Investing in Mining Indaba 2023

What better way to kick off 2023 than with one of the significant events in the mining industry?

The Cleopatra Enterprise team is excited to exhibit at Investing in Mining Indaba 2023, between 6-9 February 2023, in Cape Town!

Shamir Sheikkariem (Mining Expert & Business Developer) and Sharon Bosch (Senior Implementation Consultant) are counting the days to join the event as the representatives of the Cleopatra team. They will be at stand number S30 to answer your questions regarding Cleopatra and give demos for your specific needs and challenges.

We sat with them to share their excitement and uncover what they expect from this event in an exclusive interview.

Personal Ties to Project Management in Mining

• Hello, both! Thank you for being here today to discuss the upcoming Mining Indaba event.

Shamir Sheikkariem (S.S.): Thank you for having us, we are looking forward to the event, so this is a great chance to explain our goals and expectations.

• Good to hear that; let’s dive into it then! What makes the Mining Indaba event special for Cleopatra Enterprise and you personally?

S.S.: I want to start from a personal perspective (smiles). I have been passionate about mining since I can remember and therefore pursued my studies in geology and mining. This led me to have 10 successful years of operational and active exploration and a technology consultancy experience in mining and energy in Suriname and the Netherlands in multiple industries.

This experience uniquely combined many things I am passionate about: Discovering innovation and ways of improving production efficiency, connecting with driven individuals, and striving for operational excellence. This is how our ways have crossed with Cleopatra Enterprise.

Cleopatra team’s passion for supporting clients in executing their projects within time and budget contributes positively towards ensuring a sustainable future. Therefore, it was simply essential for us to exhibit at Mining Indaba and share our solutions via such an important event in the industry. The environment I experienced last year as a delegate definitely confirmed and made me more enthusiastic about exhibiting this year.

Sharon Bosch (S.B.): The Mining Indaba event will be my first mining event in Africa, which makes it very special to me. I have a chemical engineering background and a strong affinity with total cost management processes. As an implementation consultant of our in-house developed software Cleopatra Enterprise, I’ve encountered various industries. Over the last few years, I gained more experience in the mining industry, which also requires enhanced total cost management solutions.

Working with people in the mining industry is inspiring because everyone is very passionate about the sector and open to change. There is a place for everyone and anyone.

As a woman, it is valuable to be in an open and welcoming environment, especially in male-dominated sectors. Therefore, I am eager to participate in moving the mining business forward into a bright and sustainable future.

Mining Indaba to Bring Leading Discussions in Project Controls

• It sounds like your personal ties are very powerful. What about your main expectations from the event?

S.S.: Mining Indaba 2023 will be filled with presentations and panels on various subjects. Given the importance of sustainability, clean mining, and accelerating the energy transition in the mining industry,  I expect this event to showcase the latest ESG initiatives, innovations, and progress in the industry to fuel the sustainability and energy transition agenda.

S.B.: I agree, especially with sustainability being one of the prominent concepts to be embraced by Mining Indaba; I am looking forward to hearing about its relevance in mining. In addition , I hope to gain more knowledgebase from mining experts about the visions of the industry and to meet more passionate mining ambassadors with interesting and insightful stories to share.

• And, Sharon, will this be your first time in Cape Town?

S.B.: Yes, this event will mark my first steps on the African ground, so I am very excited about traveling there. I love exploring new cultures, and I am sure the South African culture will take me out of my comfort zone to see, taste, and try new things. I cannot wait to engage with different people, take on adventures and create meaningful experiences.

• Shamir, circling back on your participation in last year’s event, how do you feel about connecting with people based on emerging topics in the mining industry?

S.S.: Based on my experience during the Mining Indaba event in 2022, I am thrilled to continue the discussions and connections made during this year’s event. I am very much interested in how companies are dealing with controlling the costs of projects in volatile markets and finding out ways how we can support them in achieving success.

Sustainable Project Controls in Mining

• Why do you think project professionals should attend this event?

S.S.: I believe this event will enable all the professionals to have conversations around timely industry-related topics and help people to shift their approach for those who have not yet acknowledged the importance of such concepts, like clean mining. During my years of developing and operating gold mining operations in Suriname, I was always committed to sustainable mining. As such, I applied an environmental system (NEMS) in our operations. Next to that, we enforced this system on artisanal miners’ operation on the property.

Having experienced the effects of irresponsible mining in Suriname, I saw how implementing clean mining is key to having a successful future in mining. So, I am intrigued to engage in conversations around this with industry leaders.

S.B.: Innovation starts with knowledge sharing. Therefore, I think, project professionals need to attend this event and participate in the global discussion. That’s how they can identify the direction for the mining industry to move ahead. With experts joining from different countries and backgrounds, exchanging thoughts with one another will help us professionally and for personal growth.

• Lastly, why do you think people should visit the Cleopatra booth? How would you relate this to the solutions Cleopatra offers?

S.S.: Because an essential factor in clean and sustainable mining is indeed avoiding overruns and waste of resources. In my opinion, it is, therefore, crucial to set up solid estimates already at the beginning of the projects and also effectively control the cost and schedule during execution. Cleopatra Enterprise has the experience and solutions to help companies achieve this.

S.B.: Cleopatra Enterprise offers an integrated project controls solution, which allows companies to close the loop – starting from the development of both high-level and detailed estimates, controlling their project, tracking changes during execution in the field, and being able to benchmark their results to improve future estimations further. Cleopatra has impressive reporting functionalities and can connect with Power BI for dynamic reports and dashboards, which is also a big plus for mining professionals.

At the Cleopatra booth (S30), we will give you a live demonstration of the software’s capabilities for the mining industry so be there!

• Great, thank you both for your time. It was very interesting to hear your thoughts and expectations on Mining Indaba. I wish you good luck at the event!

What is Investing in Mining Indaba 2023?

The event that has marked its 28^th year is solely dedicated to the successful capitalization and development of mining interests in Africa. Mining Indaba has a unique and widening perspective of the African mining industry, bringing together visionaries and innovators from across the spectrum.

Attracting more junior, mid-tier and major mining companies, more investors and as always, the largest gathering of mining Ministers in Africa. Mining Indaba is that space – where the high-impact networking is unmissable and the opportunities and conversations are endless to land deal after deal.

The event is confident to continue the success with this year’s theme, ‘’Unlocking African Mining Investment: Stability, Security, and Supply’’.