Praveen Baijnath, CEO of Rand Refinery, has been confirmed as a speaker at the Mining in Motion 2025 Summit, scheduled for June 2–4 in Accra. Baijnath will contribute to the panel discussion, Medium to Long-Term Funding Models for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining, which will explore innovative financing mechanisms aimed at improving financial accessibility for small-scale miners.
As the head of the world’s largest integrated single-site precious metals refining and smelting complex, Baijnath brings a critical perspective on the downstream sector’s role in strengthening artisanal mining, supporting sector-wide growth and delivering value-added products tailored to African markets. Ghana’s small-scale gold mining activities generated $5 billion in export revenue in 2024, while South Africa accounted for 60.5% of Ghana’s gold exports to other African nations – highlighting the deep interconnection between the two countries’ gold sectors.
Rand Refinery’s major shareholders are also key players in Ghana’s upstream gold industry. AngloGold Ashanti, which owns 42.5% of Rand Refinery, operates major Ghanaian mines including Iduapriem and Obuasi. Gold Fields, holding a 33.15% stake, manages the Tarkwa and Damang mines. Baijnath’s participation is expected to foster stronger collaboration between South Africa and Ghana, promoting sustainable and inclusive development within the gold mining sector.
Organized by the Ashanti Green Initiative in partnership with the World Bank, World Gold Council and other international stakeholders, Mining in Motion 2025 will be held under the theme Sustainable Mining & Local Growth – Leveraging Resources for Global Impact. The event will welcome top-level decision-makers, including H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, along with representatives from the African Union, ECOWAS, the United Nations and the private sector.
Africa Fact: A sixteenth century traveller visited the central African civilisation of Kanem-Borno and commented that the emperor’s cavalry had golden “stirrups, spurs, bits and buckles.” Even the ruler’s dogs had “chains of the finest gold”.
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Tshego Sefolo and Londeka Shezi from Agile Capital – In 2015, after 13 years in the investment industry, Tshego Sefolo went to the market to raise hundreds of millions to launch his own private equity firm, Agile Capital. It took him and his business partner Londeka Shezi, less than a year to secure the investment, for not one, but two private equity firms. Londeka Shezi, is a director at Agile Capital, but her journey started when she completed her articles with Pricewaterhouse Coopers in 2009. She then joined Standard Bank where she worked in the Leverage and Acquisitions team, and went on to become a senior associate at Zico Group.