Prolonging mining means technology, economies of scale and infrastructure
The fourth industrial revolution is about technology preserving the mining sector in a new guise, and upskilling its workers asap
Mining is a sunset industry. No matter how deep we dig or how far we go, minerals are finite, and their extraction becomes more challenging every year. The Minerals Council SA has stated that over the past decade, multi-factor productivity in SA has fallen 7.6%. Mining output has declined 10% and minerals sales have contracted 11%.
However, though we know at some point we will run out of mineable resources, it is projected that there are still about $2.5-trillion of mineral resources in the country. No picture of SA’s future is complete without taking into account what mining can contribute to the economy. And harnessing technology is the only way we will be able to get the most out of our mining resources in ways that are efficient, effective, and responsible. ..
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