Posts List
Business & Gov
Why cybersecurity awareness is failing South African businesses and what to fix first
Charmé van der Westhuizen, New Business Development Manager at IPT
South African businesses are investing heavily in cybersecurity technology. Detection tools are becoming more sophisticated, monitoring is more advanced, and response capabilities are faster. Yet most breaches still begin with a human error. This shows that technology is not the problem. Instead, it is how cybersecurity is approached.
For many businesses, cybersecurity awareness remains a compliance activity rather than a risk discipline. Training is scheduled annually, attendance is recorded, and certificates are issued. From a governance perspective, the requirement has been met. From a risk perspective, little has changed.
Not a one-off event
In practice, behaviour is shaped by what is reinforced, not what is presented once a year. When training is concentrated into a single intensive session, it competes with operational pressures and fades quickly out of memory. The reality of South African business environments is that teams are stretched, inboxes are full, and urgency is constant. Under those conditions, knowledge without reinforcement does not stick.
If we accept that human behaviour remains the entry point for most cyber incidents, then awareness cannot sit on the periphery of the security strategy; it must be embedded in business operations.
Thinking differently
The first issue to fix is cadence. Short, consistent training delivered over time improves employee skills much more effectively than infrequent, high-intensity workshops. This is not because the content is different, but rather because repetition alters how employees respond to cyberattacks. When people are exposed more frequently to common threat scenarios, they can better identify any potential attack.
The second issue is relevance. Many organisations roll out uniform training across the entire business. That approach assumes that all employees experience the same risk exposure. In reality, risk varies by department. Finance teams face different attack patterns from sales teams. HR manages different types of sensitive information from operations. When awareness programmes fail to reflect those realities, they lose credibility.
Cybersecurity is often described as an IT responsibility. It is not. It is behavioural risk management embedded across departments. If awareness is not tailored to role-based exposure, engagement drops and risk remains unevenly distributed.
The third issue is measurement. Awareness programmes frequently rely on completion metrics rather than behavioural indicators. Attendance does not equal building a resilient organisation. A signed acknowledgement does not demonstrate that a company has now improved its cyber defences.
Identifying threats
When organisations assess behavioural vulnerabilities at the outset, they gain visibility into actual exposure. Automation can then deliver targeted reinforcement at regular intervals, addressing identified weak points rather than rotating generic topics. Over time, this produces measurable improvement instead of superficial coverage.
Automation, in this context, is not about sophistication for its own sake. It is about consistency and accountability. It ensures that awareness is not dependent on manual scheduling or shifting priorities. Weaknesses are identified, addressed, and re-evaluated systematically.
Without that structure, awareness remains reactive.
More than compliance
South African businesses operate in a regulatory and economic environment where reputational damage and operational disruption carry significant consequences. Clients, partners, and regulators increasingly expect demonstrable risk management, not theoretical commitment.
The uncomfortable reality is that many companies are investing more in detecting breaches than in preventing the human actions that trigger them.
Fixing cybersecurity awareness does not require a new platform as a starting point. It requires reframing awareness as an ongoing behavioural discipline supported by structured reinforcement, role-based relevance, and measurable improvement.
Technology will always be essential. But until awareness is integrated into operational processes and treated as a governed risk control, the human layer will remain inconsistently defended.
The number of tools deployed does not define cybersecurity maturity. It is reflected in how people behave under pressure. That is where the real work begins.
Tech & Events
“Electra Mining Africa 2026: Where Industry, Innovation and Opportunity Met”
By: Paul Mabusa
Electra Mining Africa 2026 has closed its doors at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec after five days of intense activity, innovation and business engagement, leaving exhibitors, visitors and industry professionals with a strong sense that the mining and industrial sectors remain hungry for new technology, better solutions and stronger partnerships.
From heavy mining machinery and automation systems to electrical technology, safety equipment, digital solutions and advanced engineering products, the exhibition brought together a broad cross-section of the industrial value chain under one roof.
The atmosphere across the exhibition was one of activity and discovery. Working machinery, product demonstrations, technology launches and busy exhibition stands created an environment where visitors could see equipment in operation, speak directly to technical specialists and explore solutions to real operational challenges.
For many exhibitors, however, the greatest value of the event was not simply the number of people walking through the exhibition halls, but the quality of the conversations taking place.
Exhibitors reported strong foot traffic, meaningful customer engagement and valuable business leads. TOMRA Mining’s Diamond Segment Manager, Corné de Jager, described the show as the busiest Electra Mining he had attended, noting that customers turned up in large numbers and that visitors were able to experience equipment first-hand.
Other exhibitors echoed the sentiment. RGM Cranes Commercial Manager Emel Fleischmann described the foot traffic as phenomenal and said the company was receiving excellent leads, including engagement with major and blue-chip companies.
For international companies and global manufacturers, the exhibition also provided an important gateway into the African market. Sandvik Product Marketing Specialist Vanessa Deggins described the event as the biggest show she had attended, highlighting the customer interest and connections made during the exhibition.
More than an exhibition
The scale of Electra Mining Africa reflects the importance of the event to the region’s mining, manufacturing, engineering and industrial sectors.
The 2026 exhibition was sold out ahead of its opening and expanded to approximately 44,000 square metres, 4,000 square metres larger than the previous edition. Organisers had expected more than 40,000 visitors, with participation from more than 60 countries.
The increased footprint also created room for new exhibitors, additional product categories and the introduction of the Orange Zone, responding to demand for a broader range of products and solutions.
But the real measure of an exhibition of this scale is what happens when industry comes together.
Across the five days, mining houses, contractors, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, technology companies, government representatives and other industry professionals had opportunities to compare technologies, discuss challenges, establish relationships and identify potential areas for collaboration.
The event also demonstrated the changing face of mining and industrial operations. Automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, electrification, energy efficiency, digital monitoring, safety technology and sustainable production were among the technologies shaping conversations on the exhibition floor.
Live demonstrations were particularly important because they allowed visitors to move beyond brochures and presentations and experience technologies in practical settings. The organisers highlighted working machinery, live demonstrations, product launches and new technologies as some of the defining features of the 2026 show.
A platform for South African industry
Electra Mining Africa also provided an important platform for South African manufacturers and engineering companies to demonstrate that local industry has the capability to develop and supply sophisticated solutions for demanding industrial environments.
The presence of local manufacturers alongside international companies created opportunities for knowledge exchange, partnerships and market development.
For smaller and emerging companies, the exhibition provided access to an audience that can be difficult to reach through conventional marketing channels. For established manufacturers, it offered an opportunity to strengthen existing customer relationships while demonstrating new products and technologies.
This combination of business development, networking and technology demonstration is one of the reasons Electra Mining continues to occupy an important position on the African industrial calendar.
The human experience
Beyond the machines and technology, one of the strongest impressions from the 2026 exhibition was the human interaction.
After years of rapid technological change, the exhibition demonstrated that face-to-face engagement remains important. Customers wanted to touch equipment, speak to specialists, ask difficult questions and understand how a particular technology could solve a problem at their operation.
For exhibitors, those conversations provided direct insight into what customers need. For visitors, they provided an opportunity to compare competing solutions and make more informed decisions.
The feedback from exhibitors points to an event that was commercially valuable as well as technologically impressive. One exhibitor described it as a “very worthwhile investment”, while another highlighted the quality of visitors and the strength of leads generated during the show.
Looking beyond 2026
As the final visitors left the Johannesburg Expo Centre and exhibitors began dismantling their stands, the impact of Electra Mining Africa 2026 was likely to continue well beyond the five-day event.
Business leads will need to be followed up. New partnerships will need to be developed. Technologies demonstrated at the show will move into mines, factories, construction sites and industrial operations. Conversations that started at exhibition stands may develop into contracts, collaborations and new projects.
That is ultimately what makes an industry exhibition successful.
Electra Mining Africa 2026 provided a meeting point for an industry undergoing significant change. It showed the scale of technology available to improve safety, productivity and efficiency, while demonstrating the appetite among African businesses for solutions that can help them remain competitive.
More importantly, the strong attendance and positive exhibitor feedback provided a clear indication that the mining, manufacturing and industrial sectors continue to value opportunities to meet, engage, learn and do business face-to-face.
For five days, Nasrec became a meeting place for Africa’s industrial community. The machinery will be switched off, the exhibition stands will come down and the crowds will disperse—but the relationships, ideas and business opportunities created at Electra Mining Africa 2026 will continue to shape the industry long after the exhibition has ended.