Online Reporter
Lorreta Songola
Deep underground, a miner’s safety depends on more than training and procedures. In this dangerous environment, reliable communication, real-time data, and connected systems that can identify risks before they become incidents are all potentially lifesaving.
That is particularly meaningful for Zimbabwe, whose mining sector contributes approximately 13,5 percent of GDP, generates around 80 percent of export earnings and attracts an estimated 70 percent of foreign direct investment, particularly in strategic minerals such as gold, platinum and lithium.
At the same time, mining companies are operating in a demanding environment. Rising operating costs, pressure to improve productivity, heightened safety requirements, and growing investor expectations are forcing organisations to rethink their traditional ways of working.
Digital transformation has emerged as a key component of the sector’s competitiveness and investment readiness.
For mining companies, the challenge is clear: how to increase production, improve safety and control costs while meeting growing investor and regulatory expectations. Smart mining technologies, powered by advanced connectivity, cloud platforms and AI-driven insights, are increasingly providing the tools needed to achieve these outcomes. This is creating new opportunities for organisations to operate more efficiently, reduce operational risk and unlock greater value from their assets.
Zimbabwe’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2026-2030) reflects this direction, positioning AI as a catalyst for productivity, innovation, and economic growth across sectors, including mining, where the emergence of smart mining environments is bringing together connected infrastructure, operational technology and AI-driven insights to improve safety, productivity and decision-making.
However, before mining companies can fully take advantage of AI’s benefits, they need the right foundations in place. This is where technology partners such as Liquid Intelligent Technologies are helping organisations move beyond basic connectivity towards secure, intelligent, and operationally resilient environments; in essence, building smart mines.
Safety, productivity and the digital mine
Smart mining is, at its core, about using connected technologies, data, and automation to improve safety, productivity, compliance, and operational decision-making across mining environments.
Mining operations are already seeing the benefits. Intelligent video analytics can monitor personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance and flag workers entering restricted areas, and connected operational technology can automatically stop underground equipment when danger is detected. In some mines, critical functions such as smelters are already monitored through cloud-connected systems, showing how connectivity has shifted from being a communications tool to a core operational function.
Combined with the ability to analyse operational and historical data, these capabilities are helping mining companies move from reactive decision-making to a more predictive approach.
Infrastructure behind intelligent operations
Why is advanced connectivity so important? Traditional public mobile networks often struggle to provide reliable coverage underground. Private LTE networks and dedicated underground communications infrastructure can create the connectivity needed for voice communications, video surveillance, machine-to-machine communication, and real-time operational monitoring. Combined with SD-WAN and managed surveillance technologies, mining organisations can more securely connect remote sites, systems, cloud platforms, and corporate environments while maintaining visibility and performance across the network.
AI then builds on this digital infrastructure through predictive maintenance, real-time safety monitoring, and intelligent analytics to optimise production and resource allocation, contributing to a more productive and resilient operation.
Why AI readiness incorporates data and security
The effectiveness of AI in mining depends on the quality and accessibility of operational data. Yet many mining companies still rely on fragmented systems across processing plants, underground operations, fleet management platforms and corporate environments, making it difficult to gain a complete view of performance. Establishing more integrated data environments through cloud and edge computing can help mining organisations consolidate operational information, improve visibility, and lay the foundation for predictive maintenance, production optimisation, and real-time decision-making.
Security is equally critical. As mining companies connect more equipment, sensors and operational technology to their networks, cyber threats increasingly have the potential to disrupt production, compromise worker safety and affect business continuity. Protecting digital infrastructure is therefore no longer solely an IT concern; it has become an essential component of operational resilience.
From intelligence to long-term success
As Zimbabwe pursues its AI ambitions and looks to maximise the value of its mineral resources, the next phase of growth in the country’s mining sector is likely to be shaped as much by intelligence as by extraction.
Mining companies that have not yet begun their digital transformation journey risk falling behind in an industry increasingly defined by data, automation, and operational intelligence. The time for these organisations to assess their digital readiness and build the foundations for intelligent operations is now.
To achieve this, it’s important that mining companies partner with a technology provider with both an in-depth understanding of the sector and a portfolio of advanced technology solutions to help them improve safety, increase productivity, and compete in an increasingly connected global economy. Those that embrace this shift stand to unlock sustainable growth and long-term value.
The author, Lorreta Songola, is vice president and chief executive officer, Liquid Intelligent Technologies Zimbabwe
