Avanti Gold, listed in Canada, has recently welcomed Sir Samuel Jonah to its board of directors and appointed him as the company’s chairperson. This coincides with the company’s ambitious exploration efforts in a promising new area in Botswana.
Jonah brings a wealth of experience from his extensive career in the African mining sector spanning several decades. His impressive background includes notable positions such as former president of gold giant AngloGold Ashanti and board memberships in esteemed companies like Moto Gold Mines, Vodafone Group, Standard Bank Group, Roscan Gold, and Bank of America Corporation’s Global Advisory Council. Additionally, he currently holds the position of chairperson at Helios Towers, a telecoms infrastructure company.
During his time at Ashanti Goldfields Corporation, Jonah played a crucial role in its transformation into a major player in the mining industry. Under his leadership, the company’s gold production skyrocketed from 240,000 ounces per year to over 1.6 million ounces annually within a decade, culminating in its merger with AngloGold. He also spearheaded Ashanti Goldfields’ listing on the NYSE, a groundbreaking achievement as the first African operating company to do so.
Beyond the gold sector, Jonah’s influence extends to the uranium industry, where he played a pivotal role in building Uramin into a significant producer. The company was eventually sold for $2.4 billion within a remarkably short timeframe.
In recognition of his remarkable contributions, Jonah was knighted in the twenty-first century, becoming the first Ghanaian to receive such an honor. Furthermore, his exceptional leadership and technical contributions to engineering in Africa’s mineral industry led to his election as a foreign member of the US National Academy of Engineering in 2018.
Meanwhile, Avanti Gold is broadening its horizons through a share exchange agreement with MTM, a company based in Seychelles. This agreement aims to acquire all outstanding share capital of MTM, thereby granting Avanti access to gold prospecting licenses in the highly prospective District of Molopo within the Kraaipan Granite-Greenstone Belt, spanning from southern Botswana into South Africa’s North West province.
Avanti Gold’s strategic endeavors also encompass the development of the tier-one gold asset, Misisi, located in the South Kovu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. With an inferred mineral resource containing three million ounces of gold, the Misisi project holds substantial potential for Avanti’s future growth.
