ELECTRA MINING REVIEW
Building the capability for Africa’s mining future beyond the orebody As the dust settles on Electra Mining Africa 2026, Pieter Oosthuysen, Operations Executive at Redpath Africa Limited, reflects on the challenges and opportunities shaping the continent’s mining industry, and why developing people will be just as important as developing technology.
Redpath is a solutions provider supporting the underground mine development lifecycle.
A frica’s mineral wealth gives the continent an enormous opportunity. However, realising that potential will require more than simply accessing the orebody. For Pieter Oosthuysen, Operations Executive at Redpath Africa Limited, the industry’s future will depend on how effectively mining companies and their partners combine technology, productivity, safety and human capability. “Africa has some of the world’s most significant mineral resources, but the future of mining on the continent will be determined by more than just the orebody. It will be shaped by how effectively we develop local skills, embrace technology, improve productivity, and create sustainable operations,” comments Oosthuysen. These themes were prominent at Electra Mining Africa 2026, which once again brought together mining companies, contractors, suppliers, technology providers and industry decision-makers from across the continent. For Redpath, the event provided an opportunity not only to showcase its
capabilities, but to engage directly with customers and industry peers about the issues affecting mining operations today. As a global underground mining contractor with more than six decades of experience, the company operates across the full mining lifecycle, from development and construction through to production, supported by in-house engineering, project controls and specialist technical expertise. However, Oosthuysen believes that expertise only creates lasting value when it is transferred into the operation itself. Developing capability, not dependency Skills shortages remain one of the most pressing challenges facing mining companies. At the same time, operations are under pressure to increase productivity, maintain stringent safety standards, control costs and meet increasingly demanding project schedules. “One of the biggest challenges we encounter is
Pieter Oosthuysen, Operations Executive at Redpath Africa Limited.
34 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | November 2026
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