Deep in the Democratic Republic of Congo's provincial capital of Kolwezi, the Kamoto Copper Company confronted a stark reality: its workforce was virtually disconnected from the digital age. This created a communication bottleneck that not only hampered productivity but also created safety risks and left workers isolated from essential information.

The solution that emerged would transform not only how Kamoto connects with its frontline employees, but also establish a revolutionary model for workforce digitisation across Africa's industrial sectors.

The Challenge

The Kamoto Copper Company, one of the world’s largest mining companies, was sharing important updates, pay slips and safety information via paper notices and in-person meetings. This proved inefficient and often ineffective for is 11 000+ employees, but with only 20% of these employees having digital access, it was also a challenge to bridge this internal communication gap using more efficient digital solutions. 

The Solution

In partnership with Vodacom Business, Standard Bank’s One Hub and Wyzetalk, Kamoto Copper Company rolled out Umoja, a custom-built mobile platform for frontline employees. Each Worker received a smartphone bundled with data, solar chargers and app access, connecting them to pay slips, health and safety info, shift updates and critical workplace communications.

Strategic Impact: From Communications to Transformation

What began as a simple communication tool has since evolved into a central platform for workforce development.

This functionality has since transformed and extended to:

- Providing online training and development modules

- Real-time incident reporting

- Push notifications for operational updates

- Broader community and supply chain inclusion

This initiative is becoming a model for other mining and large-scale industrial operations across Africa.

What’s Next: Scaling a Proven Blueprint

With proven engagement and infrastructure now in place, Vodacom Business, Kamoto Copper Company and Standard Bank are pursuing:

- Wider Rollout across Kamoto Copper Company operations

- Expansion into the security and agricultural sectors

- Scaling the platform for broad workforce transformation across the continent

From addressing a simple communication gap to pioneering continental workforce transformation, Kamoto Copper Company's Umoja platform proves that innovative partnerships can revolutionise entire industries. As this proven blueprint expands across mining, security, and agriculture sectors throughout Africa, it's reshaping how companies connect, empower, and develop their frontline workforce for the digital future.