29 Oct 2026

The traditional mining model is shifting towards digital innovation, green mining and automation, hence digital literacy, technical problem solving abilities and the capacity to work alongside specialised technology are becoming increasingly crucial for workers in the mining industry.  

This sentiment emerged at a recent Botswana Mining Show 2026 panel discussion focused on preparing the nation’s workforce for the rapidly changing industrial landscape.

Titled, The future of jobs in Botswana: How technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation and economic diversification are reshaping workforce requirements, the session brought together industry experts, young professionals and human capital specialists to tackle the country’s dual challenge of rising youth unemployment and technology adoption.

Mining engineer and data scientist, Ms Vanessa Masupe emphasised the importance of workers being digitally literate in the current era where AI and automation were reshaping workplaces.

“Rather than eliminating jobs entirely, the integration of AI and automated machinery is reshaping the type of skills needed on modern mining sites. Tomorrow’s worker must be digitally literate, have technical problem solving abilities and the capacity to work alongside specialized technology,” she said.

According to human resource specialists, today’s employee needs to be digitally agile and capable of using digital tools, data analytics or AI-driven software to drive solutions for their organisation.

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