Prioritising Digitalisation In African Mines

As Africa is evaluated as a potential region for expansion, it is imperative to consider the distinct operational and infrastructure challenges that define this market.

An important question to ask before looking into this strategic shift is: to what extent can the majority of African mining operations effectively prioritise adopting advanced digitalisation? Or, does a focus on traditional approaches remain the more practical approach?

The mining industry is undergoing a significant technological transformation worldwide, with digitalisation playing a key role in enhancing operational effectiveness, safety, and sustainability. This has been seen to play out in Africa as well, though some organisations are further ahead than others, as they seek to find a balance between innovation and practical, resilient solutions.

Understanding this balance is key to adopting solutions that align with the specific needs of the region, while ensuring operational efficiency and long-term sustainability.

The maturity journey of African mining digitalisation

As with other markets in the past, Africa is on a maturity journey. Some early adopters have been quick to embrace the latest technology, systems, and innovations, resulting in world-class operations, while others are still exploring how best to modernise.

The more advanced segment of the market, which includes leading firms with well-funded operations and strong infrastructure, typically associated with global groups, has demonstrated a commitment to digital transformation. These companies are investing in automation, data-driven decision-making, and AI-powered optimisation.

Meanwhile, a significant portion of the sector aspires to these advancements, leveraging increasingly accessible technology to bridge the gap.

Importantly, the later adopters of digital transformation will reap huge dividends from the experiments and learnings of the first movers before them. As the saying goes, all ships rise with the tide.

Challenges of prioritising digitalisation over traditional operations

While digital transformation offers numerous advantages, prioritising advanced digitalisation over traditional operations presents several challenges:

• Infrastructure constraints: Many mining sites in Africa experience unreliable electricity, limited internet access, and inadequate IT infrastructure. Implementing fully digital solutions without addressing these limitations could impact time-to-value.
• Cost considerations: Advanced digitalisation, including AI-driven analytics and automation, requires significant financial investment, which necessitates close scrutiny of the feasibility at mid-sized and small-scale operations.
• Workforce readiness: While automation streamlines the demand for labour on repetitive tasks, many mines still maintain their social licence to operate with a reliance on human resources. Upskilling workers to focus on the operation and maintenance of digital systems does deliver a higher return on effort, but requires time and investment.
• Regulatory and security risks: Leadership commitment and deployment of the right skills will be required to avoid the potential cybersecurity risks and regulatory uncertainties when introducing cloud-based and AI-driven mining solutions.

A balanced approach: Selective digitalisation

When looking at the various maturity levels of the mining operations within Africa, it is evident there is a broad range of technological adoption. The most practical approach used by some African mines is to adopt targeted digitalisation, which involves integrating advanced technologies where they offer the highest immediate benefits.

Key areas for digital transformation include:

• Predictive grade control: Using sensors to measure the as-built material stockpiles at each stage of the process through to the destination ties increasingly accurate quality attributes to each material lot as it moves through the supply chain. The use of smart algorithms/approaches informs decision making, greatly improving the reliability of blending to specification.
• Predictive maintenance with IoT: Using sensors and remote monitoring tools to reduce unplanned downtime and maintenance costs.
• Mobile and offline solutions: Implementing software that operates effectively in low-connectivity environments to ensure continuous operations.
• AI for resource estimation: Applying machine learning to improve mineral exploration and resource modelling without excessive upfront costs.
• Monitoring: Deploying digital tools for managing waste and inefficiency, as well as water management and emission tracking, in order to meet regulatory requirements.

The way forward

African mines are progressively integrating digital technologies, but prioritising advanced digitalisation over traditional approaches is not yet feasible at all operations. A balanced approach to deliver discreet technological innovation projects with a short time-to-value frees up resources to fund additional projects and/or scalability. This has proven to be a practical path forward for other mining regions around the world. By strategically adopting digital solutions that align with infrastructure realities and economic constraints, mining companies in Africa can enhance productivity and competitiveness while maintaining operational resilience. As connectivity improves and financial investment becomes more accessible, advanced digitalisation can become more mainstream for the African mining industry.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/08042025/prioritising-digitalisation-in-african-mines/