exchanges, including London, Toronto and Australia, are also known as centres for world mining equities and attract specialized listings..
The LSE’s Main Market lists 18 equities for trading that focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. These are mostly South African firms covering food, industrials and mining and the history began with AECI in 1937 and Tongaat-Hulett in 1939. The main board also includes Zimbabwe’s hotel group Meikles, Hwange Colliery and financial services firm NMBZ; Kenya’s Kakuzi food products and Zambian miner ZCCM. All listings after NMBZ (1997) were incorporated outside Africa, including Channel Islands Jersey and Guernsey, Bermuda and UK. The list doesn’t include the “London Five” – Anglo American, BHP Billiton, SAB Miller, Old Mutual and Investec –of giant firms who caused controversy when they moved from South Africa. Africa is now a small part of their operations.
AIM, the LSE’s international market for smaller, growing companies, was created in 1995 for businesses seeking growth capital, including early-stage and venture-capital, as well as more established companies. Sub-Saharan Africa scores only 55 among the 3,000 worldwide companies. The list is dominated by mining companies, many incorporated in UK, offering investors exposure to gold, diamonds, gemstones, uranium, platinum, coal, iron and other metals and minerals spread across Africa from South Africa to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Also on offer are financial services, farming and fishing, water, computer services, real estate, industrial machinery and alternative fuels. Most of the countries of operation are English-speaking, but others include Mozambique and Somalia.
January 14th, 2011 by Tom Minney
According to media reports, Zimbabwe’s Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere is declining to give permission for leading gold miner Duration Gold (www.durationgold.com) to raise US$7 mn by listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (www.tmx.com).
According to a report in businessdigest of the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, the minister wants an empowerment plan detailing how Duration will empower black Zimbabweans in line with the Government’s 2010 economic empowerment regulations under which foreigners must sell controlling shareholdings to black Zimbabweans.
He also apparently believes the money could be raised locally on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
The minister confirmed that Duration had written for permission to list but told the newspaper “I cannot comment on anything”.
The company is an investment by Clarity Capital (www.claritycapital.com), a US-based fund founded in 1996 by Allan Dolan, that claims on its website: “Clarity has the capital and in-house expertise to create and grow successful businesses. We don’t just invest in promising ventures, we incubate and operate them.
“Clarity specialises in the minerals, life sciences, energy and creative industries sectors. Our entrepreneurial team of over 25 technical and commercial experts, from scientists, engineers and geologists to accountants, lawyers and financiers, are passionate about building value. Our goal is to deliver returns of 5 to 10 times our invested capital over a 3- to 5-year period.”
A fellow company, Whetstone Minerals, is listed on the TSX. According to the news report, Duration intended to retain 30% of the capital raised outside Zimbabwe for head office expenses. The newspaper does not report any comment or confirmation from the company.
Duration’s website describes it as “a Zimbabwe focused, private, emerging gold producer and explorer. The Company, majority owned by Clarity Capital and its employees, currently has a global resource base of 4.2 million oz of gold. Formed in 2006, Duration partnered with two long standing Zimbabwean mining families, the Muirs and the Thompsons, and now owns 5 core assets with historic production of 4.6 million oz. Each core asset has the potential to produce over 1 million ounces of gold. Duration is licensed to market and sell its gold on the open market. It sells gold at international spot prices and receives freely transferable foreign currency in return. The company is cash flow positive and generates a healthy EBITDA from its current operations.
Duration’s objective is to develop its existing asset base into a 350,000 oz per year producer, based on 5 bankable feasibility studies targeted for completion by 2014. Acquisition of additional producing and advanced stage assets will also bolster the company’s annual production.”
Zimbabwe’s economic regulations gazetted in March 2010 gives the Minister authority to approve and disapprove deals involving foreign equity participation. He previously sought to block the sale of Barclays Bank subsidiary, Custodial Financial Service, on grounds that the bank did not comply with indigenisation and economic empowerment regulations. This deal was part of the sale by Barclays Bank plc of its African custody businesses to Standard Chartered Bank.
December 7th, 2010 by Tom Minney
The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (www.zse.co.zw) snapped up its first new listing since 2007 on 29 November when Padenga Holdings Limited was admitted as the 77th listing. This year there have been 2 listings described as “reverse takeover listings”, TN Financial Holdings Ltd acquired Tedco Limited (January) in order to get listed on the ZSE and Interfin Holdings took over CFX Financial Services (May) and with it CFX Bank.
First day trading in Padenga was reported at 2.7 million shares, of which 1.8 million were book-overs by Imara Asset Management. The highest offer was US$7 cents, but trade opened at US$5c.
Padenga was created in September when diversified manufacturing conglomerate Innscor divested of its crocodile skins division Niloticus operated as a wholly-owned of Innscor, a, which has diluted its shareholding in the company from 100%. Innscor transferred assets and liabilities of its former subsidiary to the new public company in exchange for 541,593,440 of Padenga’s issued ordinary shares. These are to be distributed to Innscor shareholders by way of a dividend in specie, which technically means acquisition by way of share swap in lieu of cash distribution.
It has 3 farms in Kariba and supplies about 33% of the world’s demand for large, high-quality crocodile skins. It earns 92% of its revenue from tannery exports to Asia and Europe and 8% from meat shipments to Asia. Its main clients include leading global brands such as Gucci. Padenga in its prelisting statement (Padenga prelisting statement online, click here) reported that gross turnover up at $11.8 million for the year to 30 June (up from $10.2 million in 2009) and operating profit before depreciation and amortization of $1.3million (up from $69,879). The company is well covered by the excellent www.africanfinancials.com and www.africanir.com.
Padenga CEO Gary Sharp was reported in local media: “I am extremely optimistic about the opportunities that the listing brings us in terms of our intentions to grow the business and pursue related ventures using the experience, skills and IP (intellectual property) we have developed locally.
“We are now producing a size and quality of skin that commands premium prices and this largely separates us from the level of the market that is impacted by global market trends and fluctuating skin prices. We are predicting sustained revenue and profit growth over the foreseeable future and have every confidence in achieving these results.”
The global financial crisis had a negative impact on the international exotic skins market as both demand and prices declined. Subsequently, the company had to de-stock, which resulted in the business incurring a fair value loss during the financial year.
Another rumoured listing could be LonZim Plc, a 24.61% associate company of AIM-listed Lonrho, which announced on 29 November that it has raised £4,987,904 (before expenses), by issuing 17,813,944 new ordinary shares of £0.0001 each at 28p per LonZim share. This was principally conducted amongst new and existing institutional shareholders in LonZim. Lonrho participated to maintain its percentage shareholding of 24.61% by subscribing for 4,384,011 new LonZim Shares at a cost of £1,227,523. It is reported to be aiming to raise a further US$5 million for capital expenditure through a rights issue, with all funds to go to expanding existing operations.
On 2 November it was reported that Whetstone Minerals, listed on Canada’s Toronto Stock Exchange and concentrating on gold mining in Zimbabwe, was seeking a secondary listing for its shares on the ZSE, and this is reported still to be coming this year.
ZSE CEO Emmanuel Munyukwi was reported as saying also that Kingdom Financial Holdings would be one of 3 new listings (including Padenga) before the end of the year. He said several foreign companies had inquired about listing on the bourse.
November 22nd, 2010 by Tom Minney
Gold miner IAMGOLD Corporation (www.iamgold.com) was awarded for Corporate Social Responsibility at a dinner after a corporate social responsibility conference (www.ccsrconference.com) on 16 November in Canada. The conference is hosted by Algonquin College in Ottawa, with support from other Ontario academic institutions: Carleton University, La Cite Collegiale, the University of Ottawa and the University of Waterloo as well as Red River College in Manitoba.
According to a company press release: “The Conference singled out IAMGOLD as the winner of this award for its Zero Harm vision of maintaining the highest standards in human health, minimizing impact on the environment, and working co-operatively with host communities. IAMGOLD was recognized for having established over 28 community and NGO partnerships companywide, in Suriname, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Canada and French Guiana.
Algonquin College (www.algonquincollege.com) describes the conference in a press release as Canada’s largest Corporate and Community Social Responsibility Conference (CCSR). Its theme was “Achieving Social Innovation through Corporate and Community Collaboration.”
According to IAMGOLD “The award presentation highlighted the Company’s continuing commitment to social stewardship that has yielded sustainable projects centred on infrastructure, capacity building, education, health and livelihood improvement. Examples include: water supply projects, market garden development, new and improved schools and medical facilities, support for youth programs, capacity building, and improving agriculture techniques.”
IAMGOLD is listed on the Toronto, New York and Botswana Stock Exchanges. It describes itself as “a leading mid-tier gold mining company producing approximately one million ounces annually from 8 gold mines on 3 continents. IAMGOLD is uniquely positioned with a strong financial position and extensive management and operational expertise.
“To grow from this strong base, IAMGOLD has a pipeline of development and exploration projects and continues to assess accretive acquisition opportunities. IAMGOLD’s growth plans are strategically focused in West Africa, select countries in South America and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, where it also operates a niobium mine.
IAMGOLD President and CEO, Steve Letwin said: “IAMGOLD’s rapid rise to become a mid-tier gold producer has been coupled with an aggressive strategy in achieving exceptional health, safety and sustainability performance. With management’s full commitment to the vision of Zero Harm, success is not solely measured by financial success; management believes that production, financial strength, growth, shareholder return, reputation and health, safety and corporate social responsibility carry equal importance.”