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Mining Executive Search · Africa

Mining executive search, across Africa.

Executive search for Africa's mining sector, placing leaders measured on government handling, political judgement and integrity under pressure. Founder-led and retained; every hire assessed for what these operating environments actually demand.

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The state is now shareholder, regulator and partner

Across Africa's mining countries, the largest risk a company can actually control is no longer the orebody, the metal price or the plant. It is the relationship with the state, and that relationship is usually held, or lost, by one person: the country leader or General Manager on the ground.

The state's role has changed. It used to collect a royalty and stand back. Today it commonly owns a share of the mine, sets how much of the ore must be processed at home, and controls the licence. That has rewritten the job. The person in charge is no longer mainly a mining engineer who runs an asset. They are a diplomat and negotiator who happens to run a mine.

The qualities that decide whether such a leader succeeds, government handling, political judgement and integrity under pressure, are precisely the ones standard hiring assessment measures least well. They are what decides whether the appointment succeeds.

Coverage across the continent

Completed senior mandates span West, Central, Southern and East Africa, from gold and nickel to steel, iron ore and the rail and port infrastructure that brings an asset to market. Each mandate below is shown by country, role and company tier; client names are held in confidence.

Map of Africa marking Templeton Global Search completed mandate countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Madagascar and Tanzania.

Completed senior mandates by country. A representative view of our African coverage, not a complete record.

Recent mandate record

West Africa

5LiberiaMost seniorChief Executive Officer
Chief Executive OfficerDeputy Chief Financial OfficerProject DirectorManager, EngineeringManager, Technical
2GhanaMost seniorVP, Mine Planning
VP, Mine PlanningGroup Manager, Geology
2GuineaMost seniorProject Director, Rail
Project Director, RailSenior Project Manager, Ports
2Sierra LeoneMost seniorChief Operating Officer
Chief Operating OfficerProject Manager
1Burkina FasoMost seniorGeneral Manager
1MauritaniaMost seniorGeneral Manager

Central Africa

3Democratic Republic of the CongoMost seniorChief Operating Officer
Chief Operating OfficerGroup Chief Financial OfficerGeneral Manager, Processing
1RwandaMost seniorGeneral Manager, Mine

Southern Africa

4MadagascarMost seniorGeneral Manager
General ManagerDirector of MaintenanceUtilities ManagerTechnical Manager
3NamibiaMost seniorChief Financial Officer
Chief Financial OfficerGeneral ManagerGeneral Manager, Mine
1South AfricaMost seniorHead of Technical Services
1ZambiaMost seniorHead of Technical Services

East Africa

1TanzaniaMost seniorCorporate Lead, Mine Planning

Leadership appointments across Africa

Board & C-suite

Chief Executive, Chief Financial and Chief Operating Officer mandates for operators from junior to major, assessed for leadership character, strategic capability and the judgement to hold the relationship with the state.

Country & regional leadership

General Managers and country leaders who carry the geopolitical, community and regulatory weight of an operation: appointments where the cost of getting it wrong extends far beyond the search.

Project & technical leadership

Project Directors and senior technical leaders for greenfield and brownfield development, and for the rail, ports and processing infrastructure that brings African assets to market.

Frequently asked questions

What does a mining executive search firm do in Africa?

It identifies and assesses senior leaders for mining and metals operators across Africa on a retained, exclusive basis: board and C-suite appointments, country and regional leadership, and project and technical leadership. Templeton Global Search runs every mandate personally through its founder.

Which countries in Africa has Templeton Global Search completed mandates in?

Completed senior mandates on this page span Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania. Client names are held in confidence; roles are listed by country and company tier above.

Why does country leadership matter so much in African mining?

Because across Africa’s mining countries the state is now commonly a shareholder, regulator and partner at once. The relationship between the company and the government is usually held — or lost — by the country leader or General Manager on the ground, which makes that appointment the largest controllable risk on the asset.

Further reading

Our long-form analysis of leadership in African mining: The Resident Diplomat, on how Africa's mines are run now the state is shareholder, regulator and partner, and the three qualities that define effective country leadership. See all insights.

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