Most readers of Electricity + Control in South Africa will be aware of what seems to be a growing number of vehicle recalls – among cars produced locally as well as imported models – with the automakers and the authorities flagging specific safety risks. This raises the question of whether or not highly automated production lines, incorporating robotics, artificial intelligence, and other increasingly sophisticated technologies – might be in some way implicated. The merits of replacing the men or women monitoring and managing the production line with an entirely digital, automated system that is operated remotely, and all the checks similarly controlled by a smart software system rather than by sight or hands-on, must be considered. Could such advanced technologies be contributing to faulty production runs, inaccurate testing of the myriad intricate details that go into ensuring vehicles are manufactured in line with engineered details and are safe and will perform as they are designed to? Or is it the smart, digitally-driven monitoring systems that are picking up faults which would previously have passed undetected? Perhaps some of you among our readers are well placed to answer this question. I for one would be glad to know.
In this April 2026 issue of Electricity + Control in the feature on Control systems + automation, Kobus Vermeulen of Schneider Electric outlines key trends shaping AI-driven process automation, changing the way plants operate.
Lourens Pieterse of Bühler Southern Africa highlights the importance of building resilience into food supply chains, alongside process efficiencies, to ensure long-term security. He shares how Bühler is contributing to this with its equipment, systems and collaborative interactions across the region.
We also share news from Valmet, VTrack, Xylem, Siemens Smart Infrastructure, igus, Adroit Technologies, and from Alfa Laval, which, with partners, supplied the complete processing line to establish Ecovado’s new avocado oil production facility in Limpopo.
Looking at Energy management + energy efficiency, we bring you key findings from the IEA’s Energy Efficiency 2025 report. The report notes four trends that are holding back faster progress on improving energy efficiency – one being slow progress in the industrial sector. It also points to priority steps to advance energy efficiency gains to the levels targeted at COP30.
John Mitchell of CP Automation takes a closer look at the importance of understanding harmonic profiles across a whole plant in order to make the right decisions when issues of power quality, performance anomalies, or nuisance tripping need to be resolved.
In the context of South Africa’s energy transition, Sim Khuluse at SAPVIA suggests that addressing the urgent need to expand and modernise the national power grid can serve as a catalyst for the country’s industrial and economic growth.
Dane Links and Hanno Mostert of Sustainable Power Solutions point to a shift in the renewable energy sector as long-term operations and maintenance come into focus for owners of embedded power generation plants.
Pervin Gurie from WEG Africa highlights the critical stabilising role that battery energy storage systems play in electricity supply systems as the inputs from distributed renewable energy sources increase.
Turning to Safety of plant, equipment + people in industrial operations, Ian Loudon of Omniflex sets out the advantages of using fibre-optic cabling for effective communication that supports safety in mining operations – especially where sites stretch over kilometres.
Also in the mining field, Arjen de Bruin of OIM Consulting shares findings from the company’s data which suggest that it is often human behaviour under pressure that leads to safety incidents, even when advanced technologies and safety protocols are well established.
In the highly regulated sector of pharmaceuticals production, Minebea Intec highlights the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice as essential to ensuring consistent product quality, safety and traceability.
We also share news from ALCO Safe, ASP Fire, Booyco Electronics, Doble, ifm, Jet Demolition, Referro Systems, SOEW, and Vepac Electronics.
And there’s more of interest in our Reskilling pages, Engineering the future and Write @ the back. Read it through.
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