• MINING INDABA
ENCOURAGING PROSPECTS FOR AFRICAN MINING SUPPLY CHAINS
A contribution by Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa ( MEMSA ) and SA Mineral Processing Equipment Cluster ( SAMPEC )
South Africa ’ s mining equipment supply chain is in fairly good shape , especially considering the challenges faced over the past few years , among others the Covid-19 pandemic , the national energy crisis , labour unrest , riots and floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the recent Transnet strike , say Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa ( MEMSA ) and SA Mineral Processing Equipment Cluster ( SAMPEC ).
“ Despite the negatives , most of our members have full order books . The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has the world looking for alternative supply , and many are looking to South Africa for manufacturing of mining equipment ,” says MEMSA CEO Lehlohonolo Molloyi . “ The future still looks good provided we can withstand the challenges .”
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Warren Mann , SAMPEC champion and business development manager at Kwatani , an OEM of custom engineered vibrating equipment , agrees with this positive view of the industry . He says the big picture he sees as a supplier to mines around Africa indicates that “ there is a strong and positive outlook ”. In fact , he says that not even the pandemic dampened sentiment . “ Even during Covid things were good . People ’ s behaviour and needs changed such as the increased demand for laptops during lockdown as people worked from home . This in turn increased the demand for gold and other metals used in laptops , lithium as well as other battery metals .”
Ruan Kukard , a director at AZMET Technology and Projects , a multidisciplined engineering design and project management company , has a similar view , saying his company is “ busy for the next 24 months .”
It is not all plain sailing however , the country ’ s severe energy crisis and the protracted Transnet strike , which has now ended but not without leaving lasting scars , present a huge challenge , says Molloyi .
One reason for the relatively rosy view is that many local manufacturers have been expanding their sales and partnerships
1 . Warren Mann - SAMPEC champion and business development manager at Kwatani . 2 . Lehlohonolo Amos Molloyi - MEMSA CEO
in Africa . “ South African manufacturing remains the powerhouse on the continent , which is why so many countries are knocking on our doors ,” says Molloyi , however interest from African mining companies does not mean that doing business on the continent is simple .
Mann , whose company does business in Ghana , Botswana and Ivory Coast , says there are challenges to dealing with African mines directly , for this reason the company makes use of a local agent , who understands the local regulations , including taxes and local content , to manage the relationship . There is no question that South African manufacturers are in demand on the continent as “ our
Booyco
Supplied MEMSA
MEMSA member Booyco Electronics designs and manufactures Proximity Detection Systems ( PDS ) which form a crucial part of the advanced Collision Prevention Systems ( CPS ) required of the South African mining industry . With the vast majority of components manufactured and sourced locally , they are expanding the functionality of their technology into digital twin mine management systems .
32 • African Mining • January 2023 www . africanmining . co . za