Radisson Hotel 

22 July 2026|09:00 – 16:00

MIDDELBURG | MPUMALANGA

Mining, Manufacturing, Energy - charting beneficiation pathways and industrial investment opportunities for Steve Tshwete and the Nkangala region.

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 Conference 2026 Speakers

(Scroll down to read the Speakers’ Bios)

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Shaping South Africa's Industrial Future

Steve Tshwete Local Municipality (STLM) sits at the heart of South Africa’s mining–manufacturing–energy nexus. For decades, the local economy has been anchored by coal mining, heavy industry, power generation, and logistics. The next five years represent a decisive transition period: from primary extraction and bulk processing to locally anchored beneficiation, localisation, energy resilience, and value-chain deepening. 

The 2026 MCCI Beneficiation Conference is designed as a practical, deal-oriented platform to align business, government, SOEs, financiers, and organised labour around realistic beneficiation plans for 2026–2031—focused on what can be implemented locally, what must be enabled by policy, and where private capital can be mobilised.

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Complete and email to admin@middelburgchamber.com to secure your booking.

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Itinerary

21 July 2026: Pre-Conference Industrial Tour: Optimum Mine

21 July 2026: Exclusive Pre-Conference Gala Dinner

Time: 18:00

Venue: Radisson Hotel Middelburg

Dress Code: Black Tie

22 July 2026: Beneficiation, Innovation and the Next 5 Years Conference

Time: 09:00-16:00

Venue: Radisson Hotel Middelburg

23 July 2026: Post Conference Industrial Tour: Columbus Stainless

Exclusive Pre-Conference

Gala Dinner- 21 July 2026

Join us for the Pre-Conference Gala Dinner, taking place at 18:00 at Radisson Hotel Middelburg.

This intimate evening is strictly limited to only 30 seats and will bring together top executives and conference speakers for a high-level networking experience. Guests will enjoy meaningful engagement, insightful conversation, and an elegant setting ahead of the conference proceedings.

Gala Dinner Fully Booked

Pre-Conference Industrial Tour 

– 21 July 2026

Join us for the Pre-Conference Industrial Tour to Optimum Coal Mine, where delegates will gain firsthand insight into one of South Africa’s key mining operations.

Attendees will explore mining processes, engage with industry professionals, and gain valuable knowledge on mineral value chains, downstream processing, and the future of coal in the evolving energy mix. The tour also provides an excellent opportunity for networking and industry engagement.

Book for Optimum Tour
Book for Columbus Tour
Book for Both Tours

POST CONFERENCE

TOUR – 23 July 2026

Join us for the Post-Conference Tour to Columbus Stainless, Africa’s only stainless steel producer, for an insightful look into advanced manufacturing and stainless steel production processes

Delegates will experience the journey from raw materials to finished products while gaining valuable insight into industrial innovation, beneficiation, and the role of stainless steel in driving economic growth and infrastructure development.

Meet our speakers

Hear what the industry experts, customers, innovators have to say about Beneficiation, Innovations and the next 5 years.

Moeketsi Mpotu

Moeketsi Mpotu

Conference MC

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South African mechanical engineer and industrial business leader based in Mpumalanga. BSc Mechanical Engineering (Wits), Executive Development Programme (Wits), and risk-based inspection certification from the Steinbeis Transfer Institute, Germany. Blends deep technical expertise with regional economic leadership across locomotive engineering, SME development, and industrial localisation.

Riaan van Coller

Riaan van Coller

COO, Columbus Stainless

 

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Industrial Engineer (BTech, Cum Laude). Joined Columbus Stainless in 1996, appointed COO in November 2025. Oversees daily manufacturing operations, strategic growth, and key investments. Board Member of the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce.

Mike Teke

Mike Teke

Group CEO, Seriti

 

Click to view bio
Co-founder and Group CEO of Seriti Resources Holdings. Chairman of FutureCoal Limited. Former President of the Chamber of Mines SA (2013–2017), founding member and CEO of Optimum Coal, and former Chairman of Richards Bay Coal Terminal. Executive Chairman of Masimong Group Holdings. Professor of Practice at UJ’s Johannesburg Business School.

Tafadzwa Chibanguza

Tafadzwa Chibanguza

CEO, SEIFSA

 

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CEO of SEIFSA (Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa). Leads advocacy across industrial policy, trade, and economic matters affecting SA’s metals and engineering sector. Former Economist at Minerals Council SA and Senior Economist at SEIFSA. BCom Economics & Econometrics (UJ), MCom Economic Policy, currently completing MSc Mining Engineering (Wits).

Gerrit van der Merwe

Gerrit van der Merwe

MCCI President

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President of the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A champion for regional economic development and business growth in the Nkangala district.

Ockert Berry

Ockert Berry

VP Manufacturing, Ford SA

 

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Vice-president of Manufacturing Operations at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa. Over 30 years with Ford, overseeing vehicle and powertrain operations at the Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria.

Samantha Andrews

Samantha Andrews

HOD ADAS, Cartrack SA

 

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Head of ADAS Solutions at Cartrack South Africa. Leads development of intelligent mobility and fleet safety technologies including AI-powered video telematics, driver monitoring, predictive risk analytics, and real-time operational insights for the mining sector.

Renier Louwrens

Renier Louwrens

Operations Executive

 

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Renier Louwrens is a South African operations leader, chemical engineer, endurance athlete, media personality, and philanthropist based in Secunda, Mpumalanga. With more than a decade of experience at Sasol, he is recognised for leadership in complex manufacturing environments, while also gaining public recognition as a top-10 contestant on Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island. Renier has competed in elite endurance events including the Adventure Racing World Championships and the Absa Cape Epic, and is the founder of Beyond39, a non-profit focused on sustainable community upliftment and mentorship.

Hlayiseka Morgan Chauke

Hlayiseka Morgan Chauke

Acting CEO of Liberty Coal

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Hlayiseka Morgan Chauke is the Acting CEO of Liberty Coal and a respected mining executive with more than 21 years of experience across South Africa’s coal mining sector. With extensive expertise spanning underground and opencast operations, mine planning, dragline and truck-and-shovel operations, Chauke has built a reputation for disciplined leadership, operational excellence and strategic execution in some of the country’s most complex mining environments.

Before joining Liberty Coal in 2024, Chauke held senior leadership positions at Sasol Mining, BHP, Optimum Coal and Glencore, including roles as General Manager and Technical Manager overseeing large-scale operations, life-of-mine planning and major infrastructure projects. He holds a B-Tech in Mining Engineering from the University of Johannesburg and an MBA from GIBS.

Recognised for his deep operational insight and people-focused leadership style, Chauke is passionate about building resilient mining operations, mentoring the next generation of industry leaders and shaping a more sustainable future for South African mining.

Victoria Ndyamba

Victoria Ndyamba

Energy & Water Head, Liberty

 

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Victoria is a highly accomplished civil engineer with more than a decade of experience in sustainability consulting, infrastructure development and environmental stewardship. With a Master of Science in Engineering in Water Resources Management, specialising in sustainable water use, she has established herself as a forward-thinking leader driving practical, resilient and future-focused infrastructure solutions.

Her expertise spans project management, construction supervision, water conservation, water treatment, renewable energy, climate change mitigation and EPC project delivery, alongside strategic experience in mergers and acquisitions due diligence and large-scale project bidding. Victoria’s multidisciplinary approach and passion for sustainability have enabled her to deliver impactful solutions across both the public and private sectors.

At Liberty Coal, Victoria leads the company’s ambitious Green Park Initiatives, a cornerstone of its sustainability and Just Energy Transition strategy in Mpumalanga. Under her leadership, the programme is advancing innovative projects focused on water efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, helping to position Liberty Coal at the forefront of responsible mining and long-term environmental resilience in South Africa.

Pieter Nel

Pieter Nel

First Technology

 

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Pieter Nel is a results-driven Channel Account Executive based in Johannesburg, specializing in building and scaling high-performance partner ecosystems within the cybersecurity industry.
With a strong focus on channel development and partner success, Pieter works closely with distributors, resellers, and strategic partners to drive revenue growth, strengthen market presence, and deliver advanced cybersecurity solutions aligned to evolving threat landscapes. His expertise spans partner enablement, sales execution, and aligning business outcomes to customer risk and security priorities.
Pieter brings a pragmatic, commercially focused approach to cybersecurity, helping organizations translate complex security challenges into clear, actionable strategies. He is known for fostering trusted relationships, driving collaborative go-to-market initiatives, and consistently delivering value across the partner and customer lifecycle.
As part of a leading global cybersecurity organization, Pieter remains closely aligned to emerging threat intelligence and market trends, ensuring his partners are equipped to address today’s most critical security challenges with confidence and precision.

 Sponsors & Exhibitors

Radisson Hotel

Middelburg Mpumalanga

Address: Corner of Dr Mandela Drive and Sondagsrivier Street, Middelburg, Mpumalanga, 1050, South Africa

Peter Nordin, Liberty Coal

 

Role: Operations Director – Liberty Coal

CEO – Salaria

Experience: Over a decade in mining and surveying leadership.

Education: GDE in Mine Engineering and GCC Mine Survey

Achievements: Led teams in complex projects, specializing in feasibility studies for major mining clients.

Traits: Disciplined, organized, and proactive with a 'can do' attitude.

Passion: Dedicated to achieving excellence under pressure and contributing to organizational success.

Leosha Singh 

 

  • Bachelor’s degree in science and technology.
  • 15 Years Experience in the manufacturing industry.
  • 3 years In the Clean Energy Projects.
  • BBE partner in 3 clean Energy Projects.
  • Consultancy to clean Energy Industry, Specializing in powder purchase Agreements (PPA’s)

ANtonia scarpone (ing msc)

 

  • Master of Science, Electro Mechanics
  • Total 50+ years of professional experience
  • 30+ years of experience in project development in the Renewable Energy sector (wind, solar, stand alone, biomass in Europe and oversees
  • Technical commercial Manager in the Automative sector (8 years)
  • Sales Director in the computer Business (6 years)
  • General Manager in the Machinery Sector (4 years)

Mike Teke (CEO of Optimum Coal)

 

  • Founding member and CEO of Optimum Coal
  • Served as President of the South African Chamber of Mines
  • Chairman of the Richards Bay Coal Terminal Board
  • Inducted into the SA Mining Hall of fame in 2023
  • Received the award for Exceptional Leadership in the South African mining industry since Democracy in 2023
  • Awarded the Onkgopotse Tiro award for exceptional business by the university of Limpopo in September 2023.
  • Professor of practice at UJ.

 

 

Rashveer Manilal

 

Rashveer is currently the Head of Renewable Energy for Absa Relationship Banking. His portfolio includes the financing of renewable energy solutions for SME, Commercial and Corporate clients of the bank. Rashveer has more than 16 years of experience across the Financial Services and Telecoms sectors in South Africa. Prior to joining Absa in his capacity as Head of Renewable Energy, Rashveer headed up Strategy and Planning at TransUnion Africa. He is passionate about South Africa’s growth potential and believes that if all South Africans work together, the possibilities for South Africa, are endless.

"Absa’s instrumental involvement in driving growth in the Renewable Energy sector in South Africa"

 

 

Thabang Mtsweni

(Nkangala Energy)

 

Thabang Mtsweni holds a B-Tech Degree in Metallurgical Engineering and has also successfully completed a Nuclear Power plant auditing program with the Nuclear Training Institute in the USA. His career has evolved from the steel industry to a Management System Specialist. He worked as a consultant for Eskom Holdings on numerous projects including Kusile, Medupi and Ingula pumped Storage and played a pivotal role in assisting Eskom Group to attain its ISO Certification.
He later ventured into the renewable energy sector and founded Nkangala Energy, of which he is the current CEO. Nkangala Energy was founded with the intention of providing renewable energy through gas, solar and hydro power station projects. The company has presence in the SADEC region with projects implemented in Malawi for ENGENCO and has formed a strategic partnership with ECC of Swaziland.

In partnership with Tata Power, Nkangala Energy is currently busy with the implementation of a gas to power project with a capacity of generating 860MW in the Nkangala District Municipality in Mpumalanga, and the anticipated commercialization of the power plant is the third quarter of the years 2025.

The company has also partnered with Alnergy and is in the process of establishing a inverter and battery manufacturing plant also in the Nkangala District Municipality. This project will enable Nkangala Energy to produce inverters and batteries locally and give the company a competitive advantage in the inverter and battery sector in South Africa and the SADEC region as a whole.

 

Johan Strydom

Columbus (Chief Executive Officer)

 

  • Johan Strydom was born in Vereeniging, South Africa in 1969.
  • He completed a National and National Higher Diploma in Physical Metallurgical Engineering from the Vaal University of Technology in 1991.
  • He joined the Iscor group (now Mittal) at Vanderbijlpark, South Africa in 1991 as a Metallurgist in the Technical Department. He held various positions as Process and Product Development Metallurgist before managing the Tin and Galve process laboratories.
  • In 1995, he joined Columbus Stainless where he furthered his career in the production environment.
  • His career started in Plate Processing where he was later appointed as the Business Unit Manager (2001). During this period, he was also involved in various expansions and improvement projects. In 2011, he was appointed as General Manager Manufacturing for Columbus Stainless, a position he held until being promoted to COO in 2019. One year later, he was appointed as CEO of Columbus Stainless.
  • Johan did additional part-time management studies and obtained a Diploma in Management Development Program through the Henley Business Institute. In 2001, he successfully completed his Master’s degree in Business Administration (Cum Laude) through Business School Netherlands. In 2010, he completed an International Executive Development Program through Wits University and London Business School.
  • Johan is an avid single-figure handicap golfer and President of Middelburg Country Club. He serves on the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce board as an Executive Member after four years of Vice President and President. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Pretoria and is Chairman of the Columbus Retirement Fund. In the past few years, he was actively involved in the construction of the Steel Master Plan, where he leads the Resource Mobilisation workstream, dealing with localization and illicit trade. He is a founding Member and Chairperson of the Steel Fund, which was established to support the local steel industry.
  • Johan was appointed as Chair for SAISI (South African Iron & Steel Institute) in February 2021.
  • Johan was appointed as Co-Chair for Steel Fund in August 2021.
  • Johan was appointed as Member of the Acerinox Europa Board in May 2024. 
 

Andiswa Matikinca

#PowerTracker

Andiswa Matikinca is an award-winning journalist with a passion for writing, storytelling and broadcasting.

She currently works on several of Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism’s projects, where she tracks, monitors and investigates wildlife and other environmental crimes, as well as the status of renewable energy projects and the Just Energy Transition in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province with Oxpeckers' #PowerTracker.

She became an Oxpeckers associate in 2018, when she was contracted to work as the project manager for #MineAlert, a geojournalism tool that tracks and maps mining and water licence applications across the country

Moeketsi Mpotu  (Brimis Engineering)

Moeketsi Mpotu is the technical director of Brimis Engineering. Skilled in deep seated technical quality management proficiency’s around engineering and maintenance work, he is responsible for the technical and project execution teams at Brimis to ensure exceptional project delivery.

Mpotu’s career has seen him consult on energy efficiency; and he was part of locomotive design, maintenance and operations at Transnet. His tenure at Eskom included the technical management of turbines, power generation and executive support for C suite individuals within the organisation. Moeketsi (has served as) a chairperson of the SAAMA technical sub-committee on RBI (Risk-Based Inspection).

He has a BSc (Mech Eng) from the University of the Witwatersrand, various professional certificates in risk-based inspections from Steinbeis Transfer Institute (Germany) and an executive development programme certificate (University of the Witwatersrand).

Moeketsi is a board member of the Mpumalanga Stainless Initiative (MSI) and the president of the Middleburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). He is the technical director of Brimis Engineering and Lismar Industrial Safety, he is also the Managing Partner of Ukhamba Industrial
Events Park.

Daniel (Dan) Leseja Marokane, Eskom Group Chief Executive

Short Biography – March 2024

Daniel (Dan) Leseja Marokane is currently the Group Chief Executive (GCE) of Eskom Holdings SOC Limited., a 100% state-owned company of over 40 000 employees, generating close to 90% of the energy supplied to a wide range of customers in South Africa and the region, by transforming inputs from the natural environment, such as coal, nuclear fuel, diesel, kerosene, water and wind into energy. Eskom has a total of 30 power stations with a nominal capacity of 46 788MW.

Dan is a seasoned turnaround expert, a charismatic and inspirational leader, with a proven track record of disciplined execution in operational, strategic and change leadership roles in large organisations. He has led operations across the oil, gas, power/energy and manufacturing sectors where he has overseen procurement budgets of over R100 billion and capex budgets of R60 billion annually, achieving cashflow improvements of R3 billion over a two-year period and facilitating asset disposals of R6.5 billion. Prior to taking the helm at Eskom, Dan led staff complements of up to 35 000 people.
His return to Eskom is preceded by a stint between 2010 and 2015. During that tenure, he was tasked with stabilising Eskom’s coal supply function, following the first occurrences of loadshedding in 2008. The remit of his function was the operational execution of the coal procurement strategy, focussed on quality and adherence to the coal supply schedule. He initiated and led the harmonisation of procurement policies and practices to drive cost competitiveness, improve governance, and enable engineering cost efficiencies through the critical review of specifications. His last role was being responsible lead Group Capital, and he led the team that successfully syncronised the first of the Medupi unit after delays of several years before. He joined Tongaat Hulett as an executive in January 2018 and carried out various responsibilities as the organisation embarked on a turnaround journey and was appointed to the Tongaat Hulett Board on 18 November 2019. He took on the responsibility of interim CEO in February 2023, early into the company’s voluntary business rescue process focussing on ensuring that, while a financial plan to solve the company’s debt burden was being considered, the four operating entities across Southern Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana) continued to show improvement in their operational excellence glide path, thus demonstrating the value of the business.
After his departure from Eskom in March 2015, and before joining Tongaat Hulett, Dan provided advisory services across the energy value chain. He partnered with clients, capacitating them in driving strategic growth and change projects, at CEO and board level.
Dan holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering (UCT) an MSc Petroleum Eng (London) and an MBA (UCT). He is passionate about people, helping them realise their inherent value and full potential, which is critical to driving performance.


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