JOGMEC establishes Johannesburg Office as an base for natural resource development in Africa
Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation(JOGMEC) announced that it will establish an office in Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa, on February 1, 2019. It will be the 14th overseas office for JOGMEC.
Africa is rich in available mineral resources that are expected to increase the demands with the growing use of electric vehicles, including cobalt, nickel, copper, platinum group metals and rare metals, as well as rich in available coal resource. The continent with high potentials in petroleum and natural gas, along with geothermal energy, has been increasing its significance in recent years as resource development becomes more active.
JOGMEC develops its business to pursue its mission of ensuring the security of stable supply of resources to Japan, and also to contribute to the development of the resource countries. JOGMEC is involved in a projesct of platinum group metals and chromium in South Africa and JV projects on mineral resources exploration in several countries in Africa, while financially and technically supporting the mining investment by Japanese corporations. In addition to the field of mineral resources, JOGMEC is involved in coal and natural gas development in Mozambique and geological and geophysical survey on petroleum in Kenya. As these cases show, Africa is expected to keep growing its significance in the world. JOGMEC has decided to establish its office in Johannesburg as its base to accelerate the business activities in Africa.
JOGMEC has already established the Geologic Remote Sensing Center in Botswana in 2008 and has been involving in technology transfer of satellite image analysis for mineral resource exploration and in human resources development for the member states of the Southern African Development Community(SADC) (Reference 1). By opening the Johannesburg office, JOGMEC will exert synergy effects with the Geologic Remote Sensing Center in human resource development and other areas, while further strengthening the relations with African countries and further ensuring the stable supply of resources to Japan.
Figure 1.JOGMEC Overseas Offices
Basic Information on Johannesburg Office
LOCATION |
West Tower, 3th Floor, Nelson Square, Sandton City, Johannesburg, South Africa 2146 |
CONTACT |
johannesburg-office@jogmec.go.jp |
General Manager |
Takeshi Harada |
(Reference1)Southern African Development Community(SADC)
SADC started as its forerunner, Southern African Development Coordination Conference(SADCC), in 1980. SADC conducts activities for economic integration, common market development and settlement and prevention of disputes with the objectives “to achieve development, peace and security, and economic growth, to alleviate poverty, enhance the standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa,”.
Member states(16): Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Mauritius, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Seychelles and Comoros.
(Reference2)Project on platinum group metals in South Africa in which JOGMEC is involved
- Platreef Project
Since 2011, JOGMEC has been providing financial support to a Platinum group metals-nickel exploration and development project “Platreef Project” which ITOCHU Corporation promotes in South Africa Republic.
- Waterberg Project
JOGMEC started joint exploration with the Platinum group metals Company of Canada in the northern part of the Bushfeld region in South Africa in 2009.
From 2011 to 2016, JOGMEC evaluated the amount of resources in the platinum group project “Waterberg Project” jointly conducted with the Platinum group metals Company, and found 743 tons of metal resources such as platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold.
(Reference3)Financial Support for a Japanese company in Africa
In 2017, JOGMEC has provided financial support to Japan South Africa Chromium Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hanwa Co., Ltd, acquired 20% of the shares of Samancor Chrome Holdings Proprietary Limited, and JOGMEC and Hanwa jointly invested in Samancor Chrome Holdings through Japan South Africa Chromium.
Samancor Chrome Holdings is one of the world's leading chrome producers and this investment greatly contributed to the stable supply of chromium resources to Japan, which is very important for our domestic industry.
The inquiry about this page.
General Coordination Division, General Coordination DepartmentSatoshi Hidaka
Tel +81-3-6758-8020
Public Relations Division, General Coordination DepartmentToshiyuki Takahashi
Tel +81-3-6758-8106