The study found that 44% of firms introduced new or significantly improved products or services during the period, while 46% implemented process innovations. However, most innovation focused on adapting and integrating existing technologies rather than pioneering new ones.
South Africa’s mining industry risks falling further behind its global competitors unless it accelerates investment in research, innovation, skills development and digital technologies.
This is according to a series of reports launched by the Minerals Council South Africa on Thursday. The reports paint a picture of an industry that is embracing technology but remains constrained by regulatory uncertainty, infrastructure bottlenecks and critical shortages of technical skills.
The publications include a study on research, development and innovation (RDI) investment patterns in the mining sector, a global benchmarking report comparing South Africa with leading mining jurisdictions, and a report examining the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies in mining.
The flagship report found that while South African mining companies are increasingly modernising their operations, innovation is driven more by adopting existing technologies than by developing new ones.
