THE MINING WRAP

Mining Operations across Southern Africa and global operations push harder on efficiency, automation, and sustainability as 2026 gains momentum. Operators move from testing ideas to proving measurable outcomes across blasting, haulage, and processing.

AECI Launches IntelliShot X for Safer Blasting

AECI developed the IntelliShot X to improve blast control and safety in underground mining. The system uses electronic detonation to deliver precise timing, which reduces ground vibration, improves rock fragmentation, and limits ore loss during blasting. This gives operators more control over outcomes and improves downstream processing efficiency.

Graf-In Tech Improves Fleet Efficiency with Data-Driven System

Graf-In Tech built a business intelligence-driven fleet management system that tracks equipment performance, fuel use, and operator behaviour. The platform helps mining teams reduce fuel consumption, cut idle time, and improve overall productivity by turning operational data into actionable insights.

Mining AI Moves to Digital Twins and Measurable Results

Mining companies now use artificial intelligence to build digital twins, optimise underground planning, and automate shaft inspections. These tools allow teams to simulate operations, reduce risk, and improve decision-making before they act on site. The industry now demands measurable results, so companies must demonstrate real improvements in safety, cost, and efficiency.

Weir Minerals Uses AI to Predict Pump Failures

Weir Minerals advances AI-integrated slurry pump maintenance by using IoT sensors to monitor equipment in real time. The system predicts failures, schedules maintenance before breakdowns occur, and reduces downtime, which helps mines maintain consistent production and extend equipment life.

Heavy Mobile Equipment (OEMs)

Bell Equipment Delivers G140 Eco Grader

Bell Equipment delivered the first G140 Eco Grader to support road construction and maintenance operations. The machine focuses on fuel efficiency, durability, and performance in demanding environments, which strengthens local infrastructure and mining support services.

Metso and Pilot Crushtec Launch LT400J Crusher

Metso and Pilot Crushtec introduced the Lokotrack LT400J to the South African market as a high-capacity mobile crushing solution. The system processes material closer to the source, which reduces transport costs and improves energy efficiency in crushing operations.

LiuGong Pushes Electric and Hybrid Machinery

LiuGong showcased hybrid and electric machinery to support the transition away from diesel-powered equipment. The company focuses on reducing emissions while improving operational control through electric drives and remote operation technologies.

Michelin Advances Mining Tyre Technology

Michelin continues to develop advanced tyre solutions for heavy mining equipment. The company improves tyre durability, reduces rolling resistance, and extends service life, which lowers operating costs and supports sustainability goals.

ESG and Sustainability

Mining companies now prioritise water efficiency through integrated water management systems, especially dry stack tailings. This approach reduces water use, improves tailings stability, and lowers environmental risk in water-scarce regions.

Nkangala Mining Develops Dual-Power Roof Bolter

Nkangala Mining developed a mechanized roof bolter that operates on both diesel and electric power. The machine allows mines to reduce emissions while maintaining flexibility in underground environments, which supports safer and more efficient operations.

Acquisitions, Mergers, and Major Projects

Lithium Africa Targets Springbok Lithium Project

Lithium Africa plans to acquire a 70% stake in Namli Exploration & Mining, which owns the Springbok lithium project in the Northern Cape. The company strengthens its position in the battery minerals market and aligns with growing demand for lithium in energy storage and electric mobility.

Anglo American Completes Platinum Demerger

Anglo American continues its portfolio restructuring by separating its platinum business into Valterra Platinum. This move allows the company to focus on its core assets while enabling the platinum business to operate independently with a clearer strategy.

Ivanhoe Mines Expands Kamoa-Kakula Production

Ivanhoe Mines advances the Kamoa-Kakula copper project in the DRC, with production targets set between 380,000 and 420,000 tonnes in 2026. The company updates its life-of-mine plan to support long-term production growth and strengthen its global copper position.

ZCCM-IH Refocuses on Copper Assets

ZCCM Investments Holdings reshapes its portfolio to focus on high-value copper assets. The company aligns its strategy with Zambia’s local content regulations and aims to maximise value from its mining investments.

Gold Fields Advances Damang Mine Handover in Ghana

Gold Fields has confirmed that preparations to transfer the Damang gold mine in Ghana to the government remain on track, with the handover scheduled for April 2026. The company is finalising operational, regulatory, and administrative steps to ensure a structured transition. This includes aligning workforce arrangements, maintaining production stability, and coordinating with Ghanaian authorities to ensure continuity of operations during the transfer process.

Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Formalisation in South Africa

Discussions across the sector continue to highlight that formalising Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in South Africa remains a major challenge. Many ASM operators still work outside formal regulatory frameworks, which limits access to permits, financing, training, and safety oversight. Government and industry stakeholders are pushing efforts to bring ASM into the formal economy through improved licensing systems, regulatory reforms, and support programmes. However, progress remains slow due to administrative barriers, limited access to capital, and the informal nature of much of the sector.

Nigeria struck a $1.3 billion deal with the Africa Finance Corporation in early March covering three components: construction of a one-million-ton-per-year alumina refinery, a national geoscience mapping program, and a joint investment vehicle to accelerate exploration and production across priority leases. Projected at 95% utilization over 20 years, the refinery is expected to add $1.2 billion to GDP annually and generate approximately $8 billion in foreign exchange earnings over its lifespan.

Zambia   Copperbelt Expansion & Cobalt Refinery

Copper output in Zambia is on course to clear one million tons in 2026, supported by First Quantum Minerals’ completed $1.25 billion S3 plant expansion at Kansanshi and Barrick Gold’s $2 billion program to double output at Lumwana by 2028. Several additional projects, including Sinomine’s Kitumba Mine and KoBold Metals’ Mingomba deposit, are also coming online this year, making Zambia one of the few places globally adding significant incremental copper supply in the near term.

Africa’s first cobalt sulfate refinery is targeting commissioning in Zambia in 2026, adding downstream processing capacity alongside the copper ramp-up. The Lobito Corridor, backed by a $553 million US Development Finance Corporation loan for Angola’s Benguela rail link, reduces export costs across the Copperbelt and improves project bankability for both mines and processing facilities seeking long-term offtake commitments.

Senegal  Falémé Integrated Iron Project

Senegal’s Falémé iron district in the Kédougou region holds over 600 million tons of probable reserves, including oxide ore at around 59% iron content and primary magnetite at roughly 45% Fe. The government launched the Falémé Integrated Iron Project as a phased program targeting 15 to 25 million tons per year at peak output, with national iron ore company MIFERSO conducting ongoing reserve verification.

The mineral export port at Bargny is operational and rail rehabilitation linking Kédougou to the coast is progressing under the Emerging Senegal Plan. The project is actively seeking a technical development partner. With port and rail infrastructure advancing independent of any single mining operator, Falémé carries lower logistics risk than comparable iron ore projects requiring greenfield corridor construction, which affects how financiers assess project bankability and timelines to first revenue.

Equatorial Guinea – Rio Muni Mineral Exploration

Equatorial Guinea’s Rio Muni mainland offers early-stage exposure to gold, bauxite, base metals, coltan and iron ore across largely underexplored onshore territory. The Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons has been opening the sector since its first public tender in 2019, with exploration contracts now in place and state geological mapping advancing in partnership with Rosgeo. Minister Antonio Oburu Ondo will address investors at IAE, with the minerals program expected to feature in bilateral meetings.

Uganda – Rare Earths & Minerals Sector Opening

Uganda holds rare earth deposits in ionic adsorption clay formations  a deposit type the IEA has flagged for low capital intensity relative to hard rock alternatives alongside gold mineralization across greenstone belts in the West Nile, Karamoja and Mubende regions. The Uganda Chamber of Energy and Minerals, with both its CEO and governing council chairperson confirmed for Paris, will serve as the primary interface for investors seeking access to Uganda’s licensing framework and project pipeline, at the same time as the country’s Tilenga and Kingfisher oil developments move toward first oil.

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