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Schneider Electric’s Steven Santini at the IDC CIO Summit 2026 in Johannesburg

Energy

As artificial intelligence (AI) investment accelerates globally, Africa is increasingly being viewed as the industry’s next major growth frontier, but according to Steven Santini, vice president for Secure Power, Sub-Saharan Africa at Schneider Electric, the continent’s AI ambitions will ultimately depend on its ability to solve one critical challenge: infrastructure readiness
 
Speaking at this year’s IDC CIO Summit 2026, a premier gathering for technology decision makers, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Santini said global AI players are already looking toward Africa as a strategic investment destination.
 
“The question becomes: is Africa ready? Global AI players increasingly view Africa as the next frontier, the new gold rush, in many respects. We have the land, the resources, and the growth potential. As many have already seen, data centres are being developed across Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and other regions where investment is welcomed.”
 
However, while momentum around AI infrastructure is rapidly building, Santini cautioned that the continent faces significant barriers that could slow adoption if not addressed strategically.
 
“Power remains the number one challenge for AI, particularly AI data centres. To put this into perspective, some of the projects we are involved with in the Middle East have power requirements comparable to entire cities.”
 
Focus on smaller infrastructure too
 
He added that Africa’s infrastructure conversation cannot focus solely on hyperscale facilities. Instead, organisations should rethink how AI is deployed and where it delivers the greatest operational value.
 
“When people hear ‘AI’, they often picture massive hyperscale data centres. But AI exists in many different forms. Your laptop can run AI workloads. A small ten-node server cluster deployed at an industrial site can support AI applications. AI does not always require enormous, high-density centralised environments.”
 
Santini believes this shift is particularly relevant for Africa, where industries such as mining, agriculture, financial services, and government are increasingly adopting AI to improve operational efficiencies, automation, predictive maintenance, and decision-making closer to the edge.
 
“We are seeing many African organisations deploying smaller AI environments through prefabricated systems, containerised data centres, or even single racks within existing facilities. This allows them to leverage existing cooling and power infrastructure while simplifying deployment.”
 
He adds that connectivity remains just as important as power in enabling AI success across the continent.
 
“A data centre without reliable network infrastructure is effectively just an expensive paperweight. If data cannot move efficiently in and out, the infrastructure cannot deliver value.”
 
All parties at the table
 
Beyond physical infrastructure, Santini highlighted the growing importance of software intelligence in helping organisations maximise energy efficiency and optimise cooling performance in increasingly power-constrained environments.
 
“We live in a world where power is constrained and nowhere is that reality felt more strongly than in Africa. Because of this, we need both the right physical infrastructure and the right software intelligence to maximise efficiency and performance.”
 
Ultimately, Santini believes Africa’s AI success will depend on aligning infrastructure investments with clearly defined business outcomes rather than pursuing AI for its own sake.
 
“AI in Africa is not a future concept is already happening. But success will depend on defining the right operational outcomes first, and then aligning the appropriate technologies, power, cooling, computing, storage, and networking around those goals.”
 
“As Schneider Electric, we position ourselves as the energy technology partner helping organisations achieve those outcomes efficiently and sustainably,” he concluded.
 
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Zero-emission construction requires a coordinated ecosystem of solutions and seamless integration between machines, electrical infrastructure and energy management systems (Image source: Volvo CE/Hitachi Energy)

Construction

Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) and Hitachi Energy have announced a new pact to fast-track zero-emission construction sites

The move has broad potential impact across Africa and the rest of the globe as construction firms and equipment suppliers move toward cleaner, lower carbon working.

Two of the industry’s heavyweights have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that brings together the capabilities needed to make electric construction equipment a practical, on-site reality.

The collaboration brings together electric construction equipment with clean power supply, energy management and system integration capabilities to help address one of the construction industry’s most pressing challenges: decarbonisation.

Under the agreement, the two companies will work on a non-exclusive basis to assess potential technical and commercial concepts supporting zero-emission construction and manufacturing operations, with a focus on system integration and site-level operational execution.

The scope includes joint work on business models, go‑to‑market approaches, and aftermarket and support considerations, supported by joint teams from both companies.

“Strategic partnerships such as this with Hitachi Energy are key to accelerating the transition to zero-emission construction,” said Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE.

“By combining complementary expertise and delivering a complete, integrated solution, we are giving customers the confidence, security and peace of mind they need to adopt emission-free operations today.”

Customer and investor demand for lower‑emission, more productive construction operations is reshaping the industry, the two companies said in a statement.

At the same time, regulatory and permitting frameworks increasingly require projects to address emissions and environmental performance throughout the planning and approval process.

While electrification, automation and efficient resource and asset planning offer clear pathways to reduce emissions, transitioning from individual electric machines to fully functioning zero‑emission construction sites requires a coordinated ecosystem of solutions and effective system integration across equipment, power infrastructure, and energy management systems.

“Electrification is a game changer in the decarbonisation puzzle, particularly for hard‑to‑abate environments such as construction sites,” said Niklas Persson, CEO of Grid Integration at Hitachi Energy.

“As construction operations become more electric and more complex, success depends less on individual technologies and more on system‑level integration, strong execution, and close collaboration with partners like Volvo CE who share our ambition to enable zero‑emission construction at scale.”

The initial focus is on business and go‑to‑market‑oriented, emphasising practical, plug‑and‑play approaches to help customers simplify the transition to zero‑emission construction sites.

At the same time, the agreement establishes a foundation for deeper technical engagement over time, with the potential to explore more advanced capabilities such as connected machines, digital integration, and expanded service offerings.

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Tharisa Minerals and Datacentrix deploy Africa’s first RADWIN FiberinMotion solution for connected mining operations. (Image source: Tharisa)

Mining

As mining companies across Africa intensify their digital transformation efforts, dependable wireless connectivity is emerging as a critical requirement for enabling real-time operations, telemetry and safer, more productive mining environments

In response to these demands, Tharisa Minerals and Datacentrix have partnered to deploy Africa’s first RADWIN FiberinMotion wireless network solution, establishing a scalable digital platform for connected mining operations.

The deployment has transformed Tharisa Minerals’ open-pit mining operation in South Africa into a more connected and data-driven environment. Tharisa, an integrated resource group supporting the global energy transition and decarbonisation agenda, operates the Tharisa Mine in South Africa’s North West province. The open-pit platinum group metals (PGM) and chrome mine is situated on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex, an area containing more than 70% of the world’s platinum and chrome resources.

The project began when Tharisa’s chief information officer, Paul Collins, approached Datacentrix to address a growing operational challenge faced by many modern mining companies: maintaining reliable wireless connectivity across an open-pit mine with constantly changing terrain and infrastructure layouts.

Previously, the operation relied largely on conventional 3G connectivity through SIM-enabled fleet vehicles. However, this setup was insufficient to support the company’s long-term strategy of enabling “Connected Machines and Connected People”, where operational data from mining equipment, systems and personnel can move seamlessly across the site in real time. Reliable connectivity is essential for applications such as fleet management, telemetry and safety monitoring across haul trucks, drill rigs and excavators.

“From our perspective, the driver wasn’t the technology itself, but the operational use case,” said Collins. “We needed to ensure that our maintenance teams in the pit could remain connected at all times. Without reliable connectivity, their mobility and efficiency were limited.”

The changing conditions within an open-pit mine created additional challenges for maintaining stable wireless coverage. As benches shift and haul roads evolve, line-of-sight conditions frequently change, often creating coverage gaps across the operation.

“The simplest way to describe it is that the hotspots are always moving,” Collins explained. “You don’t want to constantly rebuild your network infrastructure to accommodate this. It needs to adapt automatically as the operational environment evolves.”

Alternative technologies, including private LTE, 5G and mesh networks, were evaluated but did not meet the mine’s operational requirements due to concerns around complexity, adaptability and cost efficiency.

“We did consider LTE and 5G, but the cost simply didn’t justify the value for our use case,” Collins noted. “We’re a low-cost producer, so we actively look for solutions that support this strategy.”

“The key consideration was finding an alternative to LTE and 5G that could deliver similar functionality, but without the associated cost and complexity,” said Gys Malan, Solutions Architect at Datacentrix. “Tharisa also needed something easy to manage, without the overhead typically associated with traditional mesh networks.”

To address these challenges, the two companies selected RADWIN’s FiberinMotion technology, which offers low-latency, high-throughput wireless connectivity capable of supporting mobility in demanding mining environments.

Before full implementation, Tharisa and Datacentrix conducted a proof of concept (POC) within a live mining environment to validate the system’s performance. The POC combined fixed high sites for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connectivity with two temporary six-metre mobile towers designed to simulate trailer-mounted high sites.

Testing was carried out across several fleet assets, including excavators, dump trucks and light-duty vehicles, to evaluate roaming performance, network stability and handover capabilities.

“The POC phase involved multiple iterations, with repeated testing and validation under real-world conditions until we were confident in the solution and the results were very encouraging,” said Collins. “We achieved broad coverage, and even where there were minor gaps, they aligned with our expectations based on tower positioning. It gave us confidence that we could meet our operational requirements.”

Following the successful trial phase, Datacentrix implemented the permanent network infrastructure, which included ruggedised trailer-mounted towers capable of moving alongside the evolving mine pit. The system has now been operating successfully for approximately a year.

“The key outcome for us was enabling telemetry across our fleet and improving visibility into performance,” Collins said. “We can now stream data, monitor operations and even support video feeds from equipment like excavators. That simply wasn’t possible before.”

Beyond productivity improvements, the platform has also strengthened operational safety through enhanced fleet visibility and monitoring.

“For example, we can track behaviours such as unsafe machine operation, enabling better operational control and contributing to safer working conditions,” Collins said.

The deployment has also created a long-term digital foundation capable of supporting both critical and non-critical operational traffic across the mining environment.

“We now have a network backbone that can support both critical and non-critical traffic, which is something we didn’t have before,” said Collins. “There’s still a maturity journey ahead in terms of optimisation, but the platform is stable and performing well.”

Malan noted that the solution also offers a lower total cost of ownership because the infrastructure can be fully managed internally without relying heavily on third-party providers. “This is different to an LTE environment, for example, which often would require external dependencies.”

The Tharisa Mine project marks the first deployment of RADWIN’s FiberinMotion technology in Africa, positioning the operation among the continent’s leading examples of connected mining innovation. Additional deployments are already underway elsewhere in the region.

“What started as a challenge to achieve reliable connectivity has become a long-term proven platform strategy for us,” Collins said. “We now know that we’ve invested in something that is not only effective today, but reusable across the group and scalable for the future.”

Tharisa is now extending the same technology to its Karo Platinum operation in Zimbabwe, a low-cost open-pit PGM asset located along the Great Dyke.

“The Tharisa deployment was the first in Africa, and a second is now in progress at Karo Mining in Zimbabwe,” he said. “The Zimbabwe rollout will cover a significantly larger operational footprint, further demonstrating the scalability of the solution in complex mining environments.”

Collins added that the ability to remotely deploy and manage the infrastructure has proven particularly valuable for expanding operations across multiple regions. “We now have enough confidence in the platform to roll it out in another country without needing a team on-site within close proximity. That’s a critical factor for us.”

He also highlighted Datacentrix’s contribution to the project’s success. “It comes down to trust and responsiveness. If I can pick up the phone and get support when I need it, that makes a big difference,” he said. “Datacentrix understands both the technology and the mining industry, which means we can align quickly and move forward without unnecessary complexity.”

“The RADWIN FiberinMotion solution has subsequently been adopted by several other local mining organisations, with the assistance of Datacentrix, reinforcing its ability to enable safe, scalable and cost-effective digital transformation across the full mining lifecycle,” Malan said.

Konecranes Liftace 4532 TCE5 reach stackers. (Image source: Konecranes)

Logistics

An expanding container terminal in the Republic of the Congo has placed an order for a new package of equipment from Konecranes to accommodate rising container traffic 

The order was recorded in the first quarter of 2026, with deliveries expected during the second half of the year.

Situated along the country’s western coastline, the terminal plays an important role in facilitating container movement across Central Africa. Earlier deliveries of Konecranes reach stackers and empty container handlers between 2021 and 2025 helped establish a dependable cargo-handling fleet at the facility. The latest procurement is intended to strengthen operational capacity as the terminal continues to expand.

The order includes five Konecranes Liftace 4532 TCE5 reach stackers, developed to improve the movement of containers throughout the yard, alongside six Konecranes Liftace E 6/7 ECC9 empty container handlers dedicated to stacking and repositioning empty containers. The lift trucks are designed to combine productivity with advanced safety and ergonomic features, creating a more efficient and comfortable working environment for operators.

Local delivery and long-term service support will be managed by Konecranes distributor Paterson Simons. The distributor’s technical specialists will remain on site for eight months to assist with commissioning and support the early stages of operations.

“Our long-standing cooperation with the terminal group, together with Paterson Simons’ local presence, creates the conditions for smooth commissioning and dependable lifecycle support. The result is a fleet designed to improve operational efficiency and sustain performance,” said Patrik Lundbäck, vice-president, sales & distribution, Lift Trucks, Konecranes

Supporting quay-side operations, the Konecranes Gottwald ESP.7 mobile harbour crane will enhance the loading and unloading of both containerised and general cargo. Offering a lifting capacity of up to 125 tonnes and an outreach of as much as 51 metres, the crane has been engineered to deliver reliable performance across a broad range of cargo-handling applications, including vessels in the post-Panamax category.

All 11 lift trucks, together with the mobile harbour crane, will feature TRUCONNECT Premium Remote Monitoring technology. The system provides real-time operational insights aimed at supporting preventative maintenance and increasing equipment availability.

“When customers choose Konecranes for both yard and quay equipment, they benefit from a consistent approach across the terminal. With our digital services delivering performance insights for the full fleet, operators gain the visibility to support efficiency over the longer term,” commented Antoine Bosquet, vice-president sales, Quay, Konecranes.

Konecranes continues to strengthen its position in the material handling sector through a customer-focused strategy and ongoing investment in business development and operational improvement. The company is also advancing digitalisation and new technologies while promoting more efficient material flows through solutions that contribute to decarbonisation, circularity and enhanced safety.

AFC reaches financial close on the Poro Power Green Bond (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Finance

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has reached financial close and disbursed €43mn under the Poro Power Green Bond, to be used to fund construction of a 66 MW solar power plant in the northern Korhogo region in Cote d’Ivoire

Structured as a €65mn dual-currency facility in euros and CFA francs, it marks the first project finance green bond in Cote d’Ivoire and across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

The solar power plant, developed by Poro Power, is expected to be operational in 2027 and will become the country’s largest solar plant.

The solar plant is expected to provide electricity to more than 100,000 households and avoid over 72,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, contributing to greater energy access and the country’s target of increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix to 45% by 2030.

AFC acted as lead underwriter and co-arranger, helping to structure the innovative dual-currency green bond that creates what it called a ‘replicable model’ for mobilising African capital into bankable infrastructure.

It also called the transaction a milestone for Côte d’Ivoire’s capital markets and for African infrastructure more broadly.

Historically, long-term infrastructure financing in the country has depended heavily on international capital.

By contrast, the Poro Power Green Bond was African-led, structured, and fully funded by African institutions.

Samaila Zubairu, president and CEO of AFC, said the Poro Power Green Bond sets a new benchmark for sustainable infrastructure financing in Africa.

“This landmark transaction demonstrates the growing capacity of African institutions to mobilise domestic capital and expertise to deliver transformative infrastructure projects,” said said Zubairu.

“We are not only helping to close the infrastructure gap, but also creating scalable, homegrown financing models that can be replicated across the continent.”

The transaction builds on AFC’s track record in Côte d’Ivoire across the power and transport sectors.

In the energy sector, it includes the 44MW Singrobo-Ahouaty hydropower project, Côte d’Ivoire’s first private hydro independent power producer.

Its investments in the country also include the 1.5km Henri Konan Bédié Bridge, which has eased congestion by 30% since commissioning and improved mobility in Abidjan.

In 2024, AFC also supported the Ivorian government in awarding six road development contracts worth €691.6mn.

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Brady Corporation unveils i4311 portable printer. (Image source: Brady Corporation)

Manufacturing

Print everything you need, where you need it! With the first transportable printer to deliver 101.60 mm wide labelling without cords or limits

Automated identification and data capture specialist Brady Corporation launches a new type of hybrid label printer that offers industrial label printing performance in a cordless, portable design.

Larger labels

Brady´s new BradyPrinter i4311 is designed to bridge the gap between stationary benchtop label printer power and mobile flexibility. A well-known limitation for most mobile label printers is the maximum width of the label. Brady´s i4311 marks the new maximum label width at 101.60 mm for connected label printing systems that retain true portability.

The larger print width brings a lot more applications into the mobile label printing range, including perforated work-in-progress tags, common size rating plates and larger cable tags, wraps, sleeves, asset labels, component labels and GHS-compliant chemical labels.

i4311 app img258b

Cut the cord

No need to look for power outlets with the i4311. The printer is powered by a battery that can handle 5000 large labels on a single charge. Swapping batteries has been made easy and they can be charged in 3.5 hours.

Easy to integrate

The new BradyPrinter i4311 can print labels from phones, tablets and laptops, and even from central company systems using Brady´s software development kit or ZPL support. In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, the i4311 also features ethernet and USB-C connections.

The printer´s on-board 7´´ (17.78 cm) touch screen offers both on-device support as well as the capability to print labels directly from the printer. Users can store on average different 85 000 label templates in the printer that can be completed with an on-board ´fill in´ option, fully responsive to your touch.

Industry feedback

Brady also revealed i4311 printer features that were developed with close involvement from the company´s long-standing customers. As a result, the printer´s footprint was limited to 23 x 23 x 33 cm and 5.9 kg and the device´s easy-to-grip handle was optimised.

A battery-saver was also added for when the printer is not in use and battery-swapping was made even easier.

i4311 app img054 sqPortable benchtop

Right in the middle of Brady´s mobile label printer and industrial benchtop label printer line ups now sits the BradyPrinter i4311: a portable printer with the company´s benchtop industrial printing capabilities.

Compatible with more than 1300 Brady label parts, the i4311 can print on a majority of Brady´s reliable, laboratory-tested label materials. Just like other Brady printers the i4311 includes LabelSense technology to automatically set label material burn, size and pre-print settings as soon as a label roll is loaded.

The company´s newest label printer also works with a host of free Brady Express Labels mobile apps. These enable users to select text in an image file for example, and import it for printing on a label. Or to read barcodes with a phone and send them to the printer. With a commanding voice, labels can even be printed completely hands-free, using BradyVoice, a smartphone microphone and the BradyPrinter i4311. 

Watch the printer in action & learn more >>

BRADY Corporation in Africa

T: +27 11 704 3295

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www.brady.eu