COMMENT •
Sharyn Macnamara – Senior writer •
In the midst of South Africa ’ s current power , logistics and now , brewing water crisis , May and June saw a number of industry events showcasing solutions and trends of , as well as tackling the challenges in and around digitalisation and innovative tech in mining and manufacturing . The industry is spinning with fast-paced alternatives hitting it at every turn and mining houses are looking for system solutions and economies of scale within this space to leverage opportunity and best manage budget .
African Mining attended several events : the Africa Automation Technology Fair ( AATF ) 2023 , the Dwyka Mining Services Tech Carnival , the MEMSA Mind Shift conference and A-OSH EXPO 2023 , to name a few over the past two months – all dealing with tech innovation , digitalisation and skills development solutions .
There is no doubt that the South African mining sector is no longer a laggard when it comes to the embracing or the assimilation of the 4IR and digitalisation evolution taking place – as Dr Ajith Gopal of the CSIR ( Council for Scientific and Industrial Research ), noted at the MEMSA Mine Shift conference 1 , “ some of these technologies have been in existence for a while now , and rather than a 4IR ‘ revolution ’, we should speak of a consistent ‘ evolution ’”. The speed at which developments are taking place , however , does complicate matters and South Africa must keep up or miss out . sharyn @ interactmedia . co . za
FAST-PACED INNOVATION AND DIGITALISATION – KEEP UP OR LOSE OUT
This challenge is exacerbated in South Africa by the fact that the country is losing those who are equipped for this new age as quicky as they are produced as graduates or re- or upskilled within the workforce . Gideon Potgieter of Resolution Circle spoke at the MEMSA Mine Shift conference on ' Building skills for manufacturing 4.0 ' and he explained that not only are we losing our skilled resources to the rest of the world , particularly to the Asian market , the core of education in the country is falling short – “ Our science and mathematics is not up to standard – these are crucial subjects for this new era – and the further we fall behind , the less competitive we will become as a country .” STEM subjects must be a focus going forward .
The 12 th Africa Automation Technology Fair ( AATF ) and inaugural InfoSecurity Africa conference 4 added yet more to the digitalisation discourse , around energy and water security specifically . “ This year ’ s theme was ‘ for Africa from Africa ’ with the fundamental transformation of the electricity sector and the future of water supply high on the agenda ,” said Carol Weaving , managing director at RX Africa .
The narrative at the event was focused on doing what it takes in the present to reach a better , livable future . Apart from the energy crisis that the country ’ s economy is currently facing due to lack of action by the powers that be for years now , according to Dr Anthony Turton , professor at the Centre for Environment Management at the University of the Free State , South Africa could have made plans for sustainable water infrastructure years ago , and “ the longer the delay , the bigger the catastrophe .”
Within this fast-paced environment and the polycrises the world is experiencing , mining companies are faced with multiple options to make changes in the digital and automation realm that solve the same challenges , which can all improve efficiencies and productivity – the question is , which one ‘ to go with ’ and what will give them the best bang for their buck . At the Dwyka Mining Services Tech Carnival recently held ( on a # tech4good basis ) 2 – Sibanye-Stillwater ’ s head of technology and innovation Alex Fenn noted at the event that it takes time and the right partnerships with experts in this field to make the right decisions when it comes to choosing and implementing the right digital solutions in a very complex mining ecosystem , where systems within systems are now the order of the day .
African Mining ’ s cover story for June introduced South Africa ’ s recently highlighted ‘ Insights into SA mining ’ s 4IR , digital and ESG value creation ’ gained from a second survey on the state of digital transformation in the South African mining industry conducted by the Minerals Council South Africa , PwC ’ s Smart Mining Team and the Mandela Mining Precinct ’ s Real-Time Information Management Systems programme in 2022 / 23 3 ; and in this month ’ s technical feature we discuss these in Part 2 in more depth . It is clear that mining houses are no longer asking the ‘ why ’ in this realm but have moved on to the ‘ what ’ and the ‘ how ’. The make-up of internal departments to manage the implementation within mining companies has changed and the skill sets required are new and in deficit globally .
Water is an economic enabler , but once again , South Africa is struggling to sustain the engineering talent needed to stabilise and futureproof the system . According to Turton , our economy has been water constrained for at least two decades ; in 2002 98 % of South Africa ’ s water was allocated . Recalibrated projections and changing rainfall patterns due to climate change see less water available than predicted . He confirmed we need to reuse every drop of water in South Africa 1.65 times by 2035 to ensure sufficient supply – a doable target if we act quickly . Again , only with government and private sector collaboration and the innovation in digitalisation and automation can this become a reality . 4
Without a doubt digitalisation , smart technology , intelligent automation and AI are essentials to solve the current challenges and can support safer mining and skills development in South Africa and the African and global mining community , but these solutions come with complexities of their own , which take time to navigate . •
References :
1 . For more information on the MEMSA Mind Shift conference on 24 and 25 May go to https :// www . africanmining . co . za / news / bulletin /
2 . All net ticket sales proceeds were donated to non-profit organisations selected when purchasing tickets . For more information go to https :// www . africanmining . co . za / 2023 / 06 / 07 / 35792 / 3 . For more information go to https :// joom . ag / kjPd 4 . For more information go to https :// www . africanmining . co . za / 2023 / 06 / 01 / aatf-revolutionising-manufacturing-electricity-and-water-through-techand-automation /
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