• OPERATIONS
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The key is not just having more data but having the right data( quality and granularity) in the hands of the right people at the right time.
WHY CAPTURING AFRICA’ S MINING POTENTIAL IS THE KEY TO ITS ECONOMIC FUTURE
By Matt Long, director and chief customer officer, MaxMine
The global shift towards renewable energy significantly increases the demand for precious metals. With abundant natural resources such as gold, silver, cobalt, copper, lithium and uranium, Africa must seize the opportunity to meet this growing global demand.
Boasting
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30 % of the world’ s mineral reserves, Africa’ s mining sector is projected to see a sixfold increase 2 in demand by 2050. This should position the African mining industry as a world leader, making significant contributions to the global supply of critical minerals.
The challenges However, despite the opportunities, several challenges could hinder growth. Political instability, policy shifts and concerns about regulatory continuity are all impacting Africa’ s mining sector. Furthermore, several countries are facing protests from local communities over potential disruptions to the environment as well as a desire to ensure that mining activities directly benefit the communities they operate in.
Miners are also facing new sustainability requirements. While mining is one of the world’ s biggest emissions generators, it plays a crucial role in helping the world reduce carbon emissions through electrification. To build and utilise cleaner energy solutions, such as solar, wind and water, the amount of copper that needs to be mined will have to double over the next decade. 3
Overcoming the mining paradox The mining industry needs new deposits, but accessing and securing approval for new mines also poses significant challenges. This is a global conundrum – if we can’ t mine more copper, we won’ t have the energy transition we need to meet decarbonisation goals. Deposits can also take up to 30 years to mature, in terms of the time it takes for a new copper deposit to go from discovery through exploration, permitting, development and eventually into full production, making the environmental risk significantly higher.
As the sector heavily depends on diesel-powered equipment, it’ s critical to identify new innovative strategies and solutions
Just as high-grade ore allows for more efficient mineral extraction, high-quality operational data enables more effective AI solutions.
24 • African Mining • June 2025 www. africanmining. co. za