Juanita Pienaar of Capital Equipment News spoke with Jeandré Koen, Managing Director for Netstar Africa (a part of the Altron Group), to uncover how the company is harnessing its decades of telematics expertise to deliver smarter, safer solutions for the heavy-duty industries of mining, construction, and quarrying.
Reimagining telematics for tough terrain
With a legacy rooted in vehicle tracking and fleet telematics, Netstar is now bringing its proven technologies into more rugged terrain. The company’s evolving suite of solutions is tailored to meet the demanding environments and compliance requirements of industries like mining, construction, and quarrying.
“Our Mining Fleet Solution offers accurate vehicle and asset tracking, operator behaviour monitoring, and practical insights to enhance safety, compliance, and productivity,” said Jeandré Koen, Managing Director for Netstar Africa. “Combined with our Health Monitor Solution, which tracks worker vitals to detect fatigue and risks, we provide a powerful, integrated system that supports safer and more efficient operational environments.”
It’s this integration of safety, performance, and data-driven control that makes Netstar’s offering particularly compelling for site managers looking to boost uptime and reduce liability in high-risk environments.
Grounded in South Africa, built for Africa
While Netstar is expanding its footprint internationally, the South African market remains a core focus. The company continues to develop technologies for local industries, shaped by the very environments they operate in.
“Our technology is built and tested in tough local operating conditions whilst delivering innovative solutions,” Koen noted. Netstar’s ongoing investment in products like real-time health monitoring, collision avoidance systems, and on-site connectivity tools speaks to its commitment to domestic support.
“There will be greater focus on expansion, local innovation, and quality service delivery throughout the African continent,” said the representative. “The new leadership will be able to support both mining and construction better with the launch of new devices such as Health Monitoring in an effort to improve safety regulations within both these industries.”
From downtime to uptime: Operational insights in real time
Mining and construction fleets face some of the toughest operational challenges in the field: downtime, compliance issues, and ever-present safety risks. Netstar’s digital ecosystem is designed to meet these head-on.
Netstar’s Global Fleet Bureau enables the company to “respond proactively with bespoke customer standard operating procedures,” helping improve driver and pedestrian safety and reduce accidents. “Route optimisation, predictive maintenance, fuel consumption monitoring, and operator scorecards are all accessible through a single SaaS platform,” Koen added.
This single-platform approach provides a clear view across fragmented or multi-site operations, enabling strategic decisions at speed. “With geofencing, asset tracking, and workforce health dashboards, site managers gain full visibility and control, regardless of size or complexity.”
Telematics beyond trucks
Netstar’s technology goes far beyond traditional fleet tracking. The company supports a broad range of equipment, including yellow metal, plant machinery, and off-highway vehicles, with systems that are as robust as the machines they monitor.
“Our integrated ecosystem delivers user insights, in-vehicle driver displays, and proximity detection with Nanotron sensors for collision avoidance,” Koen explained. “Paired with speed sensors that limit speeds in specific geo-locations, it ensures safe operations in even the most remote areas.”
The company also offers seamless integration with OEM technologies and on-site systems, giving fleet managers a centralised view of both asset and personnel performance. This not only improves safety and maintenance but also drives productivity on a broader scale.
AI at work: Predicting and preventing
Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in Netstar’s telematics offerings. By analysing vast amounts of fleet and operator data, the platform can proactively detect risks and suggest interventions before issues escalate.
“Our AI-powered analytics help predict maintenance needs before failures happen, minimising downtime in remote or high-wear environments,” Koen shared. These analytics can even anticipate safety risks by identifying high-traffic zones at specific times. “Paired with our Nanotron in-vehicle technologies, pedestrian and visitor units proactively prevent incidents through smart predictive insights.”
Fuel, fleet, and the future
Efficient resource use is no longer just good practice; it’s a strategic advantage. Netstar empowers construction and mining companies to take tighter control of fuel, logistics, and labour performance through real-time data.
“Netstar manages fuel through CAN Bus data, tracks and boosts operator performance, and simplifies site logistics,” Netstar explained. “Real-time data and health analytics allow better resource allocation, planning, and safer operations.”
The platform’s sustainability benefits are increasingly important, too. “Our solutions promote sustainability by reducing fuel waste, decreasing idle time, and optimising routes and travel time. Environmental data can be tracked and reported for audits to support greener practices.”
Digital transformation for the worksite
As the mining and construction sectors move toward full digitalisation, Netstar is poised to be a key enabler of smart worksite evolution. “We provide cloud-based platforms, API integrations, biometric safety tools, and compliance automation,” the representative said, “all necessary for creating smart, connected work sites.”
South African clients can also look forward to exciting new innovations. “Support for autonomous equipment and deeper integration with site-specific systems are already underway,” the representative confirmed, noting that these developments are backed by global investment and local relevance.
Looking ahead
According to Netstar, the next 3–5 years will bring sweeping change across the fleet management landscape. Key trends include AI-based diagnostics, autonomous vehicle integration, biometric fatigue detection, electrification of heavy vehicles, and sophisticated sustainability tracking.
“Netstar is prepared to lead this evolution with reliable technology and local expertise,” said the representative.
A final word to fleet operators
For site managers and operators who’ve yet to embrace advanced telematics, Netstar’s message is clear: the time to act is now.
“If you're not using advanced telematics yet, you're working with limited visibility and unnecessary risk,” Koen cautioned. “Netstar gives you data-driven tools that save lives, cut costs, and enhance productivity. With our Mining Fleet and Health Monitor Solutions, now is the perfect time to shift from reactive management to proactive operational control.”
In an industry where every second counts and every life matters, Netstar is proving that smart tech isn’t a luxury, it’s the new standard.