Duncan van Jaarsveld, Head of Mining, BT Business, discusses cloud technology reducing costs and maximising efficiency in mining.

While challenges like infrastructure development and regulatory constraints persist, digital transformation in Africa is moving quickly. According to the World Bank, digital access across the continent grew by 115% between 2016 and 2021, driving demand for reliable network infrastructure.

Cloud adoption is also on the rise as businesses gain an understanding of digital environments. In fact, analysts expect global cloud usage to grow from 20% of workloads today to around 60% in the next few years. A McKinsey survey reveals that African businesses are keeping up, with about 45% of their workloads already in the public cloud—a significant shift that occurred rapidly. 

Miners, like many businesses updating their digital strategies, now use multiple cloud types—from public services like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure to software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications like SAP and ServiceNow, alongside private clouds in their own data centres. Edge computing is expanding too, creating smaller clouds at sites where local processing of Internet of Things (IoT) data is needed.

To achieve optimal performance and control costs, businesses must now consider how digital workloads move between multiple clouds and out to users.

Managing Cloud Costs

Cost control is a challenge for most businesses, not just miners. Cloud pricing structures are complex, often lacking transparency, leading to unexpected costs. Strategies to optimise spending include:

• Using cost management tools – Providers like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud offer tools to monitor and manage expenses.
• Right-sizing resources – Regularly reviewing and adjusting cloud resources prevents over-provisioning.
• Leveraging reserved instances – Committing to longer-term use can lead to significant discounts.
• Automating shutdowns – Turning off non-essential resources when not in use reduces costs.

NaaS for Cost-Effective Connectivity

Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) is transforming connectivity by improving productivity, reducing downtime and maintaining reliable network access as infrastructure evolves.

In Africa, while adoption is rising, traditional infrastructure remains limited, NaaS offers a flexible, scalable solution. It enables businesses to activate ports, deploy services like Internet or IP VPN, and connect to hyperscalers without investing in complex physical networks. By offering a pay-as-you-use model, NaaS ensures cost-effective connectivity while maintaining performance and reliability. Centralised control and automation further streamline network operations.

Evolving Multi-Cloud Environments

Optimising costs as multi-cloud networks expand is crucial for future operations. Innovations in global networking now integrate public and private cloud environments, offering seamless connectivity without vendor lock-in.

A fully programmable platform with no ties to specific services, contracts or cloud providers gives businesses commercial flexibility, allowing them to pay only for what they need, when they need it. Reducing physical infrastructure, whether by multi-tasking existing hardware or adopting virtualisation, presents significant opportunities for lowering both capital and operational costs.

As businesses wade through economic uncertainty, controlling cloud expenses while driving efficiency may boost efficiency and cut costs.