CA Mining is a division of CA Global Headhunters (Pty.) Ltd. and specialises in Mining Recruitment in the African, Middle Eastern and Asian markets. We recruit across the fields of Geology, Construction, Engineering, Artisans, Finance, HR, IT, Logistics from Exploration through to Mine Closure and for positions at all levels. Please visit our dedicated Mining Recruitment Job Board: www.mining-recruitment-jobs.com.

Mining News


Iron Ore Boom in Africa
China has declared its intention to dominate the iron ore mining industry in Africa. This was revealed recently in a speech by the chairman of the China Iron and Steel Association, Wu Xichun.  He said clearly that China wanted to be a big investor in the West African iron ore mines and import half of its iron ore from Chinese-owned mines elsewhere in the world.  China’s own iron ore is low-grade, unlike that of Australia and Brazil.

With construction in China at an all-time high, the country is embarking on a strategy to buy up vast tracts of under-explored and iron ore rich West Africa.  This is a direct challenge to Australia and Brazil’s dominance of the global iron ore market.  BHP Billiton, Vale and Rio Tinto (RTZ) are already embedded in West Africa.  China is intending to open at least 20 mines in the region spanning Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and the Cameroon by 2015. The economists agree that this could force iron ore prices to decline over the next five years.
 

Australian miners are worried about the Chinese expansion program in African iron ore mining. Gabon has significant iron ore reserves in the north-east of the country, although infrastructure such as railways needs to be constructed in order to develop them. All the major global mining companies are undertaking advanced feasibility studies of the Belinga group of iron ore deposits there.  Competition for the Belinga deposits will be fierce. The mining boom is not only helping the majors but also iron ore juniors, thanks to China and India's insatiable demand for steel.

In South Africa, infrastructure has emerged as the key constraining factor to their participation in the African iron-ore boom. The Government has committed to work on a continental framework to extract greater value in the boom times and to expand SA ports and rail networks handling iron ore.     

Mining companies are well aware of the risks common to Africa, contract insecurity being one of the chief concerns, but these are not deterring investment. "We are seeing a combination of logistical and political difficulties actually reducing and at the same time a slightly higher tolerance for these risks," said Rob Tyler, head of mining for West Africa at Coffey International, an Australian mining consultancy. With reasonable growth in the iron ore and steel markets predicted for the foreseeable future, opportunities abound for mining companies that have a positive view on Africa.

Please visit our website http://www.mining-recruitment-jobs.com/mining/index.php to view current vacancies.  





The Expat Outlook for 2011 and Beyond
The outlook for expats is very healthy in 2011 and beyond as companies look to establish themselves in Africa and other emerging markets.  The number of high-powered expats is set to increase as international companies are expecting to post many more executives abroad in the future, according to a new research report by the Economist Intelligence Unit.  The report, entitled “Up or Out : Next moves for the modern expatriate”  questioned 418 senior executives with responsibility for overseas offices. Almost four out of ten, some 39% of companies plan to increase their expat staff over the next five years. The report went on to say that more than half of expats are sent to a particular destination for a period of between two and five years but they note that there has been a rise in flexible working practices such as short term and commuter assignments.

Companies will be responding to the need to move beyond stagnating Western markets and expand into China, India and other major emerging markets.  Slightly concerning is that three in five expats believe that their corporate HQ does not sufficiently grasp the nature of the local business environment. One in three complains of excessive interference from headquarters. 

What is revealing is that executives are keen to be part of the global and mobile working trend. Four in five executives believe that an assignment in a major emerging market aids career progression.  Nearly three quarters of survey respondents believe that cultural sensitivity is the most important attribute that an expat needs.

But getting the right talent in the right place for the right length of time is a challenge. What is clear from the research is that there will be many more international expat assignments on offer in the next few years. 

The 2010 Expat Explorer Survey from HSBC Bank International also found that people are tending to move to BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and that they are faring well there economically.   “When you look at the life of an expat, there is a trade off between lifestyle, family and finance. It’s all about balancing out different things,’ said Lisa Wood, head of marketing for HSBC Bank International in Jersey.  So the outlook for expats is encouraging.





Mining Outlook for 2011
The outlook for jobs in mining for 2011 and beyond is positive. Reports in the press recently support the industry view that global spending on mining will even surpass the levels that were enjoyed during the years before the financial crisis. The consensus is that the economic recovery will be led by China and other fast growing emerging markets with mineral resources. 

“The boom in capital expenditures, which extends to the oil, natural gas and agribusinesses, comes amid sharply rising prices for commodities such as copper, iron ore, crude oil, sugar and wheat” reports Javier Blas in the Financial Times of December 14th 2010. 

He continues “Global mining expenditure is set to hit a record $115bn-$120bn next year, above the peak of $110bn set in 2008, according to a survey of senior industry executives and consultants.” All this bodes well for the job market. In Australia, the hottest mining region, the government’s resources forecasting agency predicts expenditure to jump by 58 per cent year-on-year. 

The growth opportunities will be visible where some of the leaders in global mining are active. Vale, Rio Tinto and Xstrata are expected to take advantage of the rise in demand and price of raw materials. This means new capital investments and staffing requirements. 

Tom Albanese, chief executive of Rio Tinto says, “There is a greater sense of optimism in the sector”. Companies that support the mining sector such as Joy Global, specialists in mining excavators, supports this view and Mike Sutherlin, chief executive adds that ““We are entering the earlier stages of another multiyear expansion of the industry”. 

Morgan Stanley’s outlook for commodities in 2011 is also very positive. They predict that most commodities should move higher and that more than 70% of the economic growth is expected to come from commodity-intensive emerging-market economies, including China, India and Latin America. Morgan Stanley also says that gold and copper are among the commodities for which it is “most constructive” in 2011. Their view on the copper price is an average of US$7,900 a metric ton in 2011, compared to US$7,300 for 2010. This could be a boost for job opportunities in Africa. 

Reference : Global resources spending soars 
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e9a97796-07b1-11e0-a568-00144feabdc0.html#axzz189v1zOZ7 


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