MAIN FEATURE: Mining Security
Mining security:
can cutting-edge technology curb the South African mining sector’s $1 billion illegal annual outflow and other challenges?
By Tony Botes, national administrator of the Security Association of South Africa (SASA)
South Africa’s mining sector, which contributed an estimated R360.9 billion to the country’s GDP (gross domestic product) last year, is increasingly embracing technology to deal with the many challenges that it faces, not least of all being criminality.
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first for SA: Microsoft’s Mining Core facility
A key development in this regard is the Microsoft Mining Core in Johannesburg, which was opened in September 2020 and which will be focusing on AI and cloud technologies within the mining sector. A first for South Africa, the facility will work with its partners and customers to create solutions that not only overcome
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specific business challenges but also broadly enable the sector to grow and prosper, says Amr Kamel, Enterprise Director at Microsoft South Africa1. “Mining is a critical industry in South Africa, and has historically been a major contributor to the country’s GDP, tax revenue and employment: last year alone, the mining sector employed over 450 000 people, contributed R24.3 billion
SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA SEPTEMBER 2020
in taxes and R360.9 billion to GDP,” he says. “The sector’s importance to the economy is undeniable – but it has faced challenges in recent years. These include declining output, weakening global cost competitiveness based on the volatility of commodity prices, regulatory uncertainty and unreliable energy supply, according to a report by the Minerals Council.” “Combined with the impact of the
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