This platform can be used to discover summary reports, detailed reports, articles, data, standards, tools and apps published through the MMP's innovation agenda. You can participate and provide your expert opinion to initiate conversations and elevate the value of this work to the industry.

The KnowMore Portal was initial released in 2022, but has evolved as the needs of our users have evolved. We created this new site to simplify and streamline access to content, placing the needs of our users at the centre, and ensuring better access to our growing, high quality research, innovation and development content repository. Too often we hear “South African mining research has died, nothing new has been uncovered in decades!” - this is simply not true, however the perception is out there and part of the reason is that the outputs of academic and industry research is often hidden in technical systems, hard-to-find documents and decentralised locations.

As the Mandela Mining Precinct, we are driven by our mission to advance mining knowledge in line with the SAMERDI principles. This web portal provides a single point of access, with intuitive functionality, to easily discover and access cutting edge, innovative research undertaken by MMP in collaboration with its large pool of industry and academic partners.

This site will continue to build its repository of content, collated from over 5 years of research, and include new publications as they are delivered through our various work packages.

The KnowMore Portal is managed by the MMP programme management team.

This agreement is between the Mandela Mining Precinct, through the CSIR, and any person accessing and using this website or those acting through such persons ('the User').

Please note that by accessing this website, you are using it entirely at your own risk and are agreeing to be bound by all of the terms and conditions as set out herein. In the event that you do not wish to be bound by these terms and conditions, please exit this website as you may not access, display, use, download, copy or distribute any of the content of this website. By using this website you, the User, undertake not to use this website for any illegal or unlawful purpose and are using a computer system or device that you are authorised to use.

The Mandela Mining Precinct makes a reasonable effort to keep the contents of this website updated, complete and accurate but does not warrant or represent that the information is always updated and correct, therefore, the onus lies on you to verify any information before use. The Mandela Mining Precinct does not warrant that this website is uninterrupted, virus and default-free. It is the responsibility of the User to ensure that his/her device, hardware and/or software are compatible with this website.

Should this website provide a link to another website, the use of such other linked websites must not be construed to constitute a relationship with this website's terms and conditions. The use of such links will be at your own risk and liability. In terms of section 15(1) the Merchandise Marks Act, 1941 (Act 17 of 1941) as amended, the User or anyone who acts through or via him/her may not use the Mandela Mining Precinct logo, brand, trademarks and copyright without an expressed written permission from the Mandela Mining Precinct.

If any particular provision of this website is unenforceable and may be severed from the remaining terms and conditions, then such remaining terms and conditions shall continue to apply. Failure to apply any of these terms and conditions shall not constitute a waiver of such right.

The Mandela Mining Precinct reserves the right to modify and update this website at any given time and as such, there may be downtime of the website from time to time.

The employees of the Mandela Mining Precinct and its sub-contractors shall not be held liable for any claims (for personal injury, whether direct, indirect, consequential or special in any manner whatsoever), losses and damages that may be suffered by the User or his/her employees, sub-contractors, agents, representative or assigns that may arise, directly or indirectly, from use or reliance of the contents of this website and its functionality.

This website shall be governed by the laws of South Africa. The use of this website constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions, which contract is then deemed to have been made in Pretoria in South Africa.

1. Introduction

The KnowMore Portal is a digital platform developed under the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP), a public-private partnership between the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA), and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This portal provides access to research content and outputs generated through MMP's collaborative research programmes.

By accessing or using the KnowMore Portal, users agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Use.

2. Purpose and Scope

The KnowMore Portal is intended to:

• Showcase research outputs from MMP programmes;
• Promote awareness and adoption of research-based innovations in the mining industry;
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and industry engagement.

The portal hosts a variety of deliverables, including but not limited to:

• Research reports (milestone and final),
• Standards, models, frameworks,
• Software, tools, applications,
• Prototypes, devices, and equipment,
• Data sets, analytics, and coding outputs.
3. Intellectual Property and Usage Rights

All content on the KnowMore Portal is subject to intellectual property (IP) rights governed by applicable South African laws, including specific clauses that may be applied per research project deliverable.

The following conditions apply:

• Ownership: IP rights remain with the original creators or institutions as stipulated in contractual agreements.
• Permitted Use: Users may view, reference, and adapt outputs for internal research, innovation, or operational improvement, provided such use does not infringe on protected IP or violate confidentiality clauses.
• Restricted Use: Certain outputs may contain proprietary or confidential components. Users are not permitted to reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract trade secrets or protected methodologies.
• Attribution: Users must acknowledge the MMP and relevant contributors when using or referencing portal content.
4. Access and Confidentiality
• Access to the portal may be subject to registration and approval.
• Some content may be restricted or require additional agreements (e.g., NDAs or licensing terms).
• Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any non-public information accessed through the portal.
5. Disclaimer
• The MMP and its partners make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for purpose of the content provided.
• Use of the portal and its content is at the user's own risk.
• The MMP shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages arising from the use or misuse of the portal or its content.
6. Compliance and Enforcement
• Users must comply with all applicable laws, including IP and data protection regulations.
• Breach of these terms may result in suspension of access, legal action, or other remedies as deemed appropriate by the MMP and its partners.
7. Amendments

These Terms of Use may be updated periodically. Continued use of the portal constitutes acceptance of any changes.

Privacy

We care about your personal information. Therefore, we provide you with this notice so that you may make an informed decision about whether or not you would like to continue using the website. This notice regulates the manner in which we collect, use, disclose, transfer and store your personal information.

Please note that by using this website you consent to this Privacy Notice. If you do not consent to this Privacy Notice, you must stop using this website immediately.

What personal information do we collect?

When you use this website, the Mandela Mining Precinct collects the following personal information automatically (this will always be recorded without you having to do anything):

• Your IP address, browser and operating system information;
• The date and time that you accessed the website;
• Your geographic location and the pages you view while using the website; and
• Any search terms you use when using the website's search functionality.

In addition, we collect any personal information that you voluntarily provide, for example, by submitting a CV, subscribing to a newsletter or making an enquiry.

What do we do with it?

The information we collect automatically is to help us improve the functionality and content of its website.

The information we collect that you provide voluntarily is to provide you with a service or facilitate a function where your personal information is required to provide the service or fulfil the function.

Who do we share it with?

We share the personal information you provide voluntarily and the personal information we collect automatically differently.

Personal information provided voluntarily:

We do not share this personal information with third parties, unless we have a justifiable reason to do so. Typically, the third parties who will have access to your personal information are the contracted parties who assist us with the development of the website, IT maintenance and related matters.

In certain circumstances, we may be forced by law to share your personal information, for example, when served with a court order or other valid request from a lawful authority.

In other circumstances, we may share personal information that has been anonymised and it would be impossible to link the information to a specific individual.

Personal information collected automatically:

Some of the personal information that is collected automatically is collected by third parties whose technology we use to provide website functionality and acquire website analytics information. The table below lists these third parties, where they are located, details on opting out of their personal information collection and, if available, their contact details for privacy queries.

• Company: Google Inc
• Location: USA
• Opt-out / Privact Contact:
• https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/
• https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

In addition, if you make use of the social media sharing buttons on the website, your information will be automatically collected by the social media company that you use to share content (see the “Social Media Platforms and External Links” section below).

How do we collect your personal information?

With regard to the personal information we collect, we make use of a number of technologies that collect personal information automatically.

Cookies: Cookies are small files that are saved onto your computer, which track, save and store information about how you use this website. In some instances, these cookies are needed for the website to function. You can disable them in your browser, but this may interfere with the proper functioning of the website.

Google analytics: This is tracking software from Google, which we use to monitor how users interact with the website, in order for us to improve its functionality and content.

Web-server software: This delivers web pages to your browser. The web-server software will automatically collect your IP address whenever you connect to the website.

YouTube: This is software used to display videos. We do not collect personal information from you by placing these videos on our site or through you viewing them, but Google Inc. (which owns YouTube) collects personal information when videos are placed on webpages.

Social media platforms and external links

This website may make use of social media platforms, such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Whenever you make use of any such platforms on this website, please note that any personal information you share on these platforms is subject to their privacy policies and not ours.

This website may also contain links to external websites. Whenever you click a link and are taken to an external website, note that your use of these websites is governed by their privacy policies.

Your correspondence with the Mandela Mining Precinct

If you correspond with us by e-mail, the postal service or another form of communication, we may retain such correspondence and use it to respond to your inquiry; to notify you of our conferences, publications or other services; or to keep a record of your compliment, complaint, accommodation request and the like. As always, if you wish to have your personal information erased or otherwise refrain from communicating with you, please contact us at Enquiries@mandelaminingprecinct.org.za.

Securing your information

We take reasonable care to protect your personal information using reliable information security safeguards. However, you should be aware that no safeguards are 100% effective all of the time. Therefore, it is possible that your personal information may inadvertently be accessed by unauthorised or unknown persons if these safeguards be defeated or fail.

Changes to this Notice

We may amend this Privacy Notice at any time. All amendments shall be posted on this website. Unless we state otherwise, the current version will replace all previous versions of this notice. It is your responsibility to check for changes each time you visit the website.

How to contact us:

Physical Address

Cnr Carlow and Rustenburg road

Melville

Johannesburg

South Africa

Postal Address

PO Box 91230

Auckland Park, 2006

South Africa

Tel: 011 358 0004

Email address: enquiries@mandelaminingprecinct.org.za

1. Purpose

This guide provides a standardized method for citing research outputs accessed via the KnowMore Portal. It ensures:

• Recognition of the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP),
• Attribution to the relevant research programme and collaborators,
• Compliance with CSIR and DSTI citation protocols.
2. General Citation Principles
• Always cite the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP) as the overarching initiative.
• Include the specific research programme (e.g., Mechanised Mining Systems, Advanced Orebody Knowledge, Real-Time Information Systems, Successful Application of Technology Centred around People).
• Acknowledge the collaborating institution(s) or individual contributors where known.
• Include the year, title, type of output, and access information (e.g., URL or DOI if available).
3. Citation Formats
1. Reports and Documents

Format:

Author(s)/Institution. (Year). Title of Report. Mandela Mining Precinct - [Research Programme Name]. KnowMore Portal. [URL or DOI if available]

Example:

CSIR. (2024). Final Report on Rock Cutting Technologies. Mandela Mining Precinct - Mechanised Mining Systems. KnowMore Portal. https://knowmore.mmp.org.za/reports/rockcutting2024

2. Software, Tools, or Models

Format:

Developer(s)/Institution. (Year). Name of Tool/Software/Model [Version if applicable]. Mandela Mining Precinct - [Research Programme Name]. KnowMore Portal. [URL or DOI]

Example:

MCSA and CSIR. (2023). VentSim-MMP [v2.1]: Ventilation Simulation Tool. Mandela Mining Precinct - Advanced Orebody Knowledge. KnowMore Portal. https://knowmore.mmp.org.za/tools/ventsim

3. Standards, Frameworks, or Guidelines

Format:

Institution/Working Group. (Year). Title of Standard/Framework. Mandela Mining Precinct – [Programme Name]. KnowMore Portal. [URL]

Example:

MMP Standards Committee. (2025). Framework for Digital Mine Integration. Mandela Mining Precinct – Real-Time Information Management Systems. KnowMore Portal. https://knowmore.mmp.org.za/frameworks/digitalmine

4. In-Text Citation Examples

Narrative: According to the Mandela Mining Precinct (2024), the new rock cutting technologies...

Parenthetical: (CSIR, 2024)

5. Acknowledgment Statement (Optional)

For broader recognition in publications or presentations:

"This work references research outputs made available through the KnowMore Portal of the Mandela Mining Precinct, a collaborative initiative between the DSTI, MCSA, and CSIR."