Pioneering leaders in the world of professional communication technologies recently converged at the Hytera Global Partner Summit (HGPS) in Cape Town for the first-ever Hytera summit on African soil, a successful event heralding the dawn of a new era of innovation in professional communication technologies on the continent.

Yelin Jiang, CEO at Hytera, said at the summit that the global leader in professional communications technologies and solutions, with 90 offices worldwide serving 120 countries, chose South Africa because of the strides made in the country, as well as Hytera's significant progress in the South African market, particularly in Johannesburg and Cape Town. This, he said, made South Africa a successful choice, especially for first-time African visitors who came to the Summit to learn about the cutting-edge strides made in the field of communications.

Mark Zheng, Managing Director for Hytera Southern Africa, echoed those sentiments, referencing key South African case studies that were showcased at the summit. He says public safety stands poised to receive a significant boost. “Dedicated professionals throughout South Africa stand poised for immediate response, ensuring safety across diverse landscapes through reliable communication technologies, including mission-critical push-to-talk, video dispatch, and real-time location awareness. These innovations enhance accessibility and impact. In critical moments, swift and reliable communication is paramount, enabling effective action and safety,” he says. 

Mark Zheng says Hytera is also investing in a training academy and technical certification in the country. “Training programmes in South Africa include online learning, bi-weekly webinars, specialised certification training, and customised sessions, along with the inaugural 2025 Technical Competition. E-learning is facilitated on the Hytera partner portal which offers integrated solutions and management capabilities – we have seen a 79.8% pass rate to date with over 100 engineers receiving certificates as expert technicians,” he says.

He says that in addition to public safety, the Summit also looked at the mining sector. Mark Zheng says: “There are a number of challenges inherent in a mining environment, encompassing above-ground and underground operations, dust-laden environments, signal refraction, and interference. Worker safety remains paramount, alongside the increasing demand for integrated voice, data, and video communications.”

He says that delegates at the Summit were shown that prior to technology selection, it is pertinent to understand the contemporary trends within the mining industry. “These include the proliferation of IoT sensors, necessitating comprehensive system monitoring and control across expansive sites. Reliable backhaul connectivity for data is crucial. Scalable infrastructure is imperative to accommodate the addition of new systems as mines evolve. Furthermore, there is heightened scrutiny concerning environmental, social, and governance factors, necessitating improved worker safety and reduced emissions. Critical voice communication remains essential for emergency dispatch. The industry’s trajectory toward automation necessitates real-time data and video transmission, supported by a robust network. These factors collectively drive the digital transformation of modern mining operations.

“Case studies we shared, such as the Anglo American Kolomela Mine project, demonstrate the efficacy of Hytera solutions. In this instance, a Hytera TETRA system replaced legacy PMR equipment, resolving signal interference and congestion issues. The new system enhanced uptime and provided seamless integration with the existing infrastructure.”

Mark Zheng explains that each mining environment is unique, and that this is where specialised support needs to land on a solution that’s right for each context. “For example, DMR offers affordability, TETRA ensures safety and mission-critical capabilities, and LTE provides high data capacity. Hytera believes the future encompasses converged solutions.”

Continue to read the full press release, click here