Dr Harmony Musiyarira holds a PhD in Engineering degree from Witwatersrand University and Masters and Honours degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe. Harmony is the Head of Department of Mining and Process Engineering at Namibia University of Science and Technology. He previously managed a Refractory High Temperature materials, Earthenware and Sanitaryware ceramic production plants for a formerly Anglo-American Corporation. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of Minerals Processing, Development Minerals, Mine Closure and Rehabilitation and Cleaner Production application in the mineral industry. Dr Musiyarira was instrumental in the development of the Namibian Sector Growth Strategy for Coloured Gemstones for the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development. He is also a member of the project team for Intergovernmental Forum (IGF) on Mining, Metals, Minerals and Sustainable Development carrying out the Mineral Policy Framework Assessment for Namibia. Dr Musiyarira is the President Elect-Designate for the Society of Mining Professors (SOMP).

Byelongo is a business economist with interests in mineral economics, mineral beneficiation policy interventions and green economy among other things. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), he moved to South Africa 20 years ago where he lives, works and does research. His research for the last 7 years has focused on studying the influence of quality initiatives on the operations of a metal recycling company and the effects of BRICS partnership on mineral beneficiation in South Africa. The two studies led to him obtaining a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a PhD. He lectured at the Durban University of Technology before joining the Minerals to Metals Initiatives at the University of Cape Town as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. He currently studies the dimensions of the coltan and cobalt resource curse in the DRC and investigates ways to integrate mineral beneficiation interventions in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). His collaborator for the postdoctoral projects is Prof Harro von Blottnitz (Pr. -Eng). The full titles of his postdoctoral projects are as follows: Project Title 1: Dimensions of the coltan and cobalt resource curse in the Democratic Republic of Congo Project Title 2: An investigation into the impact of, and the challenges towards, mineral beneficiation policy interventions: a SADC perspective