Mining’s AI Shift: New PwC Study Reveals What’s Really Holding Companies Back

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is bringing artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and advanced coding into mining infrastructure. These technologies are already reshaping how mining companies make decisions, manage risk and create value.

This shift comes at a critical moment for the regional mining industry. Mines are operating at greater depths, working with ageing infrastructure, facing skills shortages, and under growing pressure to improve safety, sustainability and productivity. Together, these forces are pushing companies to rethink how they operate.

What the Research Found

These are among the key findings of the 2026 Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Mining Industry study, the third edition of research produced by PwC and the Minerals Council of South Africa.

The study draws on structured, anonymised interviews with mining CEOs, supported by focus group discussions with line managers across a range of mining operations. It was further informed by industry meetings and strategy sessions the Minerals Council convened in 2025.

Leadership Matters More Than Technology

The study’s central finding is that technology alone doesn’t determine success. Leadership, skills and culture play a far greater role.

Where executives set clear direction, align digital initiatives with business priorities, and invest in people, AI programmes are far more likely to move beyond pilot projects and deliver measurable results.

“AI is not a software problem; it’s a leadership and capability challenge,” says Mackay. “Without the right skills, strong data foundations and effective change management, even the most advanced tools will struggle to deliver value.”

Turning Data Into Decisions

Mining operations generate millions of data points every day, yet much of this data goes underused. The real opportunity lies in converting that data into actionable insight, delivered to the right people at the right time.

With sound data governance and user-focused design, AI can shift mining companies from reactive to predictive decision-making, improving safety, productivity, compliance and sustainability.

Skills, Culture and Capacity Building

South Africa’s mining sector is evolving, but that evolution depends on the skills, cultural values and leadership available to manage it. Coordinating these within the existing workforce is the next step.

Education and training in 4IR technologies are key to improving output, for both the technology itself and the people operating it. AI still requires human direction. Right now, the software needs clear instructions from employees to carry out tasks efficiently. The goal is for AI and robotic tools to help extract mineral deposits, but human intelligence remains essential to turning raw data into usable information.

The Obstacles Facing AI Adoption

South Africa faces several significant obstacles to AI progress and skills training in mining:

• Youth unemployment, which sits at 32.7% overall and rises to roughly 46.1% among 15–34 year-olds. An estimated 5.8 million young South Africans were unemployed in late 2025, according to newsafrika.com.
• The need for a just transition that protects current unskilled workers while training them to work alongside AI, done in consultation with workers’ unions and affected communities.
• Infrastructure limitations, including power, rail, ports and roads, which require closer cooperation with government and the public sector to build and upgrade.
• Regulatory and permitting delays, which slow down technology rollout without stronger public-private cooperation.

Connectivity Is the Starting Point, Not the Goal

Efficiency is the industry’s top priority, and according to Charlie Li, Oil and Mining Business Director at Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa, the solution lies in cooperation between mining companies and technology corporations.

“Connectivity is the starting point, not the goal. The real challenge is no longer how to connect equipment on a mine. It is how to turn operational data into safer working conditions and measurable gains in productivity. That happens when mining companies and technology partners build the digital foundations together, and when AI moves from trials into everyday operations,” says Li.

Li’s point centres on generating profit without causing harm, either to the environment or to the people working at extraction sites. This is where the value of operational data becomes clear: once converted into practical information, it can address sustainability, profitability, compliance and safety together. Cooperation across the digital space remains essential to making that happen.

Looking Ahead

Skills training and education in digital and AI operations have a clear role to play in South Africa’s mining workforce. AI and automation may both augment existing jobs and reduce demand for certain types of labour. Exactly how the 4IR plays out for the industry remains to be seen.