On Thursday, 23 July, Minerals Council South Africa together with its partners hosted the Mining Modernisation Shocase, which brought together mining leaders, policymakers, researchers, organised labour, technology providers and innovation partners to explore the future of mining in South Africa.

The event marked the release of three important reports examining global mining modernisation trends, research and innovation capabilities within South Africa’s mining sector, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in mining. Together, these insights highlight the opportunities, challenges and partnerships required to build a safer, healthier, more productive, sustainable and globally competitive mining industry for the future.

The HSRC led one of these crucial reports. The study, titled Modernisation of Mining in South Africa: Research, Development and Innovation Patterns and Firm Capabilities (2021–2023), was led by HSRC, in partnership with the Minerals Council, with contributions from RIIS and Copenhagen Business School. It was presented at the event by the HSRC’s Dr Amy Kahn and Dr Kgabo Ramoroka.

The report explores the patterns of firm-level RDI activities driving mining modernisation in South Africa and identifies the key enablers and barriers. A key finding of the report is that modernisation of mining in South Africa is more about the adoption of technologies than engaging in research and development.

Mining modernisation depends on several enabling conditions including skills, collaboration, infrastructure and investment capacity. Key barriers to modernisation revealed by the study are governance and skills shortages spanning engineering, managerial and technical roles, which align closely with well-established gaps in tertiary education gaps and the provision of formal training.

Read the press release here.

View all materials on the Mining Modernisation Showcase page here.