SOUTH AFRICAN SUPPLIERS
In collaboration with some key mining houses , GHH has been working on various project development initiatives for its 5-t low profile SLP5.2 loader
Regaining global attention
The rainbow nation – never short of mining experience and expertise – is regaining global admirers and highlighting its unique offering . Dan Gleeson finds out more
The strength of South Africa ’ s mining equipment , technology and services sector ( METS ) sector is growing if recent M & A activity is anything to go by .
In the last five years alone , several South Africa-based companies have been snapped up by global enterprises looking to leverage their equipment expertise as well as their growing customer base .
The two big Nordic-based underground equipment manufacturers , Epiroc and Sandvik , have been behind much of this .
Recently Epiroc acquired AARD Mining Equipment , a low-profile mining equipment manufacturing specialist , adding to a growing list of South-Africa based transactions that includes deals for MineRP , New Concept Mining and Innovative Mining Products .
Sandvik also recently acquired Kwatani , incorporating the mine screening and feeder major into its Rock Processing Solutions business .
This corporate activity comes on top of expansions of existing facilities and openings of new hubs in the country – all predicated on an improvement in operating conditions on the ground and a surge of new mining projects across the continent . company ’ s export orders are running at levels it
has never seen before .
“ We ’ re currently producing around 60 machines a month ,” he told IM . “ Every month is a record month at the moment .”
To keep pace with this demand , the company has rented an additional 3,000 sq . m of factory space to complement the 17,000 sq . m it already has .
“ Being part of Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions , which , in turn is a business area within the Sandvik Group , we ’ ve also been able to outsource some production to other Sandvik factories overseas , including Sandvik ’ s Indian factory ,” Schoepflin said .
And the orders have come from mining projects both big and small , meaning the company ’ s recent successes are not just leveraged to a few customer orders . One of its current orders – and , in fact , what could be the largest single screen order ever won by a manufacturer based in Africa – will see Kwatani supply over 70 screens and associated equipment to a large copper mining operation in Central Asia , Schoepflin said .
“ We ’ re expecting another large order from this region shortly – it won ’ t be quite as big but will still be very substantial ,” he added .
Schoepflin puts much of this success down to a global minerals boom that may not be reflected in current commodity prices , but is still apparent on the ground .
“ What has also benefited us is our membership of the Sandvik Group ,” he said . “ We became part of Sandvik at the end of 2021 and this has opened many doors to us . We ’ ve always been big in Africa – and , in fact , already ranked as the biggest screen manufacturer on the continent prior to being acquired by Sandvik – but we were less strong in certain other parts of the world . Being part of Sandvik has given us improved access to many markets , particularly in South America where Sandvik is the dominant supplier of mining equipment .”
This new market access , overlaid with what Schoepflin refers to as “ bullet-proof products ” that work reliably and efficiently in the most difficult conditions experienced in mining , has been behind the company ’ s rising export fortunes .
“ Equipment that works well in Africa will perform anywhere ,” he said .
And the company ’ s South Africa manufacturing base is also proving beneficial when stacked against other OEMs across the globe , according to Schoepflin . The company ’ s local content is between 80-85 %, with the only components sourced from overseas being bearings , certain
If it works in Africa , it will work anywhere
The transaction with Sandvik has allowed Kwatani to fulfil the influx of orders coming its way , according to Jan Schoepflin , General Manager of Sales and Service , who says that the
One of Kwatani ’ s current orders – and , in fact , what could be the largest single screen order ever won by a manufacturer based in Africa – will see it supply over 70 screens and associated equipment to a large copper mining operation in Central Asia
46 International Mining | JANUARY 2023