South Africa: Leader to Laggard - - SA Mining Is Falling Behind in the Global Technology Race

By Ed Stoddard

As digitisation, automation and AI become ubiquitous in the global mining sector, South Africa is falling behind, especially when it comes to domestic research and development.

South Africa has the world's deepest mines, which is testimony to how its engineers historically made a plan in the depths of the Witwatersrand.

Once a leader in mining technology and innovation, South Africa is now a laggard in this commercial arms race, undermining the domestic industry's ability to tap a rich geological endowment for the wider benefit of the economy and country.

This is one of the key findings of a trifecta of reports released on Thursday, 23 July, by the Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA) at a mine modernisation conference.

"Modernisation is not a discretionary pursuit. It is what will keep this industry safe, healthy, competitive, and viable for future generations," said MCSA CEO Mzila Mthenjane.

There are domestic exceptions on the innovation front such as African Rainbow Rainbow Minerals' SmeltDirect initiative, which holds the promise of dramatically reducing electricity consumption in the smelting process - a potential lifeline as smelters fold in the face of surging power prices.

Another which comes to mind is Gold Fields' South Deep operation, where the mining 3km underground is done remotely on computer screens.

But in many areas, as digitisation, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) take the global mining sector by...

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