433369666-The-Case-for-Investing-in-South-Africa

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EMERGING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN
SUSTAINABLE MINING IN SOUTH AFRICA
• Challenges associated with rising mining depths and declining mineral ore yields have created opportunities for
the infiltration of next-generation digital technology applications into the local mining sector.
• This trend has led to the increasing deployment of large data analytics and digitisation to counteract sustainability
challenges, particularly in the deep-level and labour-intensive gold and platinum mining sub-sectors.
• Urgency to improve the global competitiveness of local mining operations has placed South Africa at the forefront
of technological developments in deep-level continuous and mechanised mining. This has attracted capital
investment from various large global hard-rock capital equipment manufacturers such as Caterpillar and Komatsu.
• Increased focus on mine health and safety has led to growth in the deployment of new-generation Proximity
Detection Systems (PDS), led locally by Booyco Electronics. These systems aid in the detection of pedestrians, as
well as in the risk management of collisions, supporting the mining industry’s goal towards zero harm in mines.
• Notable commercial new-generation mining projects in South Africa include De Beers’s Venetia Underground
Project in Limpopo province, Ivanhoe’s Platreef Project in Mokopane, Vedanta Zinc International's Gamsberg
Project, as well as the Waterberg Platinum Group Metals Project north of Mokopane.
• In general, mine digitisation and systems development have unlocked numerous investment opportunities for the
development of next-generation mining equipment clusters locally. This will drive the exploitation of the country’s
vast, untapped mineral resources and, by potentially increasing life of mine, also extend the socio-economic
contribution of mining-related activities.
DIGITAL MINING TECHNOLOGY
Digital technology is advancing rapidly in South African mining:
• Artificial intelligence applications are helping in the development of driverless mining equipment to access
hazardous mineral deposits.
• Technology applications are providing real-time feedback on equipment utilisation rates.
• Drone technology is replacing traditional surveying methods and assisting to provide more detailed information
on resource geology, allowing for efficient resource development and management.
• Data analytics are finding increasing use for the analysis and optimisation of mine operational statistics.