Simandou took centre stage at Mining Indaba 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. Mining Indaba is one of the world’s leading conferences dedicated to mining investment. Under the Indaba theme “Stronger together: Progress through partnerships”, the Rio Tinto Guinea and SimFer delegations showcased a project that perfectly embodies this spirit – a development born from partnerships and progressing thanks to them.
The delegation included Elias Scafidas (Managing Director, International Operations, Rio Tinto Iron Ore), Chris Aitchison (Managing Director, SimFer), Aboubacar Koulibaly (Head of Country, Rio Tinto Guinea), Safiatou Diallo (General Manager, Regional Economic Development / Country Strategy, Rio Tinto Guinea) and Trina Gill (ESG Director, Simandou, Rio Tinto Guinea). These leaders highlighted project progress and the strength of the partnership model, participating in high-profile panel sessions bringing together government decision-makers, investors, international institutions and industry leaders.
Chris Aitchison delivered Rio Tinto’s keynote speech, highlighting the progress made on Simandou and the potential lessons the industry can draw from the project’s development. [Link to speech]
“Mining Investment for Shared Prosperity”
Safiatou Diallo
Safiatou Diallo joined a panel on the topic “Mining Investment for Shared Prosperity”, emphasising the importance of reshaping how mining contributes to regional development.
“Can Africa balance resource nationalism with investment certainty?”
Elias Scafidas
Elias Scafidas participated in the panel “Can Africa balance resource nationalism with investment certainty?”, addressing governance considerations, regulatory stability and the balance between national interests and investor confidence.
“Can public-private infrastructure models be scaled across Africa?”
Aboubacar Koulibaly
Aboubacar Koulibaly joined the panel “Can public-private infrastructure models be scaled across Africa?”, sharing insights from Simandou’s multi-user infrastructure model and its close collaboration with the Government of Guinea.
“Is a circular economy just?”
Trina Gill
Trina Gill spoke during the panel “Is a circular economy just?”, highlighting the project’s ESG commitments, sustainable management practices and efforts to reduce environmental impacts.
This strong participation comes as Simandou achieves significant milestones: first ore was shipped internationally at the end of 2025, the mine is now 62% complete, the port 66% complete, and full commissioning of the main rail line is expected around the end of the first quarter of 2026. These achievements confirm that the project is progressing to plan, with a long-term capacity of 120 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore per year from both Simandou mines, with the potential to increase Guinea’s GDP by up to 55%.
The Rio Tinto booth – a space for engagement
The Rio Tinto exhibition booth was a hub of activity, attracting steady interest from conference participants, industry experts and institutional stakeholders. Designed as an open and interactive space, it presented the Group’s global operations and partnership approach. Within this space, a chance to experience Simandou in Virtual Reality stood out as one of the most visited and praised features.
Its immersive design offered participants the opportunity to explore the mine, rail and port as if they were there, giving Simandou a distinctive and memorable presence within Rio Tinto’s broader presence.
A significant visit – the Government of Guinea stops by the Rio Tinto booth
One of the highlights of our time at the booth was a visit from members of the Government of Guinea. This reaffirmed the strength of the public-private partnership at the heart of Simandou, demonstrating the alignment between national priorities and the execution of the project, and underlining the unwavering commitment of the partners and the government to the success of the project.
Building interaction – Rio Tinto’s stakeholder breakfast panel
The Rio Tinto Stakeholder Breakfast Panel, centred on the theme “How Simandou is transforming the future of mining through partnerships”, was attended by stakeholders from across the African mining, political and investment community.
Mamoudou Nagnalen Barry, Chair of the CTG Board of Directors, moderated this panel, which featured:
- Daouda Diakité, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Mines & Geology, Government of Guinea
- Dr Sophie Lv, CEO, Winning Consortium Holdings
- Elias Scafidas, Managing Director, International Operations, Rio Tinto Iron Ore
- Valerie Levkov, Vice President, Infrastructure, World Bank Group
Through a dynamic and free-flowing discussion, the panel explored key themes including governance, trust-building, the value of complementary expertise, and the catalytic role played by the Government of Guinea in convening the partnership.
The session highlighted how the Simandou model offers a blueprint for the next generation of large-scale mining and infrastructure projects across Africa.
A transformative project – impact highlighted by our leaders
“Simandou demonstrates the strength of a partnership built on trust, transparency and complementarity. It has captured the attention of the industry because it shows that large-scale projects can advance more quickly and more effectively when partners combine their expertise,”
Elias Scafidas
Managing Director, International Operations, Rio Tinto Iron Ore
“Those who built Simandou] should be incredibly proud of all of the work that they have done to contribute to this great moment. You’re increasingly recognised on a global stage and I think there’s nothing more rewarding for that. So thank you all for your efforts. I’m sure Simandou will be top of the list when we’re talking about our operations running at full steam and the CTG fully integrated.”
Chris Aitchison
Managing Director of SimFer
By taking an active role in Mining Indaba 2026, Rio Tinto reaffirmed its commitment to developing sustainable mining in Africa, grounded in international standards and strong collaboration with all partners. Simandou remains a transformative project for Guinea and a model closely watched by the global mining industry.