COMMENT
‘The sky is falling’
– navigating a changing landscape
T
oday’s mining and construction industries can be
difficult to navigate, for a variety of reasons. Among
these are changing economic conditions, such as the
fluctuations in the exchange rate we have seen in response
to the cabinet reshuffle, as well as South Africa’s credit
rating downgrade to junk status and changes in legislation,
such as the recent — and recently suspended — Mining
Charter and the new BEE regulations.
This month, Doosan managing director Rod Watson
speaks to us about these and other issues facing the
industry. Watson, who has 40 years’ experience in the
construction industry, has learnt by experience how to
manage businesses effectively no matter the economic
cycle. He gives his opinion on the effect of the economy
on industry, challenges facing those in the construction and
mining industries, advancing technology, the importance of
security, and what to watch out for in the future.
Tying into the importance of security in the face of
advancing technology, our Business feature this month
is the first in a series looking at cybersecurity in industry,
focusing particularly on manufacturing, transport, mining,
and construction. In an increasingly connected world,
the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has numerous
advantages for companies making use of the functionality
this provides. At the same time, it has increased the need for
highly secure connectivity across all aspects of the plant.
This issue has been brought to the fore this year by two
global cyberattacks: the WannaCry ransomware attack in
May, and the NotPetya attack, which also initially appeared
to be ransomware, in June. The article looks at these — and
other — recent cyberattacks, gives an overview of previous
industrial cyberattacks, and looks briefly at the susceptibility
of the mining sector.
The New Equipment feature looks at the Kubota
RTV-X900 utility vehicle, which Maubra Utility Products
has modified for various surface and underground mining
applications, and our Product Focus traces the history of
generators and mobile power solutions.
Finally, this month’s Insight looks at Statistics South
Africa’s first quarter data — which indicates that the
country has entered a recession, following two consecutive
quarters of negative growth — as well as the comments
made by Dr Roelof Botha at Drone Con 2017, indicating
that this news is not as bad as it might seem. n
Robyn Grimsley – Editor
Plant Equipment & Hire
www.equipmentandhire.co.za
SEPTEMBER 2017
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