DAYA NAIDOO

As delegates gather in Cape Town next week for Mining Indaba, the global mining community is once again confronted with a familiar but urgent question: how do we sustain and revitalise an industry that remains essential to economic development yet faces mounting pressure from rising costs, safety risks, declining productivity and the demands of a low-carbon future?

South Africa’s answer must be clear and confident. Despite its challenges, the country remains a strategically important global mining jurisdiction, particularly for critical minerals that underpin the just transition and global net-zero ambitions. From platinum group metals to manganese and iron ore, these resources place South Africa firmly at the centre of global supply chains. The task before us is not whether mining has a future, but how that future is shaped.

Too often, mining is framed as an industry in decline. The reality is more nuanced. The sector’s challenges, deepening operations, safety risks, constrained capital expenditure and productivity pressures are precisely the conditions that demand advanced science, technology and innovation (STI) solutions. Innovation is no longer a “nice to have”; it is the primary lever for competitiveness, sustainability and long-term viability.

The department of science, technology & innovation’s decadal plan positions mining modernisation as a national priority sector, recognising its substantial contribution to GDP, exports and employment. It calls for targeted STI interventions to reverse declining factor productivity, improve safety and extend the life of mines, ensuring that mining continues to deliver value well into the future.

At the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), this policy intent is translated into action. Over the past decade, TIA has invested approximately R100m in mining and mining-related technologies across the value chain, building a portfolio of 15 projects supported through multiple funding instruments. These investments focus on improving extraction efficiency, productivity, safety and environmental performance, precisely where the industry’s pressure points lie.

The future of mining will be shaped by the choices we make today about where we invest, how we collaborate and whether we are prepared to back innovation at scale

Crucially, this portfolio demonstrates that South African-developed technologies can compete globally, attract partners and deliver tangible returns, both economic and developmental.

Consider digitalisation and process optimisation. TIA-supported smart sensor process advisory dashboard technology, developed by Stone Three Digital, uses real-time analytics and non-contact sensors to improve recovery, throughput, energy efficiency and safety in mineral processing. The technology is now deployed in major mining jurisdictions such as Chile and Australia and is generating royalties, underscoring the global relevance of South African innovation.

Similarly, Blue Cube’s patented MQi system provides real-time, in-line mineral measurement for flotation plants, enabling faster and more accurate process control.

Environmental sustainability and mine closure challenges are another defining issue for the sector. South Africa’s acid mine drainage (AMD) legacy is well known, with billions spent on treatment solutions that often fall short of long-term sustainability. Here too, innovation is changing the narrative. The cloSURE™ technology, led by Mintek in partnership with industry, academia and SMMEs, offers a passive biological process that treats AMD to legislated limits, enabling safe agricultural reuse and circular-economy outcomes.

Safety and mine longevity are also being addressed through innovation. TIA-supported unmanned mining technologies developed by CMTI Consulting demonstrate how remote-operated equipment can remove workers from dangerous mining faces, unlock previously inaccessible reserves and extend mine life.

These investments tell a powerful story. STI can directly address mining’s most pressing challenges: safety, cost pressures, productivity decline and mine longevity. They also show why partnerships matter. None of these outcomes are achieved by innovators, funders, mining companies or government acting alone. Progress comes from collaboration between public and private capital, between policy and implementation, and between innovators and industry.

This year’s Mining Indaba theme, “Stronger together: Progress through partnerships”, could not be more apt. For South Africa, the opportunity lies in aligning policy certainty, patient risk funding, industrial uptake and global partnerships to ensure mining remains a cornerstone of economic growth and social development.

The future of mining will be shaped by the choices we make today about where we invest, how we collaborate and whether we are prepared to back innovation at scale. South Africa’s experience shows that when science, technology and innovation are placed at the centre of the mining agenda, revitalisation is not just possible; it is already under way.