Ashley Ndir, Principal Commercial Officer with the U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration, and Raúl Santiago Ailán, Head of Mission and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Embassy of Argentina in South Africa, have joined the conference, signaling growing international interest in Africa’s mining opportunities.

Ndir will join the U.S.–Africa Roundtable on Advancing Local Beneficiation and Standardizing ESG Frameworks. Drawing on her role in expanding American market opportunities and economic partnerships, Ndir is expected to bring a commercial diplomacy perspective to discussions on U.S.–Africa market integration.

Her participation comes as the U.S. advances its African mining strategy, centered on facilitating investment in mineral development and exports. Through agencies like the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the U.S. Export–Import Bank and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency alongside private industry, the U.S. continues to back major project development across key mining jurisdictions, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Ailán joins the conference at a time when Argentina is accelerating its own mining expansion. The country is a major lithium producer and is seeking to expand copper development, while African mineral producers are similarly working to attract investment into exploration, processing and supporting infrastructure. This creates scope for greater cooperation between African and Latin American mining jurisdictions across investment, technical expertise and mineral development.

Ailán will join the panel discussion on Realigning National and International Goals to Advance Global Investment in Africa’s Value Chain. The session will examine how national development priorities can be aligned with international investment requirements to support greater value addition.

Under the theme Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value, AMW 2026 will bring together governments, investors, mining companies and international partners to advance investment across mineral exploration, production, processing and supporting infrastructure. The event offers a strategic international forum to foster engagement, strengthen mineral ties and advance development in Africa and across international markets.