MTE EXHIBITIONS •
Pexels | Tom Fisk
A PORT OF CALL WITH A DIFFERENCE
By Sharyn Macnamara
The Richards Bay Mining & Industrial Expo is a port of call with a difference for MTE annually – diverse industries converge here where the common ground is ‘ moving parts ’ and industrial process with efficiencies and safety top of mind .
A trip down memory lane Richards Bay is a city in KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa situated on a 30-square-kilometre lagoon of the Mhlatuze River , which makes it one of the country ' s largest harbours , also said to be the deepest natural harbour on the African continent . 1 It is hard to believe , but Richards Bay was once ‘ a sleepy hamlet engaged mostly in fishing , sugar farming and sugar milling ’. 2 Its expansive growth started in the 1970s with South Africa ’ s demands of an increasing export market when the periodic congestion at the Durban harbour , as well as continued industrial growth and an urgency to provide additional rail links between the coast and the mining heartland of the country , made the construction of a new harbour in South Africa a necessity . 3 Per the KwaZulu-Natal Freight Transport Data Bank , it became necessary to provide a deepwater port to accommodate new large bulk carriers too .
Three possible sites for a new harbour were selected , but Richards Bay was selected for five important reasons : the large lagoon ; the ease of dredging ; its direct link with the national rail network ; its adjacent town , Empangeni , required to stimulate initial development ; and ample fresh water .
The result was that in May 1972 , parliament authorised the construction of the harbour in Richards Bay . It was built primarily for the export of coal and has since expanded into other bulk and breakbulk cargoes . Serving the coalfields of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga as well as timber and granite exporters from as far away as the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape , the port now handles an increasing variety of bulk and neobulk in addition to breakbulk cargo .
MTE ’ s agile business concept Richards Bay has since grown into a vibrant , modern port city and economy with a highly developed industrial base , and this is why MTE has hosted an annual industrial expo here since 2010 . The surrounding mining industry and smelters ; the agricultural sector and sugar milling in Empangeni in particular ; the Richards bay harbour and coal terminal ( the largest coal export facility in Africa ); and the paper and pulp sector – all converge here creating a hive of industrial activity in need of constant innovative solutions for the ever-evolving environment .
The travelling exhibition company targets its most varied audience at this event – MTE is built on an agile business concept that enables it to customise its expos to the market prevalent in any area , no matter how diverse the industry . At this expo , MTE targets a cross section of commodities and visitors , creating a forum for suppliers of innovations in moving parts that make up the ‘ wheels and cogs ’
www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • June 2023 • 27