Closed mines are resuming production after output slumped 50% in 2008, the country's chamber of mines said.

Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu said yesterday illegal mining in the country is "huge"

Hopes to create a more conducive business environment

CEO says the group is looking at an exploration company with a portfolio of mostly copper assets

Eike Batista said in an interview that he is "super capitalized"

It helps that the long term relationship between oil and the yellow metal is currently bolstered by the declining quantity and quality of new gold exploration discoveries

Australian explorer, flush with funds from a big gold project payout in Western Australia last decade, has maintained its focus on southern Africa that began with a diamond quest in Namibia and now sees the company with a new base metals mining blueprint in Botswana.

Canada's federal government has agreed to join the British Columbia Government to extend the powerline along the Highway 57 corridor, which will finally provide electrical power to a number of mining projects.

The Kazakh mining group is planning to expand into Africa; offer could start a bidding battle with the Chinese

While encouraged by recent moves by the country, more is required before foreign investors flood back in.