Zijin Garatau platinum mine in Limpopo, South Africa will be the southern Africa region’s first 5G-enabled smart metal mine. Picture, Supplied.
Nkwe Platinum and South Africa Zijin Platinum said yesterday that they had signed a collaboration deal with African telecoms giant MTN and global ICT provider Huawei to build the southern Africa region’s first 5G-enabled smart metal mine in Limpopo for multinational mining company Zijin Mining.
“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,” the firms said in a statement.
Fan Zhiyu, the managing director and CEO of Nkwe Platinum, said the collaboration with MTN and Huawei would 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," he said.
Wanda Matandela, the 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.”
BUSINESS REPORT