Mfikeyi Makayi, the CEO of KoBold Metals Africa, will present at African Mining Week (AMW) in Cape Town, taking place from Oct. 14 to 16. Makayi’s participation will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in mineral exploration across the continent.
KoBold is a California-based mineral exploration company. It is backed by several high-profile investors, including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. The company uses AI-driven modelling to speed up timelines and reduce labour costs.
According to a news release, Makayi will outline KoBold’s deployment of its data‑modelling platform to “de-risk exploration and accelerate project development.”
In Zambia, KoBold is already advancing the US$2.3 billion Mingomba copper project, which it says is supporting the country’s push to lift annual copper output to three million tonnes by 2031. The company is also working with the Burundi government to digitize geological datasets and apply AI to nickel, copper and cobalt. And in the DRC, KoBold said it plans to invest more than US$1 billion in the Manono lithium project, one of the world’s largest hard‑rock deposits. Makayi is expected to update delegates on these initiatives.
Her involvement at AMW comes as Zambia’s Mineworkers Union and South Africa’s Labour Research Service warn that AI could sideline lower‑skilled workers, despite its exploration benefits. These debates will likely follow the industry into Cape Town — and may resurface when AMW 2026 gets underway.
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