The Mining Pulse
The Mining Pulse is a podcast focused on the African mining industry, hosted by James and Graeme. It examines the projects, people and technologies shaping the future of global resources, offering context that static databases and technical reports cannot capture. Episodes dig into commodity fundamentals, automation, ESG foundations and jurisdictional risks. Aimed at investors, OEMs and site managers, the show favours authentic, data-driven insight over generic marketing and "snake oil" solutions.
Episodes
The Looming Skills Wall: Why We Need More Engineers to Power the Green Transition with Gary Lane, Former SAIMM President
The world is demanding more critical minerals than ever before to fuel the green energy transition. But who is actually going to build and operate these mines?
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, Graeme and James sit down with Gary Lane, former President of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).
Gary brings a sobering reality check to the industry: a massive skills and
"Not An Act of God" – The Hard Truth About Tailings Dam Failures
In this special edition of The Mining Pulse, James and Graeme are joined by Professor SW Jacobsz, a geotechnical engineer from the University of Pretoria who holds a PhD from Cambridge and researches liquefaction and failure triggers in tailings dams.
Following recent industry events, this episode unpacks the brutal engineering realities behind tailings dam stability.
Professor Jacobsz explains
No-BS Sustainability: How AI is Rewriting Mining Compliance
This week, Graeme flies solo to run a diagnostic on the massive administrative burden of corporate governance and compliance in the mining sector. He is joined by Anastasia Koskova, co-founder and CEO of beSirius, an AI platform designed specifically to handle certification, supplier due diligence, and regulatory requests for metals and mining companies.
For too long, critical health, safety, en
The Hydrometallurgy Diagnostic – Automating Cyanide & Acid Control
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, James and Graeme are joined by Hansie van Vreden, CEO of Process Analytical Systems (PAS). We pull back the curtain on a critical but rarely discussed element of gold and copper processing: online wet chemical analysis.
For decades, plants have relied on manual titrations to measure cyanide and acid levels, leading to subjective readings and inefficient dosin
The Mining Pulse: The Supply Chain Diagnostic – Port Congestion, Permits, and Freight
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, James and Graeme are joined by Bonique, Group Commercial Services Manager, and Dexter, Director at TradeStream. Together, they run a complete diagnostic on the state of African logistics, trade finance, and supply chain operations.
While the global appetite for African mining expansion is massive, the infrastructure required to support it often lags behind. Our
Money of Mine x The Mining Pulse: Tracking ASX African Capital
This week, we have a major Trans-Indian Ocean crossover event. James and Graeme are joined by Travis and JD, the founders of Australia's premier mining podcast, Money of Mine.
We contrast the investor-heavy focus of the Australian market with the operational and technical realities of the African mining sector to understand why listed Aussie cash is flooding the continent.
Key Diagnostics Covered
Is Coal Still King? Vuslat Bayoğlu on Energy Policy, Transnet, and the Future of South African Mining
South Africa's economy was built on rocks and coal, yet the mining industry remains heavily misunderstood by the general public and global policymakers. This week, James and Graeme are joined by Vuslat Bayoğlu, Co-founder and Managing Director of Menar. Vuslat unpacks the complex realities of operating a diversified mid-tier mining company in today's volatile market.
Key Diagnostics Covered in Thi
Scratching the Surface: Mosa Mabuza on the Future of South African Geoscience
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, hosts James Agenbag and Graeme Smith sit down with Mosa Mabuza, CEO of the Council of Geoscience, to run a comprehensive reality check on South Africa's geological future. Overseeing the organization that acts as the custodian of the country's subsurface data, Mosa leverages his deep background, which started at Anglo American, to unpack the massive digital tra
Hoses as Arteries: Truco's Martin Cassidy on Fluid Handling and African Mining Heritage
In Episode 19 of The Mining Pulse, hosts James Agenbag and Graeme Smith sit down with Martin Cassidy, Managing Director at Truco, to run the diagnostics on mining fluid handling systems.
A chemical engineer and De Beers process veteran, Martin is running one of the oldest companies in Gauteng, founded in 1892, and leverages his deep operational background to unpack the hidden vulnerabilities of a
What's Killing African Mining Deals? Aon's Risk Reality Check
In Episode 18 of The Mining Pulse, hosts James Agenbag and Graeme Smith sit down with Robert Grafen-Greaney, global Head of Mining at AON, to run a comprehensive reality check on the modern mining risk landscape.
Overseeing a massive $1.2 billion global mining insurance portfolio, Robert leverages his rare dual background as an on-the-ground geologist in East and West Africa and a corporate risk
The Founder's Diagnostic: Rebuilding Uganda's Historic Tin Mine
Mike Beare (Co-Founder & COO, H5 Resources Limited)
How do you take a brownfield tin mine abandoned in the 1960s, overrun by thousands of artisanal miners, and transform it into a modern, zero-waste, low-carbon operation?
In this episode of the Founder Series on The Mining Pulse, we travel to Uganda to speak with Mike Beare, Co-Founder and COO of H5 Resources. H5 is currently undertaking the met
The Exploration Diagnostic: Glass Box AI and the Future of Mineral Discovery
Guest: James Campbell (Managing Director at Botswana Minerals, PLC)
While global demand for critical raw materials and battery elements like copper and lithium skyrockets, greenfield mineral exploration has dangerously flatlined. With major mining houses becoming increasingly risk-averse and 90% of junior explorers failing due to isolated data sets and tightening investment rules, the industry fa
Getting People Home: The Fleet Safety Crisis African Mining Can't Ignore
Guest: Waldo Boshoff (Optix)
Most site incidents and industrial fatalities in the mining sector involve vehicles. While mining assets traditionally rely on reactive safety infrastructure like seatbelts and ROPS, modern predictive analytics are fundamentally changing how operators mitigate vehicle risk on public roads and at the coal face.
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, we dive deep into an
The Tailings Diagnostic: From Mine Waste to Circular Resource
Guests: Dr. Nicolene Roux (Project Engineer) & Fuldre (GM: Projects & Business Development) at Fraser Alexander
Globally, roughly 13 billion tons of tailings are added to surface storage facilities every single year. Traditional reprocessing models focus almost exclusively on extracting hidden grams-per-ton of residual primary minerals, meaning that 99% of that total waste volume goes right back
The Cyanide Diagnostic: Chemistry, Compliance, and Gold Recovery
Guest: Wiehan, Metallurgist & Mineral Processing Specialist (Maelgwyn Mineral Services)
Cyanide is the undeniable backbone of global gold extraction, yet its reputation often sparks intense debate and misunderstanding.
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, we strip away the fear and look strictly at the data, running a full operational diagnostic on how this powerful chemical is managed safely and
The Karowe Diagnostic: Unlocking a Diamond Giant
Guest: James Campbell, Managing Director of Botswana Diamonds
How does a diamond deposit go from being a "marginal" prospect to a source of the world's most valuable stones?
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, we run the diagnostics on Karowe Mine.
We are joined once again by James Campbell, who was at the heart of the team that recognized the true potential of the AK6 kimberlite when others w
Mine Waste to Millions: The Tailings Revolution
Guests: Craig Walter & Phildre Lotter (Fraser Alexander NextGen)
Tailings are often treated as the "magic table" of mining—waste goes in, and the industry hopes it disappears. But when that "table" fails, the impact on communities and the environment is devastating. In this episode of The Mining Pulse, we sit down with Craig Walter and Phildre Lotta from Fraser Alexander to strip back the technic
The Sourcing Diagnostic: Bridging the Gap Between Mines and Global Buyers
Guest: JJ Messner, Representative for the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA)
How does the "heartbeat" of an African mine reach the global market? In this episode of The Mining Pulse, we run diagnostics on the growing disconnect between global purchasers and upstream mineral producers. We sit down with JJ from IRMA to unpack how responsible sourcing standards are becoming the new b
The Digital Mine: AI, Data & the Future of African Mining
Is your mine truly "digitalized," or just "automated"?
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, we run a diagnostic on the current state of mining technology.
We sit down with PJ Peters, founder of DigiRock Innovations, to cut through the marketing fluff surrounding the Fourth Industrial Revolution and get to what actually works on the ground.
PJ brings a unique "boots-on-the-ground" perspective—sta
The Mozambique Bet: Exploration, Risk & Raw Discovery
What does an Australian airline pilot do when a medical ailment ends a 30-year flying career? If you’re Peter and Damian from CAZ Minerals, you head to the remote river mouths of Mozambique to look for seafood—and stumble upon a world-class mineral deposit instead.
In this episode of The Mining Pulse, we take the temperature of one of the most adventurous exploration stories we’ve ever heard. We m
Commodities: Diamonds "Africa's Diamond Boom, Bust & Lab-Grown Threats"
Guest: James Campbell, Managing Director of Botswana Minerals plc.
The diamond industry was forged under pressure, but right now the entire sector is feeling a different kind of squeeze. In this episode of The Mining Pulse, we run a full diagnostic on the "heartbeat" of African diamonds with one of the world's most respected experts, James Campbell. With over three decades of experience, spanning
Episode 01 - Pilot
In this inaugural episode, hosts James and Graeme pull back the curtain on why The Mining Pulse was created and how it aims to transform the way we view African mining intelligence.
Mining is "incredibly relational," yet the industry is often starved of the human context behind the data. James and Graeme discuss the mission of the show: to provide a "critical readout" for the sector by humanizing
