As we move into 2026, existing and potential participants in the local mining industry are understandably keen to know what the year ahead may have “in store” for them.
At least from a legal, policy and regulatory perspective, the 2026 outlook for the local mining industry is anything but encouraging.
In the last cabinet meeting of 2025, the President delivered a very strong warning to, among other parties, the local mining industry and to private sector participants in the local mining industry. This warning, together with a number of subsequent mining business license revocations, is likely to make many mining companies, investors and financiers extremely nervous.
Taking the President’s warning at “face value”, it would seem that “stormy weather ahead” may well be the correct legal, policy and regulatory “forecast” for the local mining industry in 2026. There have also been a couple of recent regulatory developments that only serve to strengthen the likelihood of this “forecast” being correct.
In this article, the writer will review what the President had to say about the local mining industry and then consider the potential implications of the same for mining companies, investors and financiers while, at the same time, taking into consideration recent regulatory developments.
Authors:
Bill Sullivan
Email: bsullivan@cteolaw.com