With partnerships at the heart of this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba’s theme, mine safety equipment manufacturer Booyco Electronics highlights why sustained industry-wide collaboration remains essential to advancing proximity detection systems (PDS) across the continent.

“While meaningful progress has been made, true success depends on all stakeholders being aligned, from PDS suppliers and original-equipment manufacturers [OEMs] to the mines themselves and regulatory bodies,” says Booyco Electronics CEO Anton Lourens.

“Our engagement must continue and strengthen, to shape the responsible and effective rollout and adoption of PDS.”

Drawing on more than 19 years of pioneering experience since it introduced what were then known as collision warning systems, Booyco Electronics has walked the road alongside mining operations and OEM partners, he notes.

“We are proud to have helped develop and evolve the technology, while navigating the regulatory shifts and ensuring practical integration on the ground,” says Lourens, adding that one of the most critical pillars of successful PDS implementation remains change management – a structured phased approach which Booyco Electronics is seeing more customers adopt.

He applauds this trend, emphasising how it ensures buy-in at every level, from operators to management, creating safer and more responsive mining environments.

“In an era where safety performance, compliance and tech- nology convergence are accelerating, partnerships are no longer optional,” he explains, adding that they are the foundation that enables Africa’s mines to adopt effective future-ready PDS solutions.

“Our long-standing industry relationships remain central to driving this shared journey.”

With South Africa’s legally mandated Level 9 vehicle intervention, which requires trackless mobile machinery to automatically slow or stop to prevent collisions, the country has seen accelerated collaboration across the sector.

However, implementation remains uneven with mines needing more than hardware and technology to achieve sustainable adoption.

Resistance from operators, concerns about production delays and fears of nuisance trip-outs can derail implementation, notes Lourens.

“This is where structured partnership adds strategic value,” he says, adding that mines which involve production, finance, human resources and health and safety departments at the planning stages see higher acceptance and lower disruption during implementation.

Risk-led planning is another shared responsibility requiring joint effort. A PDS deployment only succeeds if the mine’s baseline risk assessment is current, site-specific and has been aligned with a traffic management plan.

“Without this foundation, there is no reliable basis for deciding where PDS should intervene, which vehicles present the greatest danger or where operational flow needs redesigning,” continues Lourens.

Baseline assessment is not simply a legislative requirement, he says, adding that it guides meaningful collaboration between mines, engineers and technology suppliers in determining how PDS will work underground and on surface.

Proper operational readiness is another area where strong partnerships are vital for successful outcomes. Even mines that have purchased PDS hardware sometimes lack alignment between the site’s engineering and production teams, leading to system bypassing, delayed commissioning or poor operator acceptance.

“This is why Booyco Electronics now assists with operational readiness assessments.

“This is to go beyond confirming that the technology fits the application. This approach helps to ensure that people, processes and infrastructure are aligned before deployment begins,” says Lourens.

He notes that, on an international level, detection technologies are evolving toward sensor fusion – another major partnership frontier.

“Mines increasingly operate mixed fleets from multiple OEMs, each with different control logic,” explains Lourens, adding that efforts to standardise interface requirements are helping build common ground, but supplier-to-supplier cooperation remains essential to achieving full fleet-wide protection.

He reiterates that partnerships are increasingly recognised as an operational requirement for ensuring that PDS contributes effectively to mining’s goal of zero harm.

“PDS now sits at the intersection of regulatory enforcement, mine planning, OEM equipment design and mine-site behavioural change.

“No single stakeholder can deliver all these elements in isolation, which is why Booyco Electronics continues to work alongside mines, machine manufacturers and regulators to ensure both compliance and real-world effectiveness,” concludes Lourens.