Mining Indaba 2025: Simandou at the heart of Africa's mining challenges.

Representatives from Rio Tinto and SimFer attended Mining Indaba 2025, Africa's largest mining conference, to represent the Simandou project and promote progress in mining development in Guinea.

During the four days of the conference, a joint delegation from SimFer and Rio Tinto Guinea held discussions with regional and international stakeholders and took part in a number of round table discussions on the project's progress. The event was well attended by the Guinean government and other Simandou industry partners, providing an ideal opportunity to showcase progress over the past 12 months and outline the project's prospects for the year ahead.

During the event, Rio Tinto and SimFer executives participated in high-level discussions, roundtables and strategic exchanges with stakeholders. They highlighted the crucial role of partnerships in accelerating infrastructure projects and resource development. Simandou is a perfect example of how a collaborative approach, bringing together several operators and investors, can foster the success of large-scale projects.

The public-private partnership (PPP) model adopted for Simandou is an innovative approach in Africa. It attracted a great deal of interest from investors, governments and industry players attending Mining Indaba 2025.

Gérard Rheinberger, Simandou Project Director for Rio Tinto, said: "Mining Indaba is the cornerstone of the African mining industry, where thousands of people gather to promote investment and discuss the mining sector. Guinea was very well represented this year, which is particularly encouraging. The whole continent is interested in Simandou and how our partnership model can be used to deliver mega-projects for the benefit of communities and mining companies."

Chris Aitchison, CEO of SimFer, added: "In my first appearance at Mining Indaba, I was pleased to stand alongside the Guinean government and our industry partners to promote the progress we are making together on the Simandou project. This project is not only a catalyst for economic growth, it is also the cornerstone for building a brighter and more prosperous future for Guinea. It has been a real pleasure to be able to tell this story to the mining world."

A regular participant in Mining Indaba for many years, Rio Tinto considers the event to be a cornerstone of its commitment to Africa. The 2025 edition reaffirmed the company's vision and ambitions for the continent, highlighting the progress of Simandou and its transformative potential for Guinea and the global mining industry. It was also an opportunity to showcase Rio Tinto's other operations in Africa, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development and the expansion of the African mining sector.