As the demand for raw material continues to surge, the spotlight has turned to the mining sector, bringing both greenfield and brownfield mining projects into focus.

Ensuring these ventures are efficiently executed without compromising on time or budget necessitates a tailored strategy. Often, this means relying on the expertise of an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) contractor.

Successful partnerships

David Claassen, Managing Director of Trafo Power Solutions, firmly believes in the importance of partnering with adept EPCM professionals and says the key to successful partnerships lies in comprehending the EPCM domain. Established in 2017, Trafo Power Solutions specialises in dry-type transformers and has established robust collaborations with EPCM contractors globally, especially across South Africa, Africa, Australia, and Canada.

According to Claassen, Trafo Power Solutions’ consistent successes hinge on several principles, which include understanding project complexities, fostering effective communication, flexibility in adjusting to evolving project scopes, access to proven technology and products, and delivering timely results.

“It’s vital to understand that each project has its uniqueness, and our team successfully navigates this by adopting an “understanding strategy”, emphasising the importance of collaboration to manage the complexities,” he says. “Our deep comprehension of the project process helps us pinpoint and provide the most suitable solution tailored to customer needs.”

EPCM contractors handle intricate tasks such as detailed engineering and design. Trafo Power Solutions contributes by suggesting alternate solutions, ensuring efficient procurement, avoiding redundancy and ensuring the best outcomes for every project.

Communication is the cornerstone of successful project execution. With various EPCM entities employing different communication tools and software, Trafo Power Solutions prides itself on its adaptability. “Our flexibility allows us to mesh with any project team, irrespective of their chose software,” Claassen notes. He emphasises that this adaptability optimises project management processes, contributing to each project’s success.

Integrity and collaboration remain at the core of Trafo Power Solutions’ operations. Their dedication to understanding project requirements and prompt responses ensures minimal risks and streamlined operations. As Claassen aptly puts it, “The collective goal of stakeholders is the successful execution of a project. “Trafo Power Solutions, in partnership with TMC Transformers from Italy, offers top-tier dry-type transformers, emphasising quality and reliability. As the world shifts towards rapid infrastructural developments, such collaborations and expertise will only become more invaluable,” Claassen concludes.

With every mine or quarry site needing to evaluate dewatering requirements at some point, it is important to determine the exact nature of potential water problems to inform the design of a fit- for-purpose dewatering solution.

Marnus Koorts, General Manager Pump Products at Weir Minerals Africa, advises that for every dewatering project it is important that the customer works with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that understands the environment, site conditions and specialises in dewatering solutions.

In any mining environment, water comes from several sources, with rain being the most prolific in some regions. However, other sources such as natural seepage and aquifers can yield a significant amount of groundwater, especially in underground mining operations which can lead to considerable disruption of operations with costly consequences.

Dewatering plan

A comprehensive, reliable and flexible dewatering plan is therefore essential to remove excess water from working areas in order to allow operations to continue while safeguarding operators and maintaining productivity.

Several factors are worth considering before selecting and installing a dewatering solution, and this should start with a thorough assessment to facilitate the design and build of a fit-for-purpose dewatering solution that is site-specific, cost effective and manageable.

“Each operation’s dewatering requirements are different,” says Koorts. “Consequently, we believe that dewatering solutions should be customised to suit the site conditions. At Weir Minerals, we don’t supply a dewatering solution without first going to the site to assess the different parameters that determine an optimal solution for the operation.”

Another critical factor to consider is the head pressure required to pump the water out of the pit. Many of the pits are very deep, which means additional booster pumps are needed to overcome the large vertical lift. Based on the mine site configuration and whether an open pit or underground operation, these could be positioned at multiple levels to help raise the water.

“The characteristics of the water can have an impact on the final equipment and materials used. For example, the pH range, temperature, corrosive and abrasive content all play a critical role in selecting the equipment to transport water effectively. The presence of solids in the water, the specific gravity, size distribution and content percentage will determine the type of pumps required,” he says.

In addition, Koorts notes that there is an industry perception that dewatering is just about the pump itself. He, however, cautions that a pump is only one part of the equation with a dewatering systems comprising numerous critical components including pumps, drive units, priming systems, control systems, control valves and discharge piping.

“It is critical that the preferred dewatering system OEM be able to integrate all these various components into a single system. At Weir Minerals we have a large portfolio of in-house and external components that allow us to provide a fit-for-purpose dewatering solution and take responsibility for the entire system’s performance. These include multiple pumping solutions, drive units, pontoon barges, electrical control systems, hoses, discharge piping systems and hydrocyclone separators, amongst others,” concludes Koorts.

Tailings, the waste products from mining, can be liquid, solid or a slurry, and may contain toxic substances. To avoid these substances from contaminating water sources or polluting the environment, mines contain them in tailings dams and are required to maintain and monitor them to ensure they remain safe.

When tailings dams fail, the consequences can be lethal, which is why it’s important that drainage systems remain operational and function efficiently. High-pressure jetting equipment can be used to ensure this is the case.

“The way most tailings dams work is that a slurry of mining waste is piped into the dam, and the solids then settle to the bottom. The water is recycled to be used in the separation process again,” explains Sebastian Werner, MD of Werner Pumps, leading manufacturer of high-pressure jetting equipment in South Africa.

“Aside from ensuring that the dam walls are sound, it’s also important to monitor drainage. If the drainage system gets blocked, it can pose major safety risks.”

If the drainage system gets blocked, it causes flow restriction and can affect safety factors such as the degree of saturation in the dam, and phreatic surface levels. Blockages can be caused by anything from algae build-up to mineral deposits.

“To avoid or deal with blockages, regular jet-rodding is recommended,” says Werner. “This entails using high-pressure water jetting equipment to scour the walls of the drainage system to allow water to flow freely by unclogging the pipes. It can also assist in identifying damaged pipes.”

Werner Pumps supplies trailer-mounted high-pressure jetting units, which can be used for cleaning domestic sewer lines, as well as water sandblasting. The units are high-quality, 100% locally manufactured, and customisable for every customer’s specific requirements, with models available for every need. They range from 8 litres per minute to 500 litres per minute, with pressures from 50 Bar to 2800 Bar and power from 2.5kW to 500kW, while the ultra-high-pressure units (such as those used in the tailings cleaning applications) offer 1000 Bar and are also suitable for applications such as rubber and scale removal.

Extras available include a Werner low-water inlet switch, high-pressure jetting hose (20m, 30m or 50m), a high-pressure gun with lance, nozzle holder and fan nozzle, and the Werner small hose reel for smaller diameter hoses, for cleaning of household lines.

“We initially designed the trailer units for domestic applications and smaller sewerage clearing operators and municipalities who were looking for a more cost-effective option than investing in a truck unit, but we’ve found that because they are so easy to transport, they are much lighter and they can get into tight spaces, they are ideal for other niche applications,” says Werner. “We have a customer who uses one of our trailers not only for tailings dam maintenance on the mines, but also for clearing out piping in the boreholes they drill too. The trailer-mounted unit continues to be one of our most versatile offerings.”

About Werner Pumps

For over 30 years, Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (Pty) Ltd. has been designing, manufacturing, supplying and maintaining specialist high-pressure jetting equipment. The company has built a reputation as a local industry leader through its focus on delivering high-quality, low-maintenance, 100% South African manufactured products that last, all while considering clients’ budgets.

Aside from its in-house manufacturing capabilities, Werner Pumps specialises in the supply and maintenance of high-pressure jetting equipment, German high-pressure pumps, high-pressure sewer cleaning hoses, Swiss-engineered Nozzles by ENZ, and high-pressure guns, lances and cleaning equipment.

Smart collaboration between four of SKF South Africa’s business units has resulted in plant optimisation as well as the delivery of several sustainability benefits for key customer, Wilmar SA (Pty) Ltd, part of Wilmar International Limited.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Singapore, Wilmar International Limited is Asia’s leading agribusiness group, ranking amongst the largest listed companies by market capitalisation on the Singapore stock Exchange. Wilmar International’s business activities include oil palm cultivation, oilseed crushing, edible oils refining, sugar milling and refining, manufacturing of consumer products, specialty fats, oleochemicals, biodiesel and fertilisers as well as flour and rice milling. The local company’s consumer products include edible oils, rice, margarine, shortening and mayonnaise.

A Global Service Agreement for SKF Services was signed through the SKF Indonesia office. When this information was shared with SKF Global, SKF South Africa identified an opportunity for providing value added solutions and services for Wilmar SA’s Randfontein plant located on Johannesburg’s West Rand, in Gauteng.

Collaboration between the customer and SKF resulted in SKF offering the management of their rotating assets within the plant,” explains SKF Territory Sales Manager, Simphiwe Siwela. “They have always relied on reactive maintenance and in line with this form of maintenance practice, bearings and other related components would subsequently only be replaced once they have failed. As a result, the customer experienced frequent and unexpected machine breakdowns necessitating unplanned shutdowns which resulted in costly losses in production time and subsequent lost company capital.”

With the customer keen to introduce RCM in partnership with SKF. SKF conducted a site inspection, meeting with Wilmar SA’s technical team Led by Mduduzi Dube (Plant Engineering Manager) and Nhlanhla Maswanganye (Maintenance Planner) to gain a full understanding of the customer’s needs.

Following the site-walk, the SKF business units – CoMo (Condition Monitoring), MaPro (Maintenance Tools), MFS (Mechanical Field Services) and Lincoln (Lube Systems) – combined their collective experience, knowledge, and competencies to develop a best product and service solutions package for Wilmar SA.

“Our recommendations included on-site monthly vibration condition monitoring for critical plant equipment, proposing both on- and offline systems,” notes Siwela. “In addition to monthly lubrication inspections on existing Lincoln systems, SKF and Wilmar decided on the installation of new lube systems for additional critical assets.”

The SKF team further proposed that Wilmar’s technical personnel be equipped with SKF maintenance tools including quick data collection (QuickCollect sensors) and laser alignment tools (MaPro) to facilitate random equipment spot checks. Siwela adds that SKF’s proposal also included training to ensure the skilful, accurate and efficient use of the SKF maintenance products by Wilmar personnel to optimise tool performance.

Wilmar SA accepted SKF’s complete solutions proposal, signing a Service Level Agreement for monthly vibration condition monitoring and inspections of Lincoln lubrication systems over a twelve-month period as well as Mechanical Field Services on an ad hoc basis. A new lubrication system for the extractor machine at the Randfontein plant was successfully installed and commissioned by the Lincoln team. The customer also placed an order for an SKF TKSA71 Laser alignment tool and a CMDT 391-PRO-KS-SL QuickCollect sensor. Siwela affirms that Basic Condition Monitoring and Laser Alignment training has already been conducted with Wilmar SA technicians.

Siwela notes that as a direct result of this on-going project, plant operation has been optimised through significantly reduced unplanned shutdowns owing to increased equipment reliability and service life. He also points out that, most importantly, machine and operator safety has been enhanced.

SKF delivered several sustainability benefits that curtail costs and contribute to the customer’s green environmental goals. In addition to a reduction in the consumption of material, direct energy and emissions during use, indirect energy consumption from supporting systems has also decreased. This aligns with Wilmar International Limited’s strategy of embracing sustainability in its global operations, supply chain and communities.

To add further value, SKF approached the OEM who supplies most of Wilmar SA’s preparation plant’s equipment/machines, proposing collaboration in terms of the bearings supply for their machines. “Our proposal was successful and the company has become one of our OE customers who now purchases directly from SKF,” confirms Siwela.

“We consider this an extremely successful project, adding value for our customer through overall plant optimisation and subsequent increased production while increasing and fortifying collaboration across SKF’s business units,” concludes Siwela. /ends/

SKF is a world-leading provider of innovative solutions that help industries become more competitive and sustainable. By making products lighter, more efficient, longer lasting, and repairable, we help our customers improve their rotating equipment performance and reduce their environmental impact. Our offering around the rotating shaft includes bearings, seals, lubrication management, condition monitoring, and services. Founded in 1907, SKF is represented in approximately 129 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2022 were SEK 96,933 million and the number of employees was 42,641. www.skf.com

® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group.

Laverick Media Communications t/a Laverick Ntuli Communications: +27(0)79 949 1090 sonia@laverickmedia.co.za / www.laverickntuli.co.za

NEO moves forward on site

Ten months after its „birth“ GHH´s latest LHD receives a
remarkable acceptance in the market: A significant number of
orders are in the books for the new LF-10 NEO, told the
manufacturer. And there is more to come.
At 2.5 m, the loader offers the highest tipping height on the market,
according to GHH. This means that every 30 ton dump truck currently
available worldwide can be loaded in the field. The LF-10 NEO also
offers the greatest operator ergonomics in the industry, with a large
footbox, excellent visibility and superior comfort. The manufacturer
attributes great importance to the human factor: a machine can only
provide the prerequisites – its ultimate productivity is brought out by the
performance of a satisfied operator in the cabin.
The NEO marks a turning point in the portfolio of the German
manufacturer. Gradually, the other product lines are to be upgraded to
the new performance standard. The LF-10 NEO made the start, as the
class with a payload of 10 tonnes is said to be the most in demand in
the industry worldwide. Some orders have already been delivered.
A considerable number of improvements, all of which can be
measured in terms of increased performance and productivity, have
gone into the NEO series, says GHH.
A lot of changes have also been made at the factory. For example, the
improved models feature a more modular design. On the one hand, to
be able to manufacture more cost-efficiently. On the other hand, the
vehicles can now be assembled much faster at the site of operation if
transport in one piece is not possible. Despite all the robustness and
simplicity for maximum reliability and safety, telemetry solutions and
technologies also go into the vehicles. For example, to be able to
monitor the fleet remotely with the “GHH inSiTE” software. An
important factor here is predictive maintenance in order to reduce
costs for the customer.
We are not reinventing the wheel, told GHH, but the actions taken are
so substantial that customers will receive a remarkable benefit when
compared to what is currently in the market.

The LF-10 NEO is the newest version of the LF-10, one of the most
requested product in the portfolio of GHH. “The high break out forces,
efficient boom and bucket motion times as well as the strong power to
weight ratio makes the LF-10 NEO one of the best in class”, says Ingo
Rath, Product Line Manager Loaders at GHH in Germany. With a
length of 9,6 m and an overall width of 2,6 m the LF-10 NEO is very
compact and versatile for excellent manoeuvrability in a mid-seam
underground mining environment.
The standard bucket holds 4,6 m3 or 10 tons, making loading and
unloading easier and more cost-effective. Customized bucket size for
different application is available. “GHH installs the water-cooled
Mercedes OM936 diesel engine with 240 kW which is the best in the
10 ton loader size class”, says Rath. “The large fuel tank also allows
for full shift operation with no worry for refuelling mid shift and losing
valuable production time”. Exhaust gas emissions complies with EPA
Tier 3 / EU Stage IIIA on the standard machine, while EU Stage V is
also optionally available. The low fuel consumption, ease of
maintainability and robust design as well as durability and reliability of
the product all add to the low operating costs.
The LF-10 NEO has a great operators’ compartment which boasts
excellent ergonomics, control layout and general arrangement within
the cabin. The large footbox gives the operator significant space and
comfort, while the excellent visibility rounds off an already well
designed cabin. In general, the loader now comes standard with useful
safety and maintainability features such as the Proximity Detection
System (PDS) interface, which allows the integration of third-party
equipment. And optionally the loader is also available with GHH
inSiTE, a digital analytics system, and automation ready.

GHH press office
Mr Bjorn Hoffmann
Phone +49 (0)521 – 260 2513
Mail ghh-newsroom@pressways.de
Pressways PR, Ecos Office Center
Herforder Str. 69, 33602 Bielefeld, Germany

In an effort to improve healthcare systems and access to quality medicine across Africa, Kamogelo Mampane, in collaboration with the African Resource Centre (ARC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has initiated a game-changing project. This initiative aims to pool procurement for medicine, and its potential positive impact cannot be overstated. It has the potential to not only change the lives and health outcomes of Africans but also transform the continent’s Economic trajectory.

The project involves pooling the procurement of medicine in order to leverage economies of scale and negotiate better prices from pharmaceutical manufacturers. This process aims to support local manufacturing and logistics, improve the total cost of ownership, and enhance the overall quality of medicine available in African markets. By consolidating the purchasing power of multiple countries, this initiative is positioned to create a robust market that can effectively negotiate favourable terms with pharmaceutical companies.

One of the most significant benefits of this project is that it will increase access to good quality medicine for Africa’s most vulnerable populations — the poorest of the poor. Historically, high pharmaceutical costs, coupled with limited resources and fragmented procurement practices across the Continent, have hindered equitable access to medicine. By adopting a pool procurement approach, the project aims to address this challenge and ensure that essential medicines are available and affordable for those who need them the most

Moreover, the initiative will catalyze the growth of local manufacturing capacities in Africa. Currently, the Continent heavily relies on importing medication, which increases costs and limits availability. By creating a standardized and streamlined procurement system, the project will incentivize the establishment of local pharmaceutical manufacturing, reducing Africa’s dependence on imports and fostering economic growth and job creation.

The positive impact of pool procurement on the entire value chain of medicine cannot be underestimated. By negotiating more favorable prices, the cost of medicine will decrease significantly. Lower costs will enable governments and healthcare systems to allocate resources towards expanding healthcare infrastructure, training healthcare professionals, and providing better overall care for patients. The advantages of affordable and accessible medicine will ripple throughout societies, improving health outcomes, reducing morbidity and mortality rates, and enhancing overall well-being.

By promoting collaboration and harmonization between African countries, this project seeks to address the fragmented procurement practices that have hindered progress in the past. By pooling resources, expertise, and knowledge, the initiative can facilitate the sharing of best practices, promote standardization of procurement processes, and ultimately create a strong and unified procurement system across the continent. This will not only enhance  efficiency and reduce costs, but also foster trust and cooperation among African nations, setting the stage for future collaborative efforts in various other sectors like transport and logistics.

The significance of Africa Resource Centre role in driving this project forward cannot be overlooked. As the leading force behind this, Kamogelo Mampane and Mariatou Tala vision and determination have been instrumental in convincing key stakeholders of the potential benefits. Their ability to build partnerships and best practices supply chain tools has allowed for the necessary skills and expertise to be harnessed, creating a strong foundation for successful implementation.

In conclusion, the collaboration between ARC and UNECA to implement pool procurement for medicine in Africa has the potential to revolutionize healthcare across the continent. By changing the economic trajectory of Africans, supporting local manufacturing, improving the total cost of ownership and quality of medicine, and increasing access to good quality medicine for the poorest of the poor, this project will have far-reaching positive impacts. It is not merely a procurement strategy but a catalyst for transformation, empowering Africans to achieve better health outcomes and ultimately improve their quality of life.

Colossal Concrete Products, a Level 1 B-BBEE company and the largest manufacturer of railway sleepers in Southern Africa, with a proud 64-year track record, reopened its mothballed De Aar factory in October. This eagerly anticipated move follows the recent conclusion of a 1-year contract with Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) to supply precast concrete railway sleepers for the parastatal’s national freight rail network upgrade.

The De Aar facility is strategically located in the Northern Cape, near one of the arterial railway junctions connecting the Cape Town, Johannesburg and Kimberley lines. Through its manufacturing facility reopening, the company will not only provide a much-needed boost to the regional economy through the creation of jobs – and additional upstream and downstream manufacturing and supply opportunities – but is now in a position to reach its inherent capacity, with the production of over 1 million railway sleepers per annum.

Parallel tracks of growth and development

This will pave the way for growth in South Africa and beyond, according to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gwen Mahuma-Madida. “Africa is rich in natural resources, but much-needed growth and progress are often hampered by lack of finance and the required infrastructure. Colossal Concrete Products understands the pivotal importance of infrastructure development – and the impact that this has on the economic development of any country. In line with our precast concrete manufacturing capacity, skills and our Pan-African growth strategy, Colossal can play a significant part in the roll-out of rail, civils and general infrastructure development – improving the overall prosperity of the continent,” Mahuma- Madida explains.

The company has grown substantially over the past two years, taking over from a listed entity and entrenching its own style and culture, while maintaining a sound client base and expanding its market share both locally and cross-border.

This followed the June 2021 acquisition – by a consortium made up of Colossal Africa Group, Mafoko Holdings, Clone Capital and Randvest Capital – of Aveng Infraset’s Brakpan and De Aar facilities for their rail, telecommunications, civil engineering and specialised precast concrete manufacturing capabilities and intellectual property (IP).

Mahuma-Madida says that even though the De Aar facility had in fact been mothballed prior to the 2021 acquisition, its potential was always extremely evident: “The TFR contract has been the catalyst for the reopening, and there are now further plans to keep the operation sustainable. The acquisition of an adjoining property in De Aar will also assist us in growing our footprint within the renewable energy space, which is on the cusp of significant growth following the publication of the final draft of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Masterplan in July this year,” she explains, adding that the De Aar facility is close to the current Northern Cape hub of many renewable energy projects – and is expected to be pivotal in supplying products such as precast wind turbine towers, amongst others.”

Concretising job creation

“De Aar, like many areas in the Northern Cape, has been economically depressed in recent years. It is with this in mind that one of the most important elements in the rejuvenation of the manufacturing facility is the creation of some fifty jobs. No employment opportunities have been available since the plant was mothballed by the previous owner over three years ago, and we have been inundated with job applications. We are also collaborating closely with the local mayor and municipal manager, who are extremely excited about the plant reopening and what this means for the town as a whole, “ says Executive Director Chris ‘CK’ Klagsbrun.

Jobs include mixer operators, team leaders, boom scraper, line feeder, crane operators, boiler operators, wire feeders, fork lift drivers, grinder operators, wire cutters, slot washers, preppers and quality controllers.

“Preference is being given to those previously employed in the above positions at our De Aar facility, and I am confident that a fair percentage of former employees will be re-employed,” he advises. Mahuma-Madida adds that not only are she and her team extremely pleased to have a contract which necessitated the plant reopening; but also that all Colossal’s products have met the safety and technical requirements required when implementing projects for TFR.

“The foundational concept here is that infrastructure development and job creation go hand-in-hand: when TFR – or any other public or private sector entity – chooses Colossal as their precast concrete products provider, this means that we can create jobs,” she emphasises.

Further down the track

Mahuma-Madida notes that the company’s 64-year track record as a supplier of precast products in rail, telecommunications, civil engineering and mining – as well as its valuable intellectual property (IP) – were a critical part of the original decision to acquire Aveng Infraset’s Brakpan and De Aar precast concrete manufacturing plants.

Currently, Colossal Concrete Products is recognised internationally as one of the world’s most innovative and diverse concrete sleeper producers, with a highly experienced research and development division having developed over 40 rail-related products. In addition, Colossal manufactures other precast concrete products including culverts, poles and masts, for use in the mining, civil engineering, construction and renewable energy sectors, to name but a few. There are furthermore plans manufacture wind turbine towers moving forward.

“We are still the only company locally that has such a large range of railway products. To retain that leadership position is critical. While our competitors do manufacture a selective range of main line sleepers, we are the only ones to make the entire range,” she says.

Already, there are plans to move manufacture of all turnout sleepers to De Aar. These are highly specialised and supplied to VAE which adds rails. Technically, Klagsbrun points out that Colossal has maintained its high manufacturing standards with all specifications remaining in line with original technology provided by its Swedish licensor. The company also consistently invests in research and development, which remains a very crucial element of the business.

“Our vision is to constantly bring innovative new solutions to the rail, mining, renewable energy, civil engineering and construction sectors – among many others. Taking this a step further, we also plan to replicate what Colossal does across Africa. We have already grown our consulting division close to home; and we are working closely with our Swedish partner on Pan-African rail projects. There have been two recent enquiries around establishing new manufacturing plants which we have participated in, where Colossal could either oversee construction or conclude service level agreements to manage these facilities,” Klagsbrun explains.

A new platform for De Aar

As the company is a major player in the precast concrete space supplying the mining, construction, civils and general infrastructure sectors, Mahuma-Madida says every Colossal facility will always produce a variety of products servicing multiple sectors: “Not only is the De Aar plant strongly positioned for projects in the renewable energy space – but it is strategically and operationally well placed to fill the gap left by the closure of companies serving the construction sector in the Northern Cape,” she points out.

“Therefore, once we have a solid base and increasing revenue, we will resume marketing to the civil engineering and construction sector once again, selling our culverts, pipes and more. When the De Aar and other plants serving the construction sector closed in the Northern Cape, it left a void. Construction companies were forced to import precast products from Gauteng and other regions. So, we will fill that gap – and save them transport costs!” she enthuses.

The same goes for Colossal’s strategy in neighbouring countries: “We will use rail as a base to move into adjacent countries. Once this is set up, we can introduce other products. For us, it is very important to be a Pan-African player as well as a South African player. Although South Africa still has some way to go, that is where a lot of the infrastructure development stems from – and we really need to be part of that!

In summary, we are very sincerely committed to the future not only of rail, but also of infrastructure development – and therefore also of South Africa and the rest of the continent, and are proud to play our part in moving this forward,” Mahuma-Madida concludes.

Kenya is set to host an international mining conference. The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs are taking the lead in planning the event which is slated to take place in Nairobi County. The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) is also actively involved, along with other line ministries and State Departments.

The conference is planned for next year in February. KNCCI’s President, Erick Rutto, has expressed a strong commitment to the success of the conference, emphasizing the vital role that the private sector plays in driving development in the mining sector and contributing to the country’s GDP. KNCCI, which has membership in all 47 counties, is dedicated to promoting growth in the mining sector.

Global development

KNCCI is advocating for the inclusion of the International Commission on Great Lakes (ICGLR) Private Sector Forum (PSF) in the conference. This forum comprises 12 countries and aims to capitalize on regional opportunities to enhance trade and market linkages within the East African Region, Great Lakes region, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA).

Mining and the Blue Economy sectors are considered under-exploited sectors with significant resources for national, regional, and global development. President William Ruto has expressed the government’s commitment to streamline the mining sector to become a key driver of the country’s economy.

The government’s ambition is to increase the mining sector’s contribution to at least 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by implementing various measures. It has been working on developing a robust mineral development and value addition policy and regulatory framework. The revenues from mineral royalties have been on the rise, with significant growth expected. In 2019, mineral royalties generated Sh1.9 billion, which had increased to Sh3.8 billion by June of the current year. The government aims to reach Sh15 billion by the end of the year and Sh50 billion in the medium-term.

Konecranes and Demag (Pty) Ltd, one of South Africa’s leaders in the design and supply of lifting equipment, recently moved new premises in Linbro Park, Sandton. The new premises will offer customers a more centralised servicing and supply facility with easier access from all of the major industrial hubs in the Gauteng region.

Ian Grobler, Sales Manager for Konecranes and Demag said “The new offices give the Konecranes and Demag teams a smarter and more centralised work environment. It made sense to move closer to the majority of the industrial sectors that we serve and Linbro Park allows our distribution and servicing activities to become more efficient as a result”.

Konecranes and Demag

Konecranes and Demag’s service workshop and parts warehouse is equipped to remain operational throughout load shedding enabling us to continue to deliver an optimised service to our clients.

“Distribution, sales and service are now based at Linbro Park. We have installed advanced online-based systems which allows our teams to engage with our customers without necessarily being office-based, while still offering the high-quality customer care and global 24-hour customer support we are renowned for” said Grobler.

“Our office at Linbro Park is designed very much in the same style as Konecranes and Demag’s head office in Finland. It is a very sleek and modernised one-stop-shop facility, and the move from Boksburg made logistical sense in many ways. We look forward to welcoming our customers to our new environment” concluded Grobler.

Konecranes and Demag offer the full range of crane and light lifting systems which are supported by servicing and parts replacement. Modernisation and upgrades to cranes and hoists form part of our technical advisory service as well as Service Agreements and Life Cycle