A birdseye view of blasting preparations at Gugulethu Colliery’s North Pit.
second-largest consumer of thermal coal after China. The data centre boom in Africa is not as pronounced, but it is quietly taking shape in the background. The continent’s energy woes extend beyond concerns about meeting the future energy needs of computers, when most of its economies are barely industrialised. Those that have achieved some level of industrial capacity, like South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Nigeria, still have a long way to go in realising their full potential. Electricity shortages have been a key contributor to limited growth in African economies. Sub-Saharan Africa needs at least 1 000 MW of new electricity capacity to meet current data centre demand, according to the Africa Data Centres Association. At the same time, 600 million people in the region have no access to electricity. South Africa (SA), the continent’s economic powerhouse, hosts an estimated 56 data centres with a combined capacity of 530 megawatts, and more developments are in the pipeline. This is likely to add more strain on the country’s already fragile grid, as SA grapples with supplying affordable power to its ferroalloys sector. Yet SA’s Electricity Ministry published the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) that excludes the development of new coal power in the future. According to the latest version of the IRP, the government aims to add 105 000 megawatts of new generation capacity by 2039. This includes 34 GW of wind energy, 25 GW solar photovoltaic, 16 GW of gas, and 5 GW of additional nuclear capacity. The plan does not correspond with the country’s industrial needs and places the economy at risk. This is also in stark conflict with SA’s Critical Minerals and Metals strategy, which ranks coal among the country’s top five critical minerals. As SA plans its massive coal phaseout, one begins to wonder how the country’s government intends to meet existing and future needs with less coal power as the anchor. Other emerging economies, especially in parts of Asia, have been intentional about doubling down on coal amid anticipated electricity demand. These nations, including China, India and Indonesia, have been at the forefront of increasing global coal consumption as they pursue stronger economic performance. n
A mound of freshly mined coal at Kangra situated in Mkhondo in Mpumalanga province
Some of the Bronkhorstspruit community members who received yellow machine training at Khanye Colliery.
Members of the Kangra team at the mine’s Uthingo Shaft in Mpumalanga.
Training unlocks performance
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February 2026 | www.modernminingmagazine.co.za MODERN MINING 19
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