Resilience, security and compliance now form the foundations of sustainable industrial operations. This is according to Sunil Singh, Divisional Managing Director for Managed Services and eNetworks at Datacentrix, who advised delegates of Datacentrix’s inaugural Industrial Indaba 2025 that the convergence of IT and OT is critical for future business success.
“The industrial sector is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the urgent need to secure operations, strengthen resilience and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving digital economy,” said Singh. “The path forward lies in embracing digitalisation – strategically and securely.”
Enablers of digital empowerment
Ben de Klerk, Regional Manager: Eastern Cape and Operational Technology Lead at Datacentrix, continued with this line of reasoning, stating that technology, people and processes form the enablers needed for digital empowerment.
He explained that industrial businesses must invest in the core digital infrastructure that enables transformation, but should prioritise system, process and people integration before innovation.
“Technology alone cannot drive digitalisation,” De Klerk continued. “People remain central to success. Empowering employees with the right skills, fostering digital-first mindsets and encouraging leadership that embraces change are all critical steps. Furthermore, training staff on compliance protocols promotes a culture of accountability and awareness. Digital transformation doesn’t necessarily mean that people will be replaced by technology. It equips them to re-develop and embrace rather than resist change.”
When established, integrated systems and processes need to evolve toward agile operations for data-driven decision making, embedding robust cybersecurity and operational resilience as non-negotiable foundations. With this, industrial businesses can establish a relevant cyber-physical ecosystem that supports automation, predictive analytics and agile decision making.
Despite the promise of digitalisation, the industrial sector faces persistent challenges inhibiting transformation, such as legacy, disparate infrastructure and a shortage of digital skills, which equate to unnecessary complexity for compliance requirements. All of this is further compounded by the constant need to balance operational safety, security and uptime. De Klerk emphasised that resilience, security and compliance are not separate goals but deeply interconnected and strategic imperatives.
“The future of industry isn’t just digital; it should be intelligent, adaptive and self-optimising. Industrial organisations face unique risks – from operational disruptions to cyberattacks – and success hinges on embedding robust security and resilience measures from the outset. This means building agile, integrated infrastructure based on a Zero Trust security architecture, including relevant access controls and threat detection systems, which are essential for mitigating risks. Disaster recovery and incident response protocols for operational resilience are also critical.
“By adopting a proactive and layered security approach, industrial organisations can protect their assets, maintain operational integrity and build stakeholder confidence,” he noted.
“A robust compliance strategy involves aligning with international frameworks, such as ISA/IEC 62443 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, as well as local and industry specific regulations. Regulatory compliance should not be seen as a barrier but instead approached strategically as a powerful enabler of trust and growth. Automation in reporting, alignment with global standards and the cultivation of a compliance-focused culture can position organisations not just to meet legal obligations, but to differentiate themselves in competitive markets.”
The power of collaboration
Finally, De Klerk also highlighted the critical role of strategic partnerships, affirming an increasing recognition by industrial organisations that traditional approaches no longer keep pace with today’s demands. Partnerships accelerate deployment and enhance scalability, and by collaborating with trusted technology and business partners, industrial organisations can access expertise, share risk and leverage best practices. Partnerships also create pathways for continuous improvement, ensuring that resilience, security and compliance are at the core of business operations.
“With this collaborative approach, we not only achieve efficiency but instil business resilience. We do not just deploy technology but gain foresight. We also do not just ensure survival but achieve a competitive advantage and secure growth.”
Adding to these insights, Andre Froneman, OT Solutions Specialist at Datacentrix, highlighted the role of integrated visibility in driving sustainability. He emphasised electrical metering for precise tracking of energy usage and demand peaks; visual and thermal process inspections for real-time defect detection and equipment failure prediction; and ESG reporting to attribute emissions to specific processes, while enabling audit-ready optimisation and compliance with regulations such as the South African Revenue Service’s (SARS) Carbon Tax Act and global Carbon Disclosure programmes.
Singh concluded: “Datacentrix goes beyond the delivery of technology. We co-create value – together with our clients and technology partners – to empower industry by enabling the integration, automation and visibility needed to drive data-driven decisions and strategic outcomes.
“For industrial businesses, the path forward is clear: embrace industrial digitalisation strategically, fortify operations with resilience, security and compliance, and harness partnerships to unlock sustainable growth and competitiveness.”
The Datacentrix Industrial Indaba 2025 was made possible by the participating Gold sponsors including: Cisco, Cyolo, Dell Technologies, Fortinet with Maxtec, Software Defined Automation, and Tenable with Obscure Technologies; as well as the Indaba’s Display sponsors: Connect Mobile, HikVision with Pinnacle, Q-KON, Radwin with SkyArc Satellite, Tarsus Distribution, TxOne Networks, and Zebra Technologies.