Acclaimed Best-Selling Author, Niall Ferguson Will Speak at the 17th Annual Investing in African Mining Indaba in South Africa

NEW YORK, July 29 /PRNewswire-Asia/ --

Mining Indaba LLC has secured Niall Ferguson, economic historian and bestselling author of Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World to be a keynote speaker at the 17th annual Investing in African Mining Indaba. The event takes place in Cape Town, South Africa from 7-10 February 2011.

Ferguson, a professor of history at Harvard University, will address the world's premier mining investment conference which attracts the most senior representatives of the global mining value chain. The title of his address will be "The Ascent of Africa and Her Minerals" as Ferguson unpacks the back story on the new scramble for Africa's mineral wealth.

In addition to Mr. Ferguson's keynote address, mining stakeholders will enjoy the perspective and insights of more than a dozen experts starting with the acclaimed Commodity Outlook and Review Day. Topics and speakers include:

    - Copper: Walter DeWet

    - Coal: Gerard McKloskey

    - Nickel, Lead & Zinc: Don Smale

    - Diamonds: Chaim Evan-Zohar

    - Platinum Group Metals: Stephen Forrest

    - Gold: James Turk

    - World and Africa Outlook: Dr. David Hale

    - Reminiscences of a Commodity Bull: Dr. Graham Birch

    - The State of the Commodity Cycle: Frank E. Holmes

    - China and Africa: Kobus van der Wath

    - Official Welcome: Her Excellency, Susan Shabangu, Minister of Mineral Resources of South Africa     

    - Corporate Social Responsibility Day in association with the International Council on Mining and Metals     

    - And dozens of additional presentations

The four-day event provides investment foresight for, and unparalleled networking opportunities among an expected 4,000 stakeholders in the global mining value chain and its connection with Africa.

For more information on the conference programme and to register, visit http://www.MiningIndaba.com.

About Investing in African Mining Indaba    

Mining Indaba LLC (http://www.miningindaba.com ) has hosted the annual Investing in African Mining Indaba for 17 years. Investing in African Mining Indaba is the world's largest gathering of mining's most influential stakeholders and decision-makers vested in African mining. Each year the event is attended by more than 3000 individuals representing more than 800 international companies and approximately 40 government and quasi-government delegations.