South Africa stands at a defining moment for its mining industry, which is being shaped not only by growing global demand for critical minerals, but also by leveraging the knowledge, skills and research capacity needed to extract them responsibly, efficiently and competitively.
As artificial intelligence, automation and digital systems are reimagining mining around the world and the industry undergoes a promising revival, South Africa is positioning itself as an engine for 21st century economic growth.
The recent investment at the African Mining Indaba in Cape Town served as a barometer for new confidence in the sector. Attracting a record 10,500 delegates, the event reflected a very bullish spirit.
It is increasingly clear that the global economy is reorganizing flexible supply chains for metals essential to power systems, defense technologies, digital infrastructure, mobility and manufacturing, and South Africa is well placed to benefit from this shift – provided that minerals development is integrated with strong industrial policy, infrastructure investment and human capital strategy.
A 'Sunrise Industry'
Although it did not directly mention mining and minerals. Finance Minister Enoch GodongwanaIn the recent budget speech, the strategic importance of the region was a cornerstone of President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February 2026. He described mining as a “sunrise industry”, with South Africa having some of the world's largest reserves of critical minerals, and new mines being opened.
Noting that the country has ore reserves worth more than R40-trillion, Ramaphosa said that after years of declining investment in exploration, South Africa is dedicating funds to geological mapping and exploration to exploit significant mineral reserves.
He further said that Industrial Development Corporation More than R300 million in funding was recently announced for the Frontier Rare Earths Project in the Northern Cape – a venture that has the potential to become one of the world's largest, lowest-cost new producers of critical minerals needed for smartphones, lithium batteries and other technologies critical to the green transition.
Following the budget speech, Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenzen reflected that the absence of any mention of mining's performance and contribution to the fiscus, despite its impact on tax and budget surpluses, was “a missed opportunity” – the sector “has a vital role to play in the future social and economic security of South Africa”.
AI-led innovation is transforming mining
Disruptive technologies, especially AI and advanced analytics, are no longer experimental – they are changing operational requirements. At the Mining Indaba, it became clear that technology can be an enabler of human potential.
AI-led innovation is transforming the sector through several key factors:
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Precise exploration: AI models are being deployed to ensure targeted exploration, reducing “blind” drilling. This results in huge reduction in water consumption, time-to-market and capital expenditure
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Remote operations and robotics: The rise of remote control centers enables monitoring and operation of underground machinery from the surface or even from different continents, significantly improving safety and real-time decision making.
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Digital twins and “tech sandboxes”: Universities like Wits are increasingly acting as experimental environments or “sandboxes”, meaning mining houses can “fail fast” and avoid costly errors in a live environment.
However, these technologies require specific skill sets to support and drive further innovation.
Bridging the digital skills gap
South Africa faces a paradox: the country has immense mineral wealth but lacks the high-level technical and digital skills needed to extract it sustainably. Institutions like Wits are actively bridging this gap by forming strategic global partnerships.
Wits School of Geosciences is currently in discussions with a global software giant to establish a center for digital mining innovation. Additionally, collaboration with United Kingdom- and United States-based researchers will expose our students to international best practices in critical mineral research, appraisal, exploration, and digital geology.
To match the needs of the jobs of the future, we must adapt the talent pipeline. Today's graduates have a “gaming mindset”, making them ideal candidates for training through gamification and simulation. Personalized, virtualized training frameworks, such as the driver simulations discussed at Indaba, allow workers to master complex machinery in a risk-free environment before ever setting foot on a site.
Geo-economics and value addition
There is a marked shift from geopolitics to geoeconomics: where to deploy capital, how to de-risk projects and with whom to partner.
Investing is increasingly dependent on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Water scarcity and environmental footprint are top of mind for global buyers and, once again, technology is the solution. From automated water management systems to AI-powered waste reduction, “green mining” is becoming a prerequisite for capital allocation.
Value addition is paramount. As reiterated at this year's SONA, the G20 Leaders' Summit in November last year supported South Africa's proposal to expand local beneficiation of critical minerals and exports of finished products.
Achieving economic returns through local processing and services rather than exporting raw ore is essential to our long-term national prosperity.
Smart collaboration is the way forward
To maintain momentum, the mining industry must view social legitimacy as an economic imperative. this requires:
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Localized talent pipeline – For example, mining houses should invest in community skills development centers to “grow your own wood”, creating local expertise that meets the specific technical needs of the mine.
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Increase in research and development funding – Development finance institutions should view educational infrastructure as a high-yield investment, as funding research in geometallurgy and AI-enabled mining will produce more suitable professionals for the future.
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Collaborative governance – The strongest project models are those that align host governments, operators, technical partners and researchers early in the lifecycle
If we successfully integrate our vast mineral reserves with cutting-edge AI and a future-ready workforce, South Africa's mining sector has the potential to become a leader in the global energy transition.
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Pro. Glenn Nawela is the Director of the Wits Mining Institute and the African Research Center for Ore System Science (CORES) within the Wits School of Geosciences. He is Associate Professor of Geometallurgy and Machine Learning in the Wits School of Geosciences
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Dr Leonidas Vonopartis is an economic geologist and mineralogist at the Wits School of Geosciences and leads the Process Mineralogy Stream of CORES.
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Gbona Lizzy Tau is a geologist and visiting researcher at CORES. He is an expert in strategic minerals, energy transition and African natural resource governance.
- Pro. Glenn Nawela, Dr. Leonidas Vonopartis and Gobona Lizzie Tau