Country in focus
The rainforest in the east of the DRC holds many of the country’s mineral riches.
the DRC. “For example, companies have to be aware of mine
ownership, procurement processes, and sources of procurement,
local content, and procurement regulations,” says Bonnett.
“Furthermore, they need to understand that the logistics of
supplying into the region have changed, which is not necessarily
better for South African suppliers,” Bonnett adds.
“A couple of decades ago, a very strong South African mining
presence existed in the Katanga region, as South African
mining companies, contractors, and suppliers made strong
inroads into the market. Gradually, however, the presence of
South African or South African-based mining companies
has dissipated as Chinese buyouts and entrants from India,
Central Asia, Australia, and Canada have made their mark.
As such, the opportunity to piggyback on our ‘champions’ has
diminished. In addition, these new entrants have introduced
their own supply chains into the market, as they use suppliers
that they are comfortable with. Thus, understanding who
owns particular mines and how they source products and
services, is key to gaining access to major operations in the
country,” Bonnett explains.
Mixtec is a South African company that has been operating in
the DRC for many years. The company manufactures industrial
agitators and mixers. According to Rudi Swanepoel, sales and
projects manager at Mixtec, the company improves mixing systems
that result in power savings and increase the operational life of
existing agitators. “These improvements include new impeller
technology and engineering capabilities for the improved accuracy
of agitator drive sizing and selection,” says Swanepoel.
www.africanmining.co.za
Challenges
Swanepoel adds that there is a lack of knowledge in the
DRC about the benefits of mixing technologies, not only in
the mining sector but also in the petrochemical and industrial
sectors. “We try to educate the mines through training and
continue developing new technology through development,” says
Swanepoel. Swanepoel adds that there has been a marked increase
in exploration and development projects in the DRC, and that
there has been an uptick in demand for better and more efficient
impeller and agitator technology. He says that it is especially the
copper industry that presents opportunities.
“Having done numerous projects in the DRC, we see the need
for innovations and improvements that will assist in speeding up
recovery time and productivity. We have stepped up in terms of
better upgrades and retrofitting of existing mixers and serviced most
of the small to large mines throughout the DRC with our custom-
designed mixers. The copper cobalt industry has benefitted greatly
from our supply of mixers. We have about 130 mixers at one plant
in the DRC; a fact that we are very proud of,” says Swanepoel. But,
Swanepoel adds that the political situation has negatively affected
operations, as it has created an uncertain investment climate.
The DRC has always been, and will remain, one of the most
challenging African countries in which to conduct business. A new
president in the country doesn’t really mean significant political
change, and the infrastructure constraints are highly unlikely of
being addressed during Tshisekedi’s tenure. However, the rewards
of investing in this vast country are substantial, and it is hard not
to include the DRC in the list of mining regions in Africa. b
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