The African Mining Professionals Association of Australia Inc. (AMPAA) is a not-for-profit networking organization comprised of mining industry professionals based in Australia. The Association serves as a hub for collaboration, professional development, and knowledge sharing within the African-Australian mining community.
Membership is open to individuals, organizations, corporations, and business partnerships that align with and support AMPAA’s goals.
AMPAA was originally founded in 2015 as the Ghanaian Mineral Resource Professionals Association of Australia Inc. Over the years, the Association built a strong foundation and community within the mining sector.
On July 15, 2019, the organization officially evolved into AMPAA to reflect a broader pan-African focus. It is now the central networking body for African-Australian mining professionals and is headquartered in Perth, Western Australia.
AMPAA supports its members through:
- Professional networking opportunities
- Career and skills development programs
- Community engagement and mentoring initiatives
To provide a strong networking platform for African mining and minerals industry professionals in Australia and to foster strategic partnerships that contribute to economic, institutional, and intellectual growth across Africa’s mining and minerals sector.
To be a leading forum for mining professionals and partner organizations to pursue growth opportunities through networking, knowledge sharing, and promotion of the mining and minerals industry in both the African-Australian community and the African continent.
- Provide a robust networking platform for members’ professional development.
- Promote member welfare and offers necessary and appropriate services for the benefit of the Association.
- Sponsor programs supporting mining education in Africa.
- Foster global cooperation with similar organizations, starting in Australia, to strengthen institutional relationships and support the minerals sector in Africa.
- Influence public sector policies in Africa’s mining industry for the continent’s economic development.
AMPAA is led by a dedicated Executive Committee consisting of mining industry professionals who volunteer their time and expertise. Our committee members, including the President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer, Organising Secretary, and Committee Members, are all full-time professionals in the mining industry. Through regular meetings, teleconferences, and social media.
We coordinate our efforts to drive the association forward. All Executives are Full Members of AMPAA.
The Executive Committee, elected for a 2-year term at the Annual General Meeting, comprises 5 Office Bearers and 7 members serving on special committees. The Office-Bearers consist of the President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer, and Organising Secretary.
Governed by the Western Australia’s Associations Incorporation Act (2015), the Executive Committee oversees various sub-committees such as the Welfare Committee and Organising Committee.
President
Benjamin Osei Akoto
Benjamin Osei Akoto is the Regional Operations Manager, Mining – WA/SA/NT for Thiess, a global mining services provider. A Mining Engineer with eighteen (18) years of industry experience in mine management/operations and technical services. His extensive knowledge and experience have been gained through working with major mining companies in Australia and Africa in both open pit and underground operations.
He is a Fellow and a Chartered Professional of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). He also holds WA Quarry Manager’s Certificate of Competency and currently undertaking an MBA in finance at University of Western Australia.
Ben is the Initiator and a founding member of the African Mining Professionals Association of Australia. Through his work with the association, Ben provides mentoring to young engineering students starting out and helps other young African engineers’ transition to life and work in Australia
Vice President
Benjamin Abaka
Ben is a Mining Engineer with approximately 20 years of international experience across gold, copper, and nickel operations. He began his career in Ghana before progressing through a range of technical and operational roles in Australia, Zambia, and Mauritania. Currently serving as Principal Engineer – Group Technical at First Quantum Minerals, he brings deep expertise in mine and operational planning, delivering value through strategic oversight and practical execution. His career reflects a strong track record of driving performance across diverse mining environments, with a focus on optimisation, integration, and long-term planning excellence
General Secretary
Wamunyima Mahalihali
Wamunyima Mahalihali is a Geotechnical Engineer with 12 years’ experience in the mining industry, having worked in Zambia and now Australia, across commodities like Copper, Zinc, Gold and now Iron ore.
She holds a MSc Degree in Soil Mechanics and Engineering Seismology from Imperial College London, UK and a BEng in Mining Engineering from the Copperbelt University, Zambia.
Her passion for her career has seen her rewarded with prestigious awards like the Zambian Mining Woman of the Year 2014 (by the Zambia Chamber of Mines and Ministry of Mines and Mineral development, Zambia) and is a recipient of the prestigious Beit Scholarship.
She is currently a Specialist Geotechnical Assurance Engineer with Rio Tinto, and a member of Australia Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (AusIMM).
Treasurer
Mintah Erskine
Mintah is a Geotechnical Engineer with over 16 years of industry experience working as a geologist and a geotechnical engineer both in Africa and Australia. He holds a Postgrad Dip in Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology from University of New South Wales, Australia, a Postgrad Certificate in Geostatistics from Edith Cowan University, and a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the University of Mines & Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana. He is currently the senior geotechnical Assurance Engineer at Fortescue Metal Group Limited, in Western Australia. Mintah is experienced in operational readiness and passionate about operational geotechnical risk management and strategies. Aside the busy work and family schedules, Mintah will make time for soccer, experiment with food at home and enjoys gardening.
Organising Secretary
Akwasi Apea-Akyampon Amponsa
Akwasi is a dedicated husband and father of three, with over 18 years of specialized experience in underground mining engineering and management. His career began in Ghana, West Africa, where he contributed to operations at AngloGold Ashanti, Parmicor, Central African Gold, and Redback Mining Inc. (now Kinross Gold). Over a decade ago, he transitioned to the Australian mining sector, joining Barrick Australia at Lawlers Mine. He subsequently held positions at Glencore CSA and AngloGold Ashanti’s Sunrise Dam operation.
Akwasi currently serves as the Mining Manager at Vault Minerals’ Darlot Gold Mine, where he continues to apply his extensive expertise to drive operational excellence. He is deeply passionate about fostering community, cultivating professional networks, and championing storytelling as a means of sharing collective experiences. As a proud Pan-African, Akwasi aspires to return to the continent in the future to inspire and mentor the next generation of mining professionals.