The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) will advance collaboration, investment mobilisation and technology uptake in support of mining modernisation on day two of Investing in African Mining Indaba (10 February 2026).

According to TIA, an entity of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), South Africa remains a globally significant mining jurisdiction, particularly for critical minerals that underpin the Just Transition and net-zero ambitions. As the sector faces declining productivity, rising costs and safety challenges, TIA’s participation will highlight how science, technology and innovation (STI) can deliver practical, scalable and commercially viable solutions that enhance competitiveness and sustainability.

Over the past decade, TIA has invested approximately R100-million in mining and mining-related technologies across the value chain, supporting a portfolio of 15 projects, several of which have been commercialised globally and are generating returns.

 

Profiling proven mining innovation

While TIA-supported companies will not be exhibiting, the agency will actively promote and profile validated, market-ready technologies through its communications, engagements and thought leadership at the event. These include:

  • Smart Sensor Process Advisory Dashboard by Stone Three Digital: A real-time digital solution improving productivity, energy efficiency and safety in mineral processing.
  • Blue Cube MQi by Blue Cube: A patented in-line mineral measurement technology enabling real-time process control in flotation plants, supporting product expansion and international market growth.
  • cloSURE™ AMD Treatment Technology by Mintek, Thungela, Moss Group and the University of Pretoria: A passive biological solution treating acid mine drainage to legislated limits, enabling safe agricultural water reuse and circular-economy outcomes.
  • KNeW™ Process by Trailblazer Technologies: A circular solution converting high sulphate mine water into potable water and plant nutrition products, validated through pre-commercial trials and attracting international interest.
  • CMTI Unmanned Mining Technologies: Remote-operated mining equipment designed to improve safety and unlock previously inaccessible reserves, demonstrating the potential to extend mine life through disruptive innovation.

Collectively, these technologies highlight the role of STI in improving productivity, safety, environmental performance and the long-term sustainability of the mining sector.

 

TIA participation

TIA’s head for Energy and Natural Resources, Daya Naidoo, will participate in a panel discussion exploring how collaborative partnerships, enabled through South Africa’s science and innovation policy framework and co-ordinated by the DSTI, are modernising the mining industry and supporting a more competitive and sustainable future.

 

Session details

Topic: Harnessing collaborative partnerships to modernise the mining innovation ecosystem

Time: 15:50–16:50

Venue: Nubian Pyramids Stage, Technology and Innovation Hub (CTICC2 – Ground Floor,

Exhibition Hall)

TIA will also exhibit at the DSTI and its entities pavilion, with DSTI serving as the title sponsor

of the Emerging Tech Showcase, branded as “The Emerging Tech Showcase powered by

DSTI”, positioning government-backed innovation at the forefront of the Mining Indaba.

Source: Supplied by the Technology Innovation Agency