Rail allocation to enhance diversified miner’s access to market

In advocating for reindustrialisation in South Africa and the creation of new jobs, diversified mining group Menar is expanding its portfolio of operations with the February 2026 addition of a... 

Integrated approach optimises operations

By ensuring continuous material flow and reducing bottlenecks between the pit, stockpiles and processing plant, an integrated on-site materials handling approach plays a critical role in optimising... 

Materials handling market sees rapid growth

Several key factors, such as the impact of Operation Vulindlela, have seen the materials handling market in Southern Africa undergo a rapid change in recent years, to the extent that the market is... 

AI pinpoints major mineral-bearing anomalies in Botswana

Having identified multiple anomalies across copper, silver and lead/zinc across the north-eastern Damara Belt using AI tools, mineral exploration company Botswana Minerals has found a 9.5 km copper... 

Botswana doing well to diversify from diamonds – firm

Despite ongoing economic challenges stemming from the rise of lab-grown diamonds – considering Botswana was a major miner of natural diamonds – and depressed global diamond demand, professional... 

Cadastre key to increased mining in Botswana – Chamber

Once anchored on its natural diamond mining sector, Botswana’s diamond mining industry has been on a decline as a result of a growing demand for cheaper lab-grown diamonds and other factors related... 

Fire safety for student living essential

In high-density student living environments, where large numbers of people share facilities and fire risks are inherently higher, fire safety measures should not be “optional extras” but... 

Monitoring systems aid fire risk management

With the growing adoption of automation solutions, mines must increase their monitoring capabilities as even though many machines have built-in monitoring systems, mine management and safety teams... 

Expo to highlight safety

Integrating fire protection with security, building management systems, ventilation and energy infrastructure allows for faster detection, coordinated response and more efficient evacuation... 

Training should reflect real-world risk

Fire marshal training is not a “one-stop product”, industry body the Fire Prevention Association Southern Africa (FPASA) says, emphasising that the suite of training tools and programmes available... 

Structured planning promotes optimal plant demolition

The demolition of mine infrastructure or a process plant, needs to be planned with a primary focus on safety and optimal utilisation, reports tertiary education institute University of Pretoria... 

Increased delivery capability needed to meet demand

The global construction sector will require nearly 2.5-million additional project professionals by 2035 to meet demand, thereby posing indirect risks to mining projects, which depend heavily on... 

Sonic drilling critical to continuous high-quality core recovery

In loose tailings material, where traditional drilling methods struggle, sonic drilling provides accurate stratigraphy and representative samples, improving confidence in assessments of... 

Truck maker floats 4×4 dump truck as better for mines

With hybrid truck fleet models becoming more common at African mines, designing articulated dump trucks (ADTs) to enable them to operate all year round and in different climates offers mixed truck... 

Software, autonomy partnership to drive truck modernisation

Detailed in a statement in September 2025, a strategic technology collaboration between vehicle intelligence company Applied Intuition and heavy equipment manufacturer Komatsu South Africa is... 

Sector faces ‘historic’ crisis amid deindustrialisation

Following a decline in manufacturing capacity and competitiveness across virtually all sectors of the South African economy, the metals and engineering sector is facing a crisis of “historic... 

Scrap recovery aids competitiveness

Central to the sustainability and competitiveness of South Africa’s stainless steel value chain, scrap recovery helps to reduce production costs, lower carbon emissions and ensure that the industry... 

State of sector undermines master plan objectives - Safda

The Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan aims to reverse the decline of small-scale growers by preserving and extending their foundational role in the industry, says industry body South African... 

Onshore preparation determines offshore potential – OPASA

As unemployment in South Africa reaches crisis levels, onshore preparation will determine whether offshore oil and gas potential can sustain jobs while integrating affiliated small and medium-sized... 

Township partnership generates impressive value

A digitalisation initiative for over 2 000 township merchants – enacted through a three-year partnership with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED), and food ordering and delivery... 

Drilling digitalisation boosts consistent quality, productivity

Focusing on the controllable factors in the drilling process that deliver consistent quality and productivity enables drilling contractor Rosond to manage its operations at a more granular level... 

Private networks drive uptime, secure digital mines

For mines to remain profitable, uptime is everything, but interference, gaps in coverage or insufficient bandwidth can directly threaten continuous operations, with those risks being amplified when... 

Digital maturity lags stalling AI value

While South Africa’s mining sector demonstrates “pockets of excellence” in digitalisation and AI, its overall maturity remains uneven, as many programmes still stall at pilot stage because of data... 

Digital twins drive proactive tailings monitoring

Although advanced analytics and AI tools are valuable, stakeholders on the ground are required to act on the insights such tools generate, whereby if risks occur – such as a severe rainstorm being... 

New USV increases payload and capacity possibilities

A new class of large, long-distance, high payload uncrewed service vehicle (USV) –  the Oceanus 17 –  by marine automation company Zero USV, will enable the autonomous deployment of defence,... 

Collaborative reconstruction tests vehicle AI systems

Tertiary education institute the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN’s) Scientific Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Technologies (SMART) Lab participated in a series of collaborative crash... 

Enclosures safeguard physical systems, counter digital threats

As industrial systems migrate from isolated ‘air-gapped’ setups to connected Internet-of-Things and cloud-based environments, cybersecurity has shifted from an information technology afterthought... 

New mining pump tackles abrasive dewatering duties

Developed to bridge the gap between clear-water dewatering pumps and heavy duty mining pumps, pump manufacturer Schurco Slurry’s DW Series offers a purpose-built solution capable of handling... 

AI implementation to reshape automotive industry

Increasingly recognised as a “game changer” in the automotive industry, AI is transforming manufacturing, research and development and customer interactions by enabling smarter and more efficient... 

Commercial vehicle market prioritising greener fleets

South Africa’s commercial vehicle market reflects a stable operating environment, with a clear emphasis on maintaining efficiency and reliability across applications, and fleet operators are... 

New coagulant mitigates challenges of colloidal silica

Following challenges in the mining sector caused by colloidal silica in copper and cobalt leaching, mining chemicals supplier BME Metallurgy has succeeded in the development and application of an... 

Global demand for Africa’s base metals on the up

In addition to their sizeable output, high-quality ore and increasing efforts towards bolstering local beneficiation, Africa’s key base metals projects are important sources in global supply... 

DRC balances production, sustainability

As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) works to leverage its mining sector for broader economic upliftment, it is balancing rising copper and cobalt production with the need to align operations... 

Airport expansion project receives environmental authorisation

After an initial investment by real estate investment company Growthpoint Properties, the privately owned Cape Winelands Airport (CWA) – which is owned by private airport operator RSA Aero – has... 

Imports threaten competitiveness, sustainability

Despite being a surplus-sugar-producing country, South Africa is facing an escalating import crisis that poses “a serious threat” to the industry’ competitiveness and long-term sustainability, says... 

Bioeconomy unit drives sugarcane product diversification

Following a combination of economic, environmental and strategic imperatives, research organisation the Sugar Milling Research Institute NPC (SMRI) has created the Sugarcane Bioeconomy Unit (SBU)... 

Digitalisation enhances project efficiency, quality

Advancements in digital design tools, improved technologies and the shifting dynamics of the steel supply chain have helped to enhance project efficiency, safety and quality, South African... 

Exploration dependent on global factors

The pace of iron-ore exploration and project development across Africa will depend largely on future price levels, which, in turn, are influenced by global supply and demand dynamics, according to... 

Shared safety tech improves systems integration, use

To ease the management and improve the usability of its graders and articulated dump trucks (ADTs), heavy equipment manufacturer Bell Equipment’s use of shared technology – such as proximity... 

Digital 3D scanner improves volume calculations

To address challenges of traditional bulk density measurement methods, such as those used for friable materials, mine equipment supplier Veracio’s volumetric bulk density (VBD) system improves the...