Modern Mining July 2025

This includes due diligence and supplier verification, where Achilles empowers mining companies to gain a complete view of their suppliers using AI-powered risk assessments, on-the ground audits, worker interviews, and third-party verification through NGOs and human rights organisations. This robust framework helps identify and mitigate issues such as unverified sourcing. Similarly, through advanced risk identification tools and supplier assessments, Achilles supports companies in rooting out human rights violations, child labour, and exploitative practices – common risks in certain mining regions. These audits include improvement plans to elevate standards and ensure long-term compliance. Several African governments are enacting stricter ESG regulations and net-zero targets, such as South Africa, which passed a comprehensive law in 2024 setting emission limits for major polluters and mandating adaptation plans. Similarly, Nigeria’s Climate Change Act of 2021 established a framework for achieving net-zero emissions between 2050 and 2070. These legislative efforts reflect a growing commitment across the continent to enhance ESG standards and address climate change, making Achilles’ expertise particularly valuable. Achilles’ Carbon Reduce Programme helps mining companies measure, manage, and minimise their carbon footprint, particularly Scope 3 emissions tied to suppliers. The company also specialises in financial and geopolitical risk mitigation, helping companies in regions such as South Africa, Ghana, and the DRC navigate political volatility by delivering supplier risk profiles that include geopolitical and financial health indicators. What’s more, with increasing digitisation in the mining sector, Achilles helps to safeguard data integrity by embedding cybersecurity protocols into supplier onboarding and evaluation processes. Achilles’ competitive advantage in African mining Unlike many compliance firms that react to regulation after the fact, Achilles’ bespoke approach encourages mining firms to anticipate and adapt to future ESG laws ahead of the curve. This is critical in Africa, where regulatory frameworks often evolve rapidly. Rather than outsourcing assessments, Achilles uses local, in-house auditors who understand regional nuances, legal landscapes, and cultural dynamics, leading to increasingly accurate and impactful evaluations. What’s more, their technological edge allows mining companies to gain unparalleled visibility into their supply chains. Achilles leverages AI, machine learning, and a global intelligence networks to deliver real-time regional insights into supplier performance, compliance risk, and ESG alignment. The future of ethical and sustainable mining in Africa with Achilles Achilles is redefining what ethical mining looks like in Africa, ensuring that transparency, responsibility, and sustainability are at the core of every operation. Africa is central to the global energy transition, but companies must balance growth with compliance. Achilles’ supply chain solutions help mining firms meet international expectations whilst fulfilling local development obligations. As African governments enforce stricter ESG laws, the road ahead demands more than just mineral output from companies. It requires transparency and responsibility, and Achilles offers the tools, expertise, and insights to build these ethical, future-ready supply chains. n

Africa holds 30% of global mineral reserves, making it key to the world’s green energy transition.

Africa’s mining sector demands a regionally informed, tech-driven approach to manage complex operational and compliance risks.

New ESG and climate legislation across Africa is raising the bar for compliance — Achilles supports mining companies within the region.

How Achilles is addressing mining challenges in Africa Achilles assists companies in addressing regional-specific risks and regulatory gaps by providing compliance solutions tailored to the unique contexts of different regions, including Africa.

JULY 2025 | www.modernminingmagazine.co.za  MODERN MINING  15