Nkwe Platinum Limited and South Africa Zijin Platinum (Pty) Ltd (wholly owned subsidiaries of multinational mining company, the Zijin Mining Group), have joined hands with African telecommunications giant MTN and global ICT provider Huawei together, and signed a collaboration agreement to build what they say is the southern Africa region’s first 5G-enabled smart metal mine.

MTN and Huawei are to provide 5G-based ICT solutions for the smart mining requirements including, not only high-speed 5G broadband access, but also smart mining solutions like vehicle remote control, IoT, and enterprise digital transformation. “Once complete, the mine will mark a significant step forward in the digital transformation of the local mining industry. It will effectively demonstrate how a number of emerging technologies can be combined with 5G to improve functions across the mine.”

This kind of advancement will become increasingly important as South Africa looks to remain competitive in the global mineral and resources space. The country is the world’s top platinum producer and mining accounts for 8% of South African GDP.

“For more than 20 years, the Zijin Mining Group has regarded scientific and technological innovation as its primary driving force, becoming one of the few multinational mining companies in the world to be equipped with autonomous system technology and engineering management capabilities, with a well-established scientific research system and practice platform,” Fan Zhiyu, MD and CEO of Nkwe Platinum Ltd, said. “In May 2021, at the mine launch, we stated that we would build the Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine into a project with advanced technology, solid safety, and environmental protection practices. The adoption of this 5G smart mining solution will certainly enable the Zijin Mining Group to deliver on that promise, and to establish the mine’s technology-led global competitiveness.”

“The development of metal minerals is laborious and technical work. Therefore, the Zijin Mining Group regards informatisation and intelligence as key strategic directions, and actively explores technical solutions that can improve the safety, process automation, and benefits of mining,” he added. “The Zijin Garatau Platinum Mine in South Africa is one of the Zijin Mining Group’s major overseas projects. The collaboration with MTN and Huawei will help the Zijin Mining Group build its first high-tech and safe overseas smart mine, brimming with socio-economic value, from the initial stage of construction. We will also work hard to promote sustainable development in Africa.”

Wanda Matandela, Chief Enterprise Officer at MTN Business said: “Smart mining continues to a buzzword in South Africa. At MTN Business, we are excited to be playing a leading role in this space by using our world-class network and systems to promote the growth and sustainability of our enterprise customers. 5G technology is a game changer that will transform old mining processes.”

“We have invested over ZAR50 billion in modernising our network for the past five years, this investment has put MTN in a greater position to offer cutting edge, faster and seamless connectivity to its customers. The partnership will see all parties involved reaping the benefits of our best network,” said Matandela.

“Digital transformation has become a global trend across numerous industries, and 5G has undoubtedly accelerated this,” Peng Song, President of Huawei Global Carrier Marketing & Solution said, “we feel very excited to work with Zijin and MTN to open Southern Africa’s first 5G metal smart mine.”

“Huawei is currently bringing its 5G-based ICT solutions into the mining industry and building a cross-industry ecosystem to continuously improve network connectivity to help Telcos maximize network value, and also help the mining industry build safe and smart mining projects through the capabilities of 5GtoB,” he concluded.

This project coincides with a critical period of digital transformation in Africa’s mining industry. All the three parties are happy to build the strategic partnership to support the success of the project and make in-depth contribution to the mining industry for South Africa.