Quarrying Africa ISSUE 6 2023

INFORMATION HUB FOR THE AFRICAN QUARRYING SECTOR

PREMIER INFORMATION HUB FOR THE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN QUARRYING SECTOR

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

MAJOR ZIM MILESTONE UNLOCKED 10

Setting the compliance benchmark

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Complementing southern african growth

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Unlocking the power of innovation

VOL. 2 ISSUE 6

When SIZE MATTERS! SY1250H Large Excavator

Bucket Capacity 8 m³

Engine Power 567 kW

Operating Weight 120 T

Sany Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 11 918 0318 info@sanysouthernafrica.com www.sanysouthafrica.com

COMMENT

PLACING A PREMIUM ON COMMUNITY RELATIONS

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MUNESU SHOKO Publishing Editor Email: munesu@quarryingafrica.com

LinkedIn: Munesu Shoko

Quarrying Africa

hat health and safety, as well as environmental management, remain some of the pressing matters for quarries and mines is irrefutable. However, a key takeaway from a recent conversation with ASPASA Chairman Collin Ramukhubathi, one of the respected captains of industry, is that the industry is placing a premium on community relations which have become an increasingly important component of mining and quarrying companies’ strategic thinking.

In his view, the most difficult part of mining these days is not mining itself; it has become even more difficult to deal with community issues. Quarries, for example, are by their very nature located close to communities. Given this close proximity, they ought to be at the receiving end of all community grievances, even when the complaints are not related to mining activities. In some cases, it could be the lack of service delivery, which in the end is misdirected at mining operations.

An important value change in recent years is the growing demand by communities to have more direct participation in decisions affecting their neighbourhoods. This can be attributed partly to escalating pressure from local-level stakeholders to push mining companies to take greater responsibility for the social, economic and environmental (ESG) impacts of their activities in communities they operate.

The growing focus on community relations also stems from the competitive environment, with both customers and the labour market favouring those companies which take their community relationships seriously.

The growing importance of sound community relations to the success of quarries and mines calls for improved capacity to recognise and respond appropriately to community issues. This, in fact, is becoming an important mainstream management skill in the industry – a ‘core competence’ as it has often been described.

However, the influence of community affairs

on business practice is not a one-way process.

The growing significance of community affairs is creating pressures for mining companies to adopt resilient company-community relationships. This is no longer optional, or something to be disregarded by mining companies. The issue of community relations is really no different from any other which mining companies must deal with in their pursuit of shareholder value. It represents a volatile mix of risk and opportunity which must be understood and evaluated.

So, how can the industry strengthen its company-community relationships? While community relations span a large scope of activities, it is critical to include local communities in future plans and keep them informed of progress being made towards sustainable mining within their areas. Where possible companies should make use of local forums and employment portals to identify and hire local skills. It is also important to make use of local businesses where possible.

Quarrying companies should strive to provide neighbours and surrounding communities with a rapid-response platform to air grievances, complain and seek feedback. Communication has to be maintained both to and from stakeholders and it is important to do so timeously and with due care to avoid disputes.

Due to their proximity to communities, quarrying operations should establish ground rules that should never be broken, such as upholding quiet periods when communities may be resting, holding religious gatherings or writing exams, among others. Likewise, the community may be asked to maintain freeflowing traffic for mine vehicles, report crimes and assist with other activities to enhance the safety and security of the region.

When the management of a quarrying or mining company views community relations as a top priority, it starts from a position of fostering goodwill within the communities around the operation. This is a long-term view about doing the right thing but also maximising the operational value of mining assets.a

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CONTENTS 22

10 SETTING THE COMPLIANCE BENCHMARK

LEADING THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA

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14 EXPANDING PRODUCTION CAPACITY

TROLLOPE EXPANDS CRUSHING AND SCREENING FLEET

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AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDGE

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COMPLEMENTING SOUTHERN AFRICAN GROWTH

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LEAD STORY MAJOR ZIM MILESTONE UNLOCKED

Publishing Editor: Munesu Shoko Sub Editor: Glynnis Koch Business Development Manager: Elmarie Stonell Admin: Linda T. Chisi Design: Kudzo Mzire Maputire Web Manager: Thina Bhebhe

Quarrying Africa is the information hub for the sub-Saharan African quarrying sector. It is a valued reference tool positioned as a must-read for the broader spectrum of the aggregates value chain, from quarry operators and aggregate retailers, to concrete and cement producers, mining contractors, aggregate haulage companies and the supply chain at large.

© Quarrying Africa Quarrying Africa, published by DueNorth Media Africa, makes constant effort to ensure that content is accurate before publication. The views expressed in the articles reflect the source(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of the publisher and editor.

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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various thought leaders and contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Quarrying Africa team.

Quarrying Africa prides itself on the educational content published via www.quarryingafrica.com and in Quarrying Africa magazine in print. We believe knowledge is power, which is why we strive to cover topics that affect the

HONOURING DEALER EXCELLENCE

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quarrying value chain at large.

BOOSTING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH CONSOLIDATION SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION, KEY TO BME SUCCESS AS OMNIA TURNS 70

Printed by:

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UNLOCKING THE POWER OF INNOVATION

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USHERING A NEW ERA IN SCREENING

Contact Information

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EXPANSION STRATEGY PAYS DIVIDENDS

Email: munesu@quarryingafrica.com Cell: +27 (0)73 052 4335

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DRIVING ROKBAK’S EMEA GROWTH

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Afrimat delivers healthy results Afrimat has released results for six months ended 31 August 2023, with Group CEO, Andries van Heerden, noting that the group’s strategy to diversify between commodities and revenue streams, coupled with stringent capital allocation, has enabled it to weather economic and commodity shocks.

“For most of the 2023 calendar year and in the period under review, Afrimat invested substantially in projects that are expected to yield fruitful returns and further strengthen our product diversity and competitive advantage in the future,” he adds.

Going on to say that the group managed the volatility of the iron ore price by combining local iron ore sales at defined prices with the export sales. “Pleasingly, the group also experienced a significantly improved contribution from the Construction Materials segment,” he says.

Diversification and efficiency improvement initiatives remain the cornerstone of the group’s strategy and are used to counter economic impacts which are beyond the control of management.

Group revenue increased by 9,6% from R2,6-billion to R2,8-billion.

Operating profit increased by 4,3% from R512,2-million to R534,1-million, resulting in an overall operating profit margin of 18,8%. Despite being impacted by loadshedding and a general economic slowdown in certain segments, the impact on the Afrimat Group is not material.

Headline earnings per share remained satisfactory with an increase of 4,4% from 252,2 cents to 263,4 cents.

The balance sheet of the group remains strong with a net cash balance of R278,7-million. Net cash from operating activities of R577,5million was generated. The debt: equity position remains favourable at 6,2% (February 2023: 4,7%). Afrimat declared an interim dividend of 40,0 cents per share.

At Afrimat all operating units are strategically positioned to deliver outstanding customer service, whilst acting as an efficient hedge against volatile local business conditions with

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Andries van Heerden, CEO of Afrimat.

a product range which is wide and rail and infrastructure projects.” diversified.

Revenue increased by 26,5% to The Bulk Commodities segment, R1,2-billion due to higher volumes consisting of the iron ore mines and an and marginally better pricing in the anthracite mine, contributed 72,3% to period. the group’s operating profit.

Afrimat recently announced the In the Industrial Minerals segment, exciting acquisition of 100% of the businesses across all regions shareholding in Lafarge South delivered satisfactory results, Africa. The acquisition however, the impact of includes several loadshedding was well-positioned felt directly and and resourced also indirectly by aggregate certain customers quarries, an which cut back integrated on volumes and cement plant, The Construction Materials segment experienced a significant improvement in this resulted in cement grinding operating profit which increased by 113,5% a decrease in plants, cement reaching R156,1 million from the previous comparable period of R73,1-million. operating profit of depots, readymix 13,1% from R36,8batching plants million to R32-million. and high-quality flyThe Construction ash sources which is an Materials segment important extender in the experienced a significant cement industry. improvement in operating profit which All necessary documentation increased by 113,5% reaching R156,1 pertaining to the conditions million from the previous comparable precedent have been submitted and period of R73,1-million. Van Heerden approval from the South African explains this was due to, “Efficiency Reserve Bank has been received. improvement initiatives which proved Afrimat is still awaiting approval to be successful across the segment. of Section 11 and the Competition Increased activity in road and rail Commission, which is expected to be projects resulted in stronger demand for received before the end of the F2024 products which are used in roadbuilding, financial year. a

113,5%

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PPC to sell its stake in CIMERWA

CIMERWA is the only integrated cement producer in Rwanda.

As part of its strategy to focus on its southern African businesses, PPC has entered into an agreement to sell its 51% stake in CIMERWA, Rwanda’s only integrated cement producer, to National Cement Holding Ltd. National Cement forms part of the Devki Group of Companies, a conglomerate headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with a diverse portfolio in cement, steel, roofing materials, fertilisers and packaging materials.

As a leading player in the cement industry across East Africa, National Cement operates an integrated cement plant, a clinker plant and multiple grinding plants in Kenya. In addition, the company operates a cement grinding plant in Eastern Uganda. The acquisition of CIMERWA aligns with the Devki Group’s strategy of expanding its footprint in East Africa.

“With this strategic divestment transaction, which is subject to the usual regulatory approvals and certain conditions, PPC is making another step in the execution of its strategy to focus its resources on southern Africa. We appreciate the positive impact of our collaboration with CIMERWA,” says Roland van Wijnen, CEO of PPC. a

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LEAD STORY

Having sold the first unit in 2017, R&S DieselPro Services is delivering its 50th R 920 excavator to a customer in Zimbabwe.

MAJOR ZIM MILESTONE UNLOCKED

On the back of a hive of construction activity, Liebherr-Africa and its Zimbabwean dealer, R&S DieselPro Services, are celebrating a sales milestone for 50 Liebherr R 920 units and counting. Central to the success of the 20-tonne (t) class excavator in Zimbabwe is its outstanding operational efficiency and, more importantly, the aftermarket support behind it.

H

By Munesu Shoko. aving sold the first unit in 2017, R&S DieselPro Services is delivering its 50th R 920 excavator to a customer in Zimbabwe.

Commenting on market drivers, Tendayi Kudumba, GM for Earthmoving at Liebherr-Africa, tells Quarrying Africa that the success of the 20-t class machine in Zimbabwe has largely been driven by the increased construction activity in the country.

In recent years, the Zimbabwean government

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has embarked on massive reconstruction and rehabilitation of major road networks to enhance domestic and regional connectivity. The renewal starts right at the Beit Bridge border post, where the US$300-million modernisation project has been commissioned. This project has not only changed the face of border management, but has had immense positive and sustainable impact, particularly for commercial trucks, as the time spent at what is believed to be the busiest border in southern Africa has decreased and has helped

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2017

Since assuming the dealership status in 2017, R&S DieselPro Services has enjoyed massive success with the Liebherr brand in Zimbabwe

110 kW

Powered by a 110 kW/150 HP engine, the R 920 leverages Liebherr’s integrated systems and the constant management of the engine and hydraulics to control fuel consumption

Developed for use in earthmoving, digging and drainage, among other applications, the R 920 has enjoyed its fair share of sales success in the construction contracting fraternity in Zimbabwe.

the movement of goods in the region.

Away from the border, work on the 580-km Harare-Masvingo-Beit Bridge highway continues unabated, with over 400 km – almost 70% of the project – completed and now open to traffic. Part of the North South Corridor, which begins in Durban, South Africa, passing through Zimbabwe and ending in Lubumbashi, DRC, the project is divided into three sections: the 580-km Harare-MasvingoBeit Bridge highway with its eight toll plazas, the

KEY POINTS Having sold the first unit in 2017, R&S DieselPro Services is delivering its 50th R 920 excavator to a customer in Zimbabwe

The success of the 20-t class machine in Zimbabwe has largely been driven by the increased construction activity in the country

342-km Harare-Chirundu highway, and the 59-km Harare Ring Road with three toll plazas.

Meanwhile, work on the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway, another strategic trade route in the regional North South Corridor, has commenced, marking another significant construction project in the country.

Developed for use in earthmoving, digging and drainage, among other applications, the R 920 has enjoyed its fair share of sales success in the construction contracting fraternity, with a customer base of both established and upcoming contractors. One of the success factors, says Kudumba, is the fact that the machine is competitively priced, even against some of the socalled ‘value brands’.

“In addition, Zimbabwe is seemingly transitioning into a premium market. Having traditionally been dominated by value offerings, we have seen a significant shift in recent years as contractors start to understand the benefits of premium equipment, especially as far as the total cost of ownership is concerned,” says Kudumba.

Machine in detail In addition, Zimbabwe is seemingly transitioning into a premium market

The success of the Liebherr R 920, and the Liebherr range at large, in Zimbabwe, is largely down to the outstanding support from R&S DieselPro Services

With operating costs high on the agenda, construction contractors in southern Africa are placing operational efficiencies at the centre of their procurement decisions. Powered by a 110 kW/150 HP engine, the R 920 leverages Liebherr’s integrated systems and the constant management of the engine and hydraulics to control fuel consumption.

In addition, the optimised Positive Control hydraulic

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LEAD STORY One of the success factors in Zimbabwe is that the machine is competitively priced.

“The acoustic power inside the operator’s cab is one of the lowest on the market to minimise fatigue and increase productivity and the cab is mounted on viscoelastic rivets to minimise vibration. The piping on these machines is also supported by rubber flanges to help reduce external noise,” says Kudumba.

With visibility in mind, large, glazed surface windows provide good visibility from the operator’s platform. A wide emergency exit via the rear window provides for operator safety. The proportional joysticks on this machine are finely tuned for sensitive, accurate and fluid machine operation.

Support matters

Every good product, says Kudumba, is as good as the aftermarket support behind it. The success of the Liebherr R 920, and the Liebherr range at large, in Zimbabwe, is largely down to the outstanding support from system makes the combined movements of the machine even R&S DieselPro Services, which has more fluid, which in turn increases the breakout forces and established longstanding relationships breakaway torques for high levels of productivity combined with with its existing customers, while low fuel consumption. bringing more new customers on “Our Positive Control hydraulic system features two working board, especially start-up companies. pumps to provide power for maximum excavation, travel or “Having a good dealer in the country has swing efficiency. With the system, the combined movements been central to our success in Zimbabwe. are optimised for operations ranging from R&S DieselPro Services has a good support levelling to extraction, loading and lifting, footprint in major cities such as Harare either with or without travel,” explains and Bulawayo. The company also Kudumba. places a premium on the training Intelligent work modes further of its technicians, which are the enhance efficiency. Designed lifeblood of its strong aftermarket for economic operation, the regime,” says Kudumba.

Economy mode is recommended Since assuming the dealership for normal working conditions.

The 50th R 920 to be sold in Zimbabwe status in 2017, R&S DieselPro Power Mode makes light work marks a significant milestone for both Services has enjoyed massive of high excavation capacities in R&S DieselPro Services and its principal, Liebherr-Africa success with the Liebherr brand difficult applications, while the in Zimbabwe. To provide context, Sensitivity Mode is ideally suited the company sold the first ever three for accurate load-lifting applications.

Liebherr TA 230 articulated dump Meanwhile, Full Power Mode is trucks in Africa, which are hard at work especially designed for higher power in an underground application at the often required for demanding applications.

Freda Rebecca Gold Mine in Bindura, With its new maintenance concept, Liebherr has significantly Zimbabwe, hauling ore from the reduced the cost of excavator maintenance. To provide context, underground tunnels to the overland the R 920’s maintenance elements are positioned closely together crushers. and are easily accessible from the ground. The automatic central The company also boasts the lubrication system is installed as standard and leads to increased largest population of Liebherr PR 736 productivity resulting from time savings. dozers in southern Africa to date, When designing the R 920, Liebherr also placed a big focus on with two more set to be delivered to operator comfort. The machine comes with an enlarged cab with a flagship construction contractor in a mechanical suspension seat and a very comfortable working Zimbabwe. This, says Kudumba, speaks environment. The seat offers comfort thanks to air suspension, volumes about R&S DieselPro Services’ several horizontal and vertical settings, and adjustable pneumatic capabilities as a dealer. a lumbar support.

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TOP QUARRIES

Owned and operated by Afrimat, Qwa Qwa Quarry is one of the shining stars as far as compliance is concerned.

SETTING THE COMPLIANCE BENCHMARK Named the Top Performer in ASPASA’s ISHE Audit for two years running in 2021 and 2022, as well as establishing itself among the top three operations in the Environmental Audit, Afrimat’s Free State-based Qwa Qwa Quarry not only continues to set the benchmark in compliance, but also in neatness and orderliness. By Munesu Shoko.

A

s the regulator and communities continue to demand that the extractive industry places more value on compliance, it is encouraging to see that the South African quarrying community has for decades been at the forefront of heath and safety management, with a renewed focus on environmental management taking centre stage.

Owned and operated by Afrimat, Qwa Qwa Quarry is one of the shining stars as far as compliance is concerned. In an exclusive interview with Quarrying Africa, quarry manager Anton Marnewick, who also runs two other Afrimat operations, concurs that compliance by its nature costs a lot of money, but it has to be ‘front and

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centre’ of every operation.

“Compliance with the various laws and regulatory requirements is critical to ongoing activities in any quarrying and mining environment. Given the inherent risks associated with work within our industry, we have to place issues such health and safety at the core of our operations. Compliance is key to our quest to achieve zero harm, and that is why Qwa Qwa, and the Afrimat Group at large, do not leave anything to chance when it comes to compliance – be it health and safety, environment or quality,” says Marnewick.

Health and safety

When talking about health and safety, it would be fair to cast the spotlight

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2021-22

In 2021 and 2022, the operation was recognised as the Top Performer in the ISHE Audit, with scores of 97,63% and 97,25%, respectively

on South Africa, where the legacy from earlier attitudes to worker safety still resonates in the drive to continually improve safe mining and quarrying conditions. Under the stewardship of a capable industry association, ASPASA, member operations such as Qwa Qwa Quarry are surely leading the way in health and safety compliance.

Some 22 years ago, the association started its Health and Safety (ISHE) Audit for the industry to ensure that its members adhere to the most stringent health and safety standards. The total ISHE Audit protocol covers more than 700 questions that must be answered and verified with objective evidence, where a possible total of ±3 900 points are awarded. To be awarded a Showplace Status, the quarry must achieve a minimum final score of 95%.

One quarry that consistently sets the bar high in health and safety standards is Qwa Qwa Quarry. In 2021 and 2022, the operation was recognised as the Top Performer in the ISHE Audit, with scores of 97,63% and 97,25%, respectively. While the results of the 2023 audit were not yet available at the time of writing, Marius van Deventer, Health and Safety auditor at ASPASA, confirms that the quarry had yet another excellent audit.

Marnewick credits teamwork as one of the cornerstones of success at this operation. While the safety culture is cultivated from management level, the buy-in from the workforce has been one of the recipes for success over the years.

Accountability by every individual on site, he says, also makes health and safety compliance a breeze at Qwa Qwa Quarry. “We strive to make employees responsible for their own safety, as well as that of others and the areas where they work,” he says.

Regular training programmes have also made sure that that employees are well informed of what is required of them.

Other initiatives central to the operation’s heath and safety success are regular monitoring and inspections; continuous upgrades, where necessary, to comply with the everchanging legislation, as well as effective maintenance.

“Zero harm for us is non-negotiable. We take the safety of our people, contractors and visitors seriously,” he says. “In addition, we have always placed a premium on neatness and orderliness. The old adage of ‘a neat workplace is a safe workplace’ applies to Qwa Qwa Quarry and continues to instil a sense of pride for all involved.”

ASPASA’s Van Deventer commends the Qwa Qwa team for consistent improvement every year. “I have often asked the employees at Afrimat Qwa Qwa Quarry to explain what makes them different to other

95%

To be awarded a Showplace Status, the quarry must achieve a minimum final score of 95%

“

Zero harm for us is non-negotiable. We take the safety of our people, contractors and visitors seriously. In addition, we have always placed a premium on neatness and orderliness. The old adage of ‘a neat workplace is a safe workplace’ applies to Qwa Qwa Quarry and continues to instil a sense of pride for all involved.

Anton Marnewick, quarry manager at Qwa Qwa Quarry

KEY POINTS Owned and operated by Afrimat, Free State-based Qwa Qwa Quarry is one of the shining stars as far as compliance is concerned In 2021 and 2022, the operation was recognised as the Top Performer in the ISHE Audit, with scores of 97,63% and 97,25%, respectively Afrimat follows a proactive and participative approach to health and safety management, both within the boundaries of our operations and the integration thereof with surrounding areas In 2022 – the implementation year of ASPASA’s revised Environmental Audit programme – Qwa Qwa Quarry scored a remarkable 97,25%, placing third in the physical audit category

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TOP QUARRIES

Initiatives central to the operation’s health and safety success are regular monitoring and inspections; continuous upgrades, where necessary, to comply with the everchanging legislation, as well as effective maintenance.

Anton Marnewick (left) was awarded the Exceptional Performance Award for achieving three Showplace (above 95%) scores in the 2022 Environmental Audit for the three Afrimat quarry sites that he manages. Handing over the award is ASPASA chairman Collin Ramukhubathi.

operating quarries when it comes to achieving such good scores in the ISHE Audits, as it is sometimes difficult for an outsider to understand the dynamics of this extraordinary team. Everybody is in consensus

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that this can only be achieved by having committed leadership and all-around teamwork,” he says.

Van Deventer makes special mention of the bond between Anton the mine manager, Snyman the plantsman and Donald the health and safety representative, as key to the continued success of the operation. Corrective actions, he adds, are followed up to ensure full compliance. Every employee is held accountable for their actions, but this management team is always willing to give credit where it is due.

Van Deventer has challenged the Qwa Qwa Quarry team for further improvements every year and has been amazed by the way they always come up with new initiatives that contribute to the overall health and safety of every employee. Leading practices, he says, are set every year for the rest of the industry to learn from and the team is always willing to share with others.

“The objective of the ISHE Audit is to add value to every operation and share information to ensure legal compliance as well as a healthy and safe work environment. It is always such a pleasure to see continuous improvement of health and safety standards,” says Van Deventer.

Marnewick, adds Van Deventer, is always the first to admit that these successes would not be achievable without the support of his seniors, together with the total commitment from the Qwa Qwa team.

Marnewick also pays tribute to the Afrimat health and safety team for the support, which he says has been instrumental to the success at Qwa Qwa. Afrimat is well known for caring for the wellbeing of all

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Apart from health and safety, Qwa Qwa Quarry has demonstrated high standards in environmental management.

everybody shares a common goal. It is teamwork at staff and recognises its workforce as a meaningful and its best. Anton Marnewick is an exceptional leader important contributor towards its core. and has become quite a legend in the industry,” says It is the company’s policy to use its health Bowen. and safety management system to do all that is In fact, Marnewick was awarded the Exceptional reasonably practical to prevent occupational diseases, Performance Award for achieving three Showplace personnel injury, damage to property, and to protect (above 95%) scores in the 2022 Environmental Audit all employees, visitors, contractors, public, and for the three Afrimat quarry sites that he manages. interested and affected parties from foreseeable work “In recent years, we have placed a great focus on hazards, insofar as they come into contact with the our environmental management, which is growing operations or are exposed to the performance within in importance,” says Marnewick. “We started off the company. with stormwater management and erosion control.

“We follow a proactive and participative approach Another area of great focus is waste management to health and safety management, both within the and control thereof. Alien vegetation control has also boundaries of our operations and the integration been an area of critical importance at Qwa Qwa. thereof with surrounding areas. This means that we We have also spent time creating environmental will endeavour to proactively identify and resolve awareness among our staff and educating them potential health and safety risks before they manifest about the importance of protecting the as accidents, incidents or compliance nonenvironment.” conformances,” says Marnewick.

ASPASA director Letisha van The company also strives to den Berg says the focus on the integrate health and safety environment and Environmental, management in routine Social and Governance (ESG) management functions and issues in general, has grown in processes. Afrimat also seeks to recent years and should be a proactively identify and eliminate Qwa Qwa Quarry scored a remarkable priority for quarrying companies (or, as a last resort, manage) all 97,25% in the 2022 Environmental Audit programme, placing third in the as they become even more occupational health- and safetyphysical audit category conscious of the impact on related risks in the workplace. the long-term sustainability of companies. Under Ven den Berg’s Environmental leadership, ASAPASA is casting more Apart from health and safety, Qwa spotlight on environmental compliance, Qwa Quarry has demonstrated high which, in her view, will grow in importance to standards in environmental management. surpass even safety in the near future.

In 2022 – the implementation year of ASPASA’s In conclusion, Marnewick stresses the significance revised Environmental Audit programme – the of compliance in the success of any quarry operation. operation scored a remarkable 97,25%, placing third He cautions, however, that it is much more than just a in the physical audit category. Anthony Bowen, box-ticking exercise. “The lack of compliance can have Environmental auditor at ASPASA, tells Quarrying dire consequences for operations. Remember, it is one Africa that Qwa Qwa is an exceptionally well-run of the key aspects that can lead to the revoking of a site and the attention to detail is incredible. mining licence,” concludes Marnewick. a “The manager has got his team well motivated, and

97,25%

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REGIONAL FOCUS – WEST AFRICA

The 200 tph FastPlant from Sandvik Rock Processing at a leading limestone producer in Mali’s Koulikoro region.

EXPANDING PRODUCTION CAPACITY To expand production capacity, a leading limestone producer based in Kati, the largest town in Mali’s Koulikoro region situated some 15 km northwest of Bamako, the country’s capital, has taken delivery of a 200 tonnes per hour (tph) FastPlant from Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions. By Munesu Shoko.

O

n the back of increased demand, a Mali-based limestone producer recently took the decision to expand its production capacity.

Having run an existing Sandvik fixed plant for years, the company was already aware of the Sandvik quality and aftermarket support excellence, hence the decision to opt for another plant from the same original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

Given the urgent nature with which the

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company wanted to expand its capacity, the FastPlant concept from Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions was the ultimate solution to inject the much-needed extra capacity within a short period of time. Hubert Kwesi Essel, sales engineer – Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions, tells Quarrying Africa that that the FastPlant fit the bill for the client, mainly because of the fast lead time, allowing the operation to expand production sooner.

“The client opted for a two-stage FastPlant,

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200-250 tph

Commissioned in April 2023, the plant is producing beyond customer expectations, managing between 200 and 250 tph

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Delivery of a FastPlant generally takes about 10-12 weeks, as opposed to double or even thrice the timeline of a bespoke plant

KEY POINTS On the back of increased demand, a Mali-based limestone producer recently took delivery of a Sandvik FastPlant to expand production capacity The plant comprises a full suite of Sandvik equipment, including a grizzly feeder, a jaw crusher, a horizontal shaft impactor and a four-deck screen The FastPlant benefits from pre-designed layouts and flowsheets, which significantly reduce delivery lead times, especially for fast-tracked projects Key to the customer’s buying decision was the support capabilities of the OEM. Customers in West Africa benefit from Sandvik’s expanded support footprint across the region

“

“The client opted for a two-stage FastPlant, which is a range of pre-defined crushing and screening modules made for the most common quarrying and mining applications. The FastPlant concept therefore ensured a fast delivery time and installation.”

Hubert Kwesi Essel, sales engineer – Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions

which is a range of pre-defined crushing and screening modules made for the most common quarrying and mining applications. The FastPlant concept therefore ensured a fast delivery time and installation,” says Essel.

Delivery of a FastPlant, states Essel, generally takes about 10-12 weeks, as opposed to double or even thrice the timeline of a bespoke plant. This particular plant, however, took about 20 weeks due to shipping and logistical delays from Europe to Mali.

Commissioned in April 2023, the plant is producing beyond customer expectations, managing between 200 and 250 tph.

Plant in detail

The plant comprises a full suite of Sandvik equipment, including a grizzly feeder, a jaw crusher,

a horizontal shaft impactor (HIS) and a four-deck screen.

With a 100 mm setting, the Sandvik ST1263H vibrating grizzly feeder takes run-of-mine material of up to 700 mm. The ST1263H ensures efficient scalping and fines removal, thus significantly improving the total throughput of the primary station by its ability to keep the crusher fully fed even during varying feed conditions.

From the grizzly feeder, material goes into the Sandvik CJ411 primary single-toggle jaw crusher with a close side setting (CSS) of 100 mm. The CJ411 was chosen for its high capacity. The crusher’s deep symmetrical crushing chamber and optimised nip angle maximises size reduction and production capacity.

“The Sandvik CJ411 benefits from high capacity as well as high reduction rates. It is also designed to be stable, durable and benefits from low jaw-plate wear, which minimises the need for maintenance and downtime,” explains Essel.

From the jaw, material goes into a surge bin, which in turn feeds the Sandvik CI722 HSI secondary crusher with a 25 mm CSS. The CI722 is said to be the perfect secondary crusher for non-abrasive material such as limestone. The working principle of the Sandvik CI722 HSI encourages material to break along its natural cleavage planes, and it produces stress-free, cubical-shaped products.

From the HSI, material is directed into a four-deck Sandvik SA2164 screen, with a 25 mm top deck and a 19 mm bottom deck. The other two decks are 13 mm and 5 mm respectively.

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REGIONAL FOCUS – WEST AFRICA

The plant comprises a full suite of Sandvik equipment including a grizzly feeder, a jaw crusher, a horizontal shaft impactor and a four-deck screen.

The Sandvik ST1263H vibrating grizzly feeder takes run-of-mine material up to 700 mm.

Why FastPlant?

As the name suggests, one of the key features of the FastPlant that appealed to this particular customer was the fast delivery times. The FastPlant benefits from pre-designed layouts and flowsheets, which significantly reduce delivery lead times, especially for fast-tracked projects, says Praveen Kumar VG, Sales Support – Global Plant Solutions at Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions.

In addition, the flexible nature of the plant allows for customers to chop and change in line with their changing production requirements.

“If production requirements change in future, customers can just add a couple of modules to increase production or take out a few modules to reduce capacity in line with market requirements,” explains Kumar VG. Another major feature of the FastPlant is its minimum footprint,

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which bodes well for spaceconstrained sites. In addition, the required civil works are very minimal, translating into major cost benefits for the client. The minimal civil works, coupled with the modularity of the plant, means that it can be moved from one site to the other with ease.

According to Essel, safety was a major consideration in the client’s buying decision. The client was strict about access and the FastPlant addressed the concerns through spacious walkways, as well as ample space in the chute aeras for ease of maintenance. In addition, there is an option to fully automate the plant, thus taking people out of harm’s way.

Support matters

Given the high-production nature of the operation, downtime for this limestone producer is out of the question. Key to its

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buying decision was the support capabilities of the OEM. Customers in West Africa benefit from Sandvik’s expanded support footprint across the region.

According to Essel, the company has a strong support structure in Mali and the West African region at large. “Over the years, we have invested in massive infrastructure to support customers in this important mining region.

In Mali, for example, we have our own entity and a large parts warehouse that supports Mali and other neighbouring countries such as Guinea, Niger and Senegal.

This is complemented by a vendor management team that provides sound backup support on various customer sites,” says Essel.

Apart from Mali, Sandvik has invested in its regional headquarters in Ghana, which boasts a large parts warehouse and a vendor management team stationed at various customer sites. This is complemented by entities and parts warehouses in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, which cater for these countries and neighbouring markets.

Growth prospects

Due to its proven benefits, the FastPlant concept is gaining popularity in the global market.

To provide context, the Indian market alone accounts for about 30 to 40 Sandvik plants per year, and 80% of these are a FastPlant, confirms Kumar VG. Looking ahead, Kumar VG believes there is massive scope for growth for the FastPlant concept in Africa, especially given the sheer scale of mining and quarrying projects on the continent. “We see massive growth prospects for our FastPlant concept across the African continent, both in mainstream mining and aggregates markets,” concludes Kumar VG. a

TOP QUARRIES

2011 KwaZulu-Natal-based Blurock Quarry has put itself at the forefront of environmental management.

Since 2011, Blurock has invested in five major projects – an early childhood development centre, three computer centres and a science laboratory

AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDGE Through strong partnerships and a committed workforce, KwaZulu-Natal-based Blurock Quarry has put itself at the forefront of environmental management. For its various outstanding initiatives, the quarry was named the 2022 Top Performer in the Independent Quarries category of ASPASA’s Environmental Audit. In a one-on-one with Quarrying Africa, CEO Jeremy Hunter-Smith says the achievement is the culmination of years of constant effort and teamwork. By Munesu Shoko.

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he environmental impact of quarrying activities and opencast mining operations at large cannot be underestimated. While quarrying is a vital industry to the economy of any country, its activities can also be damaging to the environment, especially without a sound environmental management plan in place. With that in mind, Blurock Quarry places a premium on its environmental management.

Testimony to the relentless focus on environmental excellence is the 97,61% score in ASPASA’s About Face Audit of 2022, which

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ranked the operation as the top independent performer in the physical audit category.

Commenting on this achievement, Anthony Bowen, Environmental auditor at ASPASA, says Blurock had a well-presented audit, and the site was an example of dedication and diligence by all levels of management and staff.

“Blurock is a well-run operation, the designated staff being focused on achieving a high level of environmental compliance. Ronelle Affinand, the consultant assisting with compliance, does an excellent job of making sure that all the legal requirements are always in place. There is a

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97,61%

For its various outstanding initiatives, Blurock Quarry was named the 2022 Top Performer in the Independent Quarries category of ASPASA’s Environmental Audit with a 97,61% score

15 km

Blurock recently handed over a computer centre to a local school for the mentally and physically disabled, KwaZamokuhle School, some 15 km outside of Estcourt

In recent years, Blurock has invested in a number of facility upgrades.

KEY POINTS Through strong partnerships and a committed workforce, KwaZulu-Natalbased Blurock Quarry has put itself at the forefront of environmental management Testimony to the relentless focus on environmental excellence is the 97,61% score in ASPASA’s About Face Audit of 2022, which ranked the operation as the top independent performer in the physical audit category In recent years, Blurock has also invested in facility upgrades, anchored by the new office block that has been in the design phase for the past eight years As part of its Social Labour Plan, Blurock has for some time invested heavily in its community projects

“

One can purchase all the equipment in the world, but without vested ‘upgrades’ to your teams, the equipment would not last as long as it should. People will come and go from any business, but I believe that a high percentage of those who leave Blurock do so better equipped than when they first arrived.

Jeremy Hunter-Smith, CEO of Blurock Quarries

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TOP QUARRIES

A view of some of the plant deployed to work at Blurock Quarry.

culture of ‘wanting to be successful’, which is evident at the site. I should also commend Jeremy HunterSmith for leading from the front as the CEO,” says Bowen.

Hunter-Smith believes that environmental compliance should be a priority for every operation and individual, highlighting that “our actions today will have a drastic impact on the environment for years to come”.

Partnerships are key

Hunter-Smith explains that environmental compliance is split into the management of four key areas – alien vegetation and re-vegetation (rehabilitation), hydrocarbon spills, water management and legislation (record keeping).

“Our 2022 environmental score is the culmination of years of constant effort and teamwork. Quarry manager, Morne Conradie, has successfully led his team to achieving these amazing results,” says Hunter-Smith.

“We have over the years established solid working relationships with two key partners who have been instrumental in helping us mitigate the environmental effects of our quarrying activities in the area.”

Hunter-Smith makes special mention of Kheswa’s Landscapes, a small company owned by Richard Kheswa, who carries out the day-to-day tasks on site.

The second partner, Natal Landscapes, owned by Dave Haigh, has been assisting Blurock, and the quarrying industry in KwaZulu-Natal in general, since 1999.

Hunter-Smith says having a vision in place is a good thing, but without a dedicated focus and drive, the vision remains exactly that, a vision, with nothing to show for it. These two partners have been helpful in bringing Blurock’s environmental vision to life.

“Training has been a main focus for us. Haigh visits our site on a quarterly basis to follow up on progress.

He also provides a meticulous plan for every season and mentors Kheswa to ensure the best results on site,” says Hunter-Smith. “The duo has been part of our

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environmental journey right from the start. Our vested interest in each other makes the relationship a breeze and ultimately the vision a reality.”

Day-to-day site challenges are a reality, says Hunter-Smith. For example, he says, there are bound to be hydrocarbon spills out in the field, but it is not about “why it happened”, but rather about what the team does about it. In an emergency situation, it is important to make sure that the reaction time taken to get the situation under control is as short as possible to ensure that the effects of such a spill are limited to the smallest possible area.

“Training and the use of the correct equipment is key; all our workshop and mobile teams are trained in this regard to ensure that we are able to have the best possible reaction time, thus limiting the environmental effects of any hydrocarbon spills,” he says.

The proximity of Blurock Quarry to two major rivers, the Little Bushmans and Bushmans, provides an environmental challenge for the operation. As a result, the quarry has placed a major focus on ensuring that its activities do not have a negative effect on these rivers. To achieve this, Johnathan Baily conducts the biomonitoring programme, keeping Blurock advised regarding the condition of the rivers and any effects on them.

“The Environmental legislation is very strict, and we do our utmost to ensure we have no negative effects on nearby water courses. However, it is discouraging to see that, despite our efforts, these rivers, just like many other water courses in South Africa, suffer from the devastating effects of poor to nil management by local municipalities. Training to create awareness and policing at these levels will have a significant positive impact on the long-term future of our water courses,” states Hunter-Smith.

Hunter-Smith highlights the importance of record keeping as proof of the constant efforts being made by the operation, as is the case with any system. Partnering with Noshcon’s Paul Chaman and

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The new office block will provide a comfortable working environment for employees.

Ronelle Affinand has helped in this regard. “They are knowledgeable in this area and always keep us updated with all the legislative changes and also advise us on what is required to be done.”

At the heart of the operation’s success, explains Hunter-Smith, are the people. Having recently invested in a number of plant upgrades on site, focus has turned to ‘people development’ in the past two years, and this is already yielding results in the form of high compliance standards.

“One can purchase all the equipment in the world, but without vested ‘upgrades’ to your teams, the equipment would not last as long as it should. People will come and go from any business, but I believe that a high percentage of those who leave Blurock do so better equipped than when they first arrived,” says Hunter-Smith.

Facility upgrades

In recent years, Blurock has also invested in facility upgrades, anchored by the new office block that has been in the design phase for the past eight years. Having occupied the same offices since the 1960s, with only about 100 m² for all its admin and sales staff, Hunter-Smith stresses that there was a real need for a comfortable working environment for employees. Another factor behind the new office venture was to optimise Traffic Management on site. The new office block will also have a large training room for formal training.

“Blurock is part of a shared services group of companies in Estcourt called Extritone (Pty) Ltd. Small towns seem to be getting smaller and skills shortage has become apparent, thus impacting negatively on smaller businesses’ ability to keep up with the constantly changing legislative requirements. In time, the new office will become home to various specialists, including bookkeeping, HR, environmental, health & safety, allowing small businesses in the area to share costs for these important services, thus keeping them on the right track.”

Community relations

As part of its Social Labour Plan (SLP), Blurock has for some time invested heavily in its community projects.

Headed up by HR manager, Kajal Sookraj, the Blurock SLP team has always had a passion for upgrades at local schools.

Earlier this year, Blurock handed over a computer centre to a local school for the mentally and physically disabled, KwaZamokuhle School, some 15 km outside of Estcourt. The facility was previously a library that the company organised to be stripped, then refurbished and equipped with 12 PC stations. Four of the stations have been fitted with adjustable desks to accommodate students in wheelchairs.

“We partnered with a few other companies to make this project a reality as the cost was far beyond Blurock’s affordability. Special thanks to Procon Precast and James Construction for their invaluable support and contributions to the project,” says Hunter Smith, who adds that since 2011, Blurock has invested in five major projects – an early childhood development centre, three computer centres and a science laboratory.

In conclusion, Hunter-Smith hails industry associations for their continued support to the quarrying industry. “As an independent operation, I would like to thank ASPASA and the Institute of Quarrying SA for their continued support to our industry. If we stand individually, our voices tend not to make a significant difference which is what we need in our industry,” he says.

“I would encourage all independent operations to take a deeper look into the two organisations I mentioned and consider joining them. They will then be able to continue to challenge the legislation which weighs so heavily on our industry, although it is often written for much larger mining operations. Aggregates are an essential product to any economy – no other industry can grow without aggregates,” concludes Hunter-Smith. a

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

Joakim Arndorw, new head of Sales Region International at Volvo Construction Equipment.

LEADING THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA Following his appointment as head of Sales Region International at Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) in September this year, Joakim Arndorw tells Quarrying Africa that he has two focus areas firmly on his agenda: performance and transformation. By Munesu Shoko. aving started his career as a young professional at Volvo CE back in 2003 before joining Swecon Anläggningsmaskiner in 2016, the retail operations for Volvo CE in Sweden, Arndorw assumed his new role on September 11, 2023, and will be based in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

In his new role, he is responsible for driving sales, business development and transformation in international markets, with

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a specific focus on Africa, the Middle East, Turkey, CIS and Oceania countries. His team is the interface between Volvo CE and dealer partners in these regions.

With a Volvo career spanning 20 years, Arndorw brings a wealth of experience to the role and has a good grasp of the task at hand.

During his time at Swecon Anläggningsmaskiner, where he was the MD prior to assuming his new role, Arndorw demonstrated strong leadership capabilities and drove transformation in the organisation and the way business is conducted in adapting to future needs, all very important for Volvo CE in the years ahead.

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With a Volvo career spanning 20 years, Arndorw brings a wealth of experience to the role

35%

Volvo CE’s targets to have 35% fully electric sales by 2030

Volvo CE continues to develop solutions that help customers to reduce both fuel consumption and administration.

Key priorities

On his immediate to-do list, Arndorw intends to travel across the regions to meet various dealer partners and customers. For him, the initiative is not only about getting to know the various markets, but also, the people behind the Volvo CE business in these important markets – the distribution partners.

“It is important for me to get to know the people

KEY POINTS Joakim Arndorw has been appointed head of Sales Region International at Volvo Construction Equipment, effective September 11, 2023

On his immediate to-do list, Arndorw intends to travel across the regions to meet various dealer partners and customers

Arndorw has two focus areas firmly on his agenda: performance and transformation

Arndorw believes that like many other sectors of the global economy, the construction equipment industry is in transition, with increased focus on sustainable solutions and new technologies

on the ground. Our dealers are the ones on the front line; they are the ones our customers see and interact with. Dealers play such a pivotal role in helping us build and maintain close relationships with customers and gain insights into how we can continue to improve our products and services to better meet customers’ evolving needs,” says Arndorw.

Dealer partners, he says, are important to Volvo CE’s quest for improved financial performance in line with the ‘perform and transform’ theme championed across the Volvo Group. Despite the challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, Volvo CE has seen massive business growth in the past few years, on the back of an increase in machine sales across regions.

“However, we need to secure our financial performance for the business in order for us to be able to invest in the transformative technologies shaping the future of our industry. At the same time, we need to accelerate sustainable industry transformation and focus on new solutions that are coming to market to help our customers not only meet their sustainability goals, but also their productivity and efficiency improvement targets,” he says.

Transformation

Like many other sectors of the global economy, the construction equipment industry is in transition,

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

In line with the Volvo Group roadmap, Volvo CE’s target is to offer zero emission machines by 2040.

limit the worst impacts of climate change, Volvo with increased focus on sustainable solutions and CE is hard at work to develop solutions to help its new technologies. On the back of this transition, customers meet their sustainability goals.

Volvo CE has adopted an innovation roadmap within areas such as electrification, automation and connected solutions.

Rethinking processes Arndorw makes special mention of Volvo CE’s Achieving sustainable operations in mining and target to have 35% fully electric sales by 2030, with quarrying, says Arndorw, will also call for rethinking the ultimate goal to be net-zero in its value chain by of current processes. “I think there will be need 2040. This will enable net-zero customer fleets by for industry to look at things differently,” he says.

2050.

“In production applications, such as quarries and As part of its commitment to “build the world mines, that involve repetitive jobs and moving large we want to live in”, Volvo CE is taking the lead amounts of materials, we believe that the future lies in transformation, continuing to deliver reliable, in autonomous solutions.” efficient and more sustainable solutions fit for its While electric solutions are taking shape at the customers’ needs today, while driving investment larger end of the equipment scale, electrification across its business towards a zero-emission future. of larger off-highway equipment might still be “In line with the Volvo Group roadmap, Volvo CE’s elusive in the near future. Arndorw believes that it target is to offer zero emission machines by 2040. is therefore important for mines to relook at their While electric solutions will take centre stage, we operations. Instead of deploying traditional larger believe that ultimately sustainability will solutions, for example, a mine can consider be achieved through a combination of two or three smaller solutions that can carbon neutral technologies such as deliver the same tonnages. alternative fuels,” says Arndorw.

This mindset shift, however, will call “It is, however, important to for a new approach to mine design note that the bigger part of to fit the new, smaller solutions our offering will be driven deployed in the mine and the by electric power, including services around them. battery electric, fuel cell “Because they are taking In line with the Volvo Group electric and grid-connected time to embrace tech-enabled roadmap, Volvo CE’s target is to offer zero emission machines by machines.” transformation, mining, quarrying 2040 Despite the lack of legislative and construction sites still struggle instruments across several to improve their productivity. To regions in the world, which is the revolutionise the way they operate case in Africa, Arndorw believes that and deliver much-needed productivity businesses are forging ahead with their gains, it is important to relook at the way transformation targets. As major companies they operate and rev the engines of tech-enabled in the industry continue to take action to align their transformation to tap into the true potential of their businesses with what scientists say is needed to operations,” concludes Arndorw. a

2040

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CRUSHING & SCREENING Overlooking the pit – the Metso mobile train processes primary and secondary crushing on-site.

TROLLOPE EXPANDS CRUSHING AND SCREENING FLEET To expand its contract mining service offering, Trollope Mining Services established a crushing and screening division in 2016.

Amid growing demand for these services, the company has expanded its crushing and screening division with a large fleet of Metso machines supplied by Pilot Crushtec International.

By Munesu Shoko.

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2016

Trollope established a crushing and screening business in 2016 which, in the past three years, has seen exponential growth

15

The recent fleet expansion has seen Trollope increase its total complement of Metso machines to 15 units in a short space of time

1/20

In Trollope’s experience, the cost of running bi-power machines off the grid is 1/20 the cost of running them off a diesel engine

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stablished in 1975, Trollope Mining Services, a leading opencast mining contractor that specialises in the execution of medium to large scale mining projects, operates one of the largest fleets in Africa, with nearly 500 pieces of equipment in its ranks. The fleet comprises some 170 rigid dump trucks, 120 articulated dump trucks and 45 excavators (60140 t), amongst others, operating across commodities, including but not limited to coal, PGM, copper, andalusite, gold, phosphate, lithium, iron ore, manganese, diamonds and limestone.

Apart from the full range of services associated with opencast contract mining such as drill and blast as well as load and haul, the company also provides mine infrastructure works, bulk earthworks, rehabilitation services and plant hire. To further expand its service offering, the company established a crushing and screening business in 2016 which,

in the past three years, has seen exponential growth, confirms MD Guy Hopkins.

“We took a conscious decision to add crushing and screening in order to provide a full suite of services to our clients, all the way from drilling and blasting through to primary beneficiation. We started on a small scale, predominantly in a coal application, and over the years we have scaled up as more customers are increasingly asking for our beneficiation services. Initially, we specialised in primary crushing only, but we have recently added secondary crushing as well,” says Hopkins.

To meet the growing demand for its crushing and screening services, the company has in recent years bolstered its mobile fleet with Metso machines, bringing its total complement to 15 units in a short space of time.

Fleet expansion

The fleet expansion programme particularly gathered pace between

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KEY POINTS To meet the growing demand for its crushing and screening services, Trollope Mining Services has in recent years bolstered its mobile fleet with Metso machines The fleet expansion programme particularly gathered pace between 2021 and 2022 when Trollope acquired a total of six high-production Metso machines for a major project in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa Trollope has further expanded its Metso fleet with four more machines for a recently awarded project Trollope’s buying decision is influenced, to a greater extent, by the technological advancements on the Metso product

“

Given the high costs of diesel, dualpowered solutions help reduce operating costs for our clients. In our experience, the cost of running bi-power machines off the grid is 1/20 the cost of running them off a diesel engine. There is therefore a major cost benefit for our clients.

Guy Hopkins, MD of Trollope Mining Services

2021 and 2022 when Trollope acquired a total of six high-production Metso machines for a major project in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The new machines, says Charl Marais, sales manager at Pilot Crushtec, comprised three Lokotrack ST2.8E scalping screens, two Lokotrack LT120E jaw crushers and a Lokotrack LT330D cone crusher with an onboard screen.

“Notably, all the machines on this particular site are dual-powered units. With their ability to have both electricity and diesel as power sources, these hybrid solutions provide the best of both worlds – significant fuel savings and a marked reduction in carbon emissions.

Significant cost reduction is achieved when the machines are connected to the grid,” explains Charl Marais.

Explaining the rationale behind the buying decision, Hopkins says hybrid crushing and screening technology is aimed at reducing the cost per tonne of material produced for Trollope’s clients. “Given the high costs of diesel, dual-powered solutions help reduce operating costs for our clients. In our experience, the cost of running bi-power machines off the grid is 1/20 the cost of running them off a diesel engine. There is therefore a major cost benefit for our clients,” he says.

Trollope has further expanded its Metso fleet with four more machines for a recently awarded project.

Initially, the company bought a Lokotrack LT106 jaw crusher for this project. Changing requirements on the project necessitated having more machines, which resulted in the purchase of a Lokotrack LT200HPX cone crusher. To ramp up production even further, Trollope purchased two more Lokotrack units – an LT300HP cone crusher and an ST2.8 scalping screen.

One of the Lokotrack LT120 units from another project has since been deployed on this project to help meet the everchanging requirements.

In addition, Trollope has recently taken delivery of a Lokotrack LT1213S, a horizontal shaft impactor that has been deployed in a coal application. This is the second LT1213S the company has purchased in recent years.

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CRUSHING & SCREENING

The Lokotrack ST2.8 mobile scalping screen is suitable in multistage crushing processes to scalp ROM and remove fines prior to entering the crushing circuit.

Why Metso?

When it comes to crushing and screening, Hopkins confirms that Trollope runs only Metso machines.

“We prefer Metso machines because of our experience with the equipment,” he says. “I have personally experienced the Metso quality from way back during my days in the civil engineering space.

Fundamentally, the design and build quality of these machines are particularly good,” he says.

More importantly, adds Hopkins, is the technological evolution of the Metso offering, which he says affords Trollope to run “hands off ” operations. Metso has increasingly been using digitalisation right across the value chain to increase its customers’ business efficiency.

Hopkins makes special mention of digital tools such as Metso’s Bruno simulation software, which simulates the production process. Bruno’s performance prediction includes all the necessary Metso equipment, such as feeders, crushers and screens and shows percentages for different end products. With values based on real-life scenarios, the customer has all the user data to make informed decisions on the right equipment.

“There is no denying that technology is taking centre stage in mining and one of its key benefits is improved efficiency. In addition, technology is paving the way for improved safety on mining sites, which is why the regulator, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, is also driving the adoption of technology at mines. Our buying decision is therefore influenced, to a greater extent, by the technological advancements on the Metso product,” says Hopkins.

Partnership matters

While the Metso product has proven itself, Hopkins says the complementary aftermarket support

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The Metso Lokotrack LT120 primary crushing feed material and feeding a Metso LT200HPX cone crusher.

from Pilot Crushtec is crucial to ensuring uptime for Trollope machines. “In all our buying decisions, having a partner that we can trust for the long term is fundamental,” he says. “Traditionally, we have always been self sufficient in terms of servicing our machines, but Pilot Crushtec plays a crucial role in supporting us with all the required spares and technical knowledge where required.”

Francois Marais, sales and marketing director at Pilot Crushtec, is encouraged by the relationship between Pilot Crushtec and Trollope, saying that it is an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the Metso brand and what Pilot Crushtec can offer to a customer of this magnitude.

Pilot Crushtec has, over many years, reiterated its commitment to customer service by investing heavily and continuously in service infrastructure, spares and wear parts as well as in the continuous training of its people.

“We train, develop and retain the skills necessary to keep customers’ equipment up and running – to avoid costly downtime that could threaten their contracts and reputations,” says Francois Marais. “This includes our 15 full-time service technicians, who travel over a million kilometres a year to see customers and deliver quality support.”

Underpinning these levels of service – which are available 24/7, 365 days a year – is the company’s parts and aftermarket infrastructure, which is similarly always open for business. This starts with a large stockholding of around 93 000 individual items, including about 2 500 wear parts alone. There are 20 dedicated parts personnel to efficiently manage this valuable resource, dispatching on average about 6 800 parts every month. a

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LOCAL MANUFACTURING

Attended by a sizeable number of executives, delegates and employees, the groundbreaking ceremony heralded the start of the 11-month project.

COMPLEMENTING SOUTHERN AFRICAN GROWTH To complement its high growth levels, SANY Southern Africa has recently embarked on a footprint expansion programme. The latest in a long line of investments is the R300-million headquarters in Boksburg, Gauteng, South Africa, which is set for completion in 11 months following the groundbreaking ceremony on November 15. Notably, the new facility will house an assembly workshop for the local production of a selected range of

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excavators. By Munesu Shoko. o support the rapid growth of its business in southern Africa, SANY Southern Africa is investing heavily in its aftermarket infrastructure. GM Samuel Zhang tells Quarrying Africa that the company has experienced a massive 40% average year-on-year growth in the past three years, which is why it needs to

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invest in its facilities to better support the growing customer base.

Boaz Wang, SANY Southern Africa project supervisor, says the local growth is very much in line with SANY’s global progress, which has seen the company ranking as the fourth biggest construction equipment manufacturer on Off-Highway’s Yellow Table 2023.

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7-75 t

The assembly plant will produce SANY mid-size excavators from the 7-t SY75c to the 75-t SY750c

3 000

The assembly plant has a capacity to produce 3 000 excavators and other machines per year

The ground-breaking ceremony of the R300-million headquarters in Boksburg, Gauteng, South Africa took place on November 15.

KEY POINTS SANY southern Africa has broken ground on a R300-million new headquarters project in Boksburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Leading international construction giant, Sinoma, has been appointed to execute the 11-month project, which is being built on a 40 000 m² piece of land

The facility will include three buildings: a 2 300 m² administrative office, a 9 500 m² assembly plant and a 525 m² staff canteen

In addition, the company has just invested in a new 20 000 m² PDI centre in Benoni

Construction work has since started on the new headquarters, which is strategically located on the N12 highway in Boksburg. Leading international construction company, Sinoma, has been appointed to execute the 11-month project, which is being built on a nearly 40 000 m² piece of land.

Project in detail

Wang says the new headquarters will act as a regional hub for three legs of the business – logistics, manufacturing and training – which are all key to supporting the growth trajectory of the business in southern Africa.

The facility will include three buildings, a 2 300 m² administrative office which, according to Zhang, has the capacity to accommodate 200 employees.

Initially, SANY will have about 120 employees working from this state-of-the-art facility. The second building is a 525 m² staff canteen.

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LOCAL MANUFACTURING

Samuel Zhang, GM SANY Southern Africa, leading the proceedings during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new headquarters project.

parts inventory from approximately R170-million to Of note is the 9 500 m² assembly plant for R270-million by 2024. The increase in stock items is excavators, which makes SANY the first overseas made possible due to the size of the new warehouse, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the which is 20 000 m² with 12 000 m² under roof. yellow metal space to invest in local production. The In addition, the company has just invested in a assembly plant will produce mid-size excavators new pre-delivery inspection (PDI) centre in Benoni. from the 7-t SY75c to the 75-t SY750c. “The assembly The 20 000 m² facility enables SANY to expedite plant has the capacity to produce 3 000 excavators machine handovers to customers. The importance and other machines per year. Inventory from the of PDI, says Zhang, cannot be stressed enough. facility will cater for the African market at large,” says PDI significantly contributes to customer Wang. satisfaction by delivering products that “The assembly plant is testimony to meet their expectations. By conducting our commitment to our customers in a comprehensive inspection, SANY southern Africa. In an environment staff will be able to identify potential where lead times have become issues before the product reaches excessively long, we believe the customer’s hands. that local production is the As part of its strategy to further answer to ensuring that The new, bigger parts warehouse will enable grow its aftermarket capacity, we meet our customers’ SANY to increase its spare parts inventory SANY has opened new branches equipment needs quickly and from approximately R170-million to R270-million by 2024 in Middelburg, Rustenburg and effectively. This is the first step more recently Richards Bay. The in our localisation strategy,” company, says Zhang, intends to says Zhang, adding that local open branches in all major cities across production also supports the South Africa. In total, SANY envisages growth of the economy. a network of nine branches in South Africa within the next few years.

Investments galore “These investments are informed by our drive The new headquarters project follows hard on for customer satisfaction and to advancing the the heels of some recent investments in other reputation of the brand in southern Africa, which aftermarket facilities. Recently, SANY has just is important for us. The huge capital investments commissioned a new parts distribution centre also exhibit our long-term commitment to the local located in Olifantsfontein, Midrand. The new, bigger market,” concludes Zhang. a warehouse will enable SANY to increase its spare

R270-million

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DEALER AWARDS

AFGRI North scooped the Division 1 Dealer of the Year Multiple Dealer Outlet 2023 award at the recent John Deere awards ceremony.

HONOURING DEALER EXCELLENCE John Deere Africa Middle East (AME) recently held its annual awards ceremony to honour its dealers for their commitment to the growth of the brand. For the first time since its launch in March 2021, the Construction and Forestry Division also celebrated its dealer partners, highlighting the crucial role its ‘foot soldiers’ have played in the division’s rapid market share

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gains in just 34 months. Munesu Shoko attended the event and filed this report. very year, John Deere AME holds its awards ceremony to celebrate its top achieving dealers across the various segments of the business. This year’s event – held on November 10 – was significant as the company celebrated its record turnover. Jaco Beyers, MD for John Deere AME, hailed the dealer partners for their massive impact on the continued growth of John Deere in what he says is a challenging market.

“It is with great pleasure that I announce 2023 to be the best year in the history of John Deere AME. I am sure it also turned out to be the best or secondbest year for some of our dealers as well, highlighting the massive growth we have achieved together this year,” says Beyers. “Despite the headwinds in the market, our dealer network remains resolute to the cause, and the results are there for all to see. I tip my hat to our partners – they are the ones on the ground,

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spending long hours on the road, ensuring that our customer operations experience the best uptime and productivity out of their John Deere assets.”

Griffiths Makgate, sales manager Construction and Forestry Africa, also saluted the John Deere channel partners for their role in what he says is a massive growth trajectory since the launch of the division just under three years ago. “It has been a rewarding 34 months since we launched the Construction and Forestry division. We have grown from strength to strength, and we would like to honour our dealers, our ‘foot soldiers’, who make it happen,” says Makgate.

Enter construction

In March 2021, John Deere announced its decision to take full control of the marketing and support of its John Deere-branded construction products in Africa. The expansion of the construction line-up targeted 18 countries across southern

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42 t

Officially launched in July 2022, John Deere’s 42-t class 460E-II ADT is also challenging for a sizeable share of the market

17%

John Deere is now ranked second in the local grader market, with a 17% market share

“

2023 to be the best year in the history of

“

John Deere AME. I am sure it also turned

Forestry division. We have grown from

out to be the best or second-best

strength to strength, and we would

year for some of our dealers as well,

like to honour our dealers, our ‘foot

highlighting the massive growth we

soldiers’, who make it happen.”

It is with great pleasure that I announce

“It has been a rewarding 34 months since we launched the Construction and

have achieved together this year.

Jaco Beyers, MD for John Deere AME

Griffiths Makgate, sales manager Construction and Forestry Africa

Africa and West Africa, where the Deere-branded construction offering was previously not available.

The countries in question included South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Egypt, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Sudan.

The first phase of the rollout commenced with a selected range of John Deere-branded construction equipment, including backhoe loaders, excavators, wheel loaders, motor graders and crawler dozers.

More importantly, adds Makgate, it also entailed the appointment of capable and reputable dealer partners with a wide support footprint across the region. This, he says, was successfully accomplished, paving the way for the second phase of the rollout, which encompassed the launch of production class equipment.

“Some six years ago, we embarked on a complete

KEY POINTS Every year, John Deere AME holds its awards ceremony to celebrate its top achieving dealers across the various segments of the business This year’s event – held on November 10 – was significant as the company celebrated its record turnover For the first time since its launch in March 2021, the Construction and Forestry Division also celebrated its dealer partners this year The construction division has gained massive traction in just 34 months, with strong market share in the grader and ADT market segments

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DEALER AWARDS Construction and Forestry Awards Top Construction & Forestry Salesperson of the Year 2023 1. Leon Pool (Winner): AFGRI South, Vredendal 2. Klinton Kane: AFGRI North, Kempton Park 3. Susan Hutton: AFGRI North,

Middelburg 4. Hendrik van Zyl: Senwes Ventersdorp 5. Kevin Holton: Mascor Nelspruit

AFGRI Middelburg won the C&F Workshop with Highest Labour Sales 2023 award.

Griffiths Makgate was presented with a Never Idle award, an internal John Deere revolving trophy award.

Top Construction Segment Growth 2023 Winner: AFGRI Equipment Highest Construction Sales Growth 2023 Winner: AFGRI Equipment Never Idle Award (Internal John Deere revolving trophy award) Winner: Griffiths Makgate (John Deere AME) Construction and Forestry Top Technician of the Year 2023 1. Armand Botha (winner) 2. Anton Lombard 3. Sabo Magqabi C&F Workshop with Highest Labour Sales 2023 AFGRI Middelburg Division 1 Dealer of the Year Multiple Dealer Outlet 2023 1. AFGRI North (Winner) 2. JD Implemente 3. GWK Division 1 Dealer of the Year Single Dealer Outlet 2023 Swazi Trac

channel redesign, which we implemented some two-and-a-half years ago, with remarkable success to date. We selected what we believed were the strongest dealers, based on their wide support footprint, closeness to their customers, investments in their infrastructure, personnel, tools and training, which have all been key to the growth of the construction equipment range,” says Makgate.

Early success

Of prime importance to the early success of the construction segment is the dealers’ expanded support networks in their respective jurisdictions. They all have branches close to major towns, allowing them to offer quick service to customers operating within every corner of the region. The dealers have undergone extensive training to ensure that their teams are ready to support the new products in the market.

“Over the years, our dealers have expanded their teams of technicians and salespeople. Together with our partners, we have also started to open branches dedicated to the Construction and Forestry division. For example, we opened a branch in Springbok, which is more geared to support our mining customers. Together with AFGRI Equipment, we have also opened a branch in Tzaneen, Limpopo, which is one of the best performing outlets to date. AFGRI is also investing in a new, dedicated facility for the construction division near Kempton Park,” says Makgate.

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Division 2 and 3 Dealer of the Year 2023 Tata Zambia

Following the launch of production class equipment last year, John Deere AME has seen a quick uptake of its solutions in the mining sector. Makgate makes special mention of the grader and articulated dump truck (ADT) ranges, which have in the past year done exceptionally well. To provide context, John Deere is now ranked second in the local grader market, with a 17% market share, and Makgate believes it is just a matter of time before the range takes top spot.

Officially launched in July 2022, John Deere’s 42-tonne (t) class 460E-II ADT is also challenging for a sizeable share of the market. A large number of these machines are already operational in the mining sector, with some already clocking 4 000 hours in a very shortspace of time. a

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CONCRETE BATCHING PLANTS

The Lintec ECP Eco Concrete Batching Plant features an eco-friendly and efficient design concept for operations to produce a wide range of concrete mix designs.

BOOSTING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH CONSOLIDATION

As part of its continued globalisation, Lintec & Linnhoff has announced the strategic decision to consolidate Eurotec into the Lintec brand.

Consequently, Eurotec concrete batching plants will be sold under the

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Lintec name, with Lintec branding. By Munesu Shoko. ffective November 2023, the change will apply to all global markets and reflects Lintec & Linnhoff ’s commitment to bring the speed, productivity and ease-ofmaintenance benefits of the Eurotec product range to a wider customer base.

Daniel Chan, Chairman of Lintec & Linnhoff Holdings, says, “We are excited to announce the consolidation and

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are confident that our customers will appreciate being able to purchase the plants under the Lintec name, while also enjoying the higher residual value that Lintec plants command. Furthermore, we intend to gradually integrate more technology from our German design centre into the newly branded Lintec concrete batching plants, giving them further appeal.”

Established as part of the Lintec

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250 m³

With models that produce up to 250 m³ of readymix concrete per hour, the Lintec UCP Ultra series meets the needs of projects requiring thousands of cubic metres a day

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Established as part of the Lintec & Linnhoff Group nearly 35 years ago in 1988, Lintec’s brand heritage is founded on state-of-the-art German technology that incorporates high standards of craftmanship, precision and durability

The Lintec UCP Ultra concrete batching plant is the ideal choice for large-scale projects, especially those requiring high strength grades of concrete mix.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Effective November 2023, Lintec & Linnhoff has consolidated Eurotec into the Lintec brand The change will apply to all global markets and reflects Lintec & Linnhoff ’s commitment to bring the speed, productivity and ease-of-maintenance benefits of the Eurotec product range to a wider customer base The company intends to gradually integrate more technology from its German design centre into the newly branded Lintec concrete batching plants, giving them further appeal Lintec & Linnhoff customers will now have access to these new-generation of Lintec concrete batching plants, especially in markets such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa

& Linnhoff Group nearly 35 years ago in 1988, Lintec’s brand heritage is founded on state-ofthe-art German technology that incorporates high standards of craftsmanship, precision and durability.

Offering the highest quality of solutions, Lintec is transforming, inspiring and changing lives by bringing sustainable infrastructure across its range of asphalt mixing plants, as well its concrete batching plants, to communities across the globe.

New generation

The new generation of Lintec plants will provide customers in key Lintec & Linnhoff markets such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, with access to new Lintec products, further complementing existing models.

The highly automated Lintec UCP Ultra series is perfect for big concrete needs. With models that produce up to 250 m³ of ready-mix concrete per hour, the UCP series meets the needs of projects requiring thousands of cubic metres a day. The range can be customised to suit the requirements of any major project. The twin-shaft mixers, controlled by computerised process control systems running on Windows OS, intensely mixes concrete in threedimensional movements.

Completely modular and portable, the Lintec PCP Portable series of concrete batching plants are designed for total flexibility. The wet mix plant

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CONCRETE BATCHING PLANTS

The Lintec PCP Portable concrete batching plant is suitable for fast mobilisation and demobilisation and can be installed without civil foundations at the job site.

and innovative solutions that meet industry range is designed in modules for enhanced standards. portability and easy transportation. The plants can be set up on a prepared compacted surface without any Process control need for a foundation. They can All Lintec concrete batching be easily and quickly installed or plants are equipped with an dismantled. industrial computer system with The Lintec ECP series is an ecoits Lintec ECS software which is friendly and efficient batching time-tested for fully automatic The Lintec ECP90 has a rated output capacity of 90 m³ plant capable of delivering highoperation. This software is quality concrete. The modular interfaced with an electrical design of the Lintec ECP series control panel with synoptic allows for easy transportation, fast displays. During emergencies such installation and dismantling upon as computer hardware failures, the completion of a project, thus maximising control panel enables the operator to uptime for customers. In addition, the plant switch to emergency manual operations. requires minimal foundations and minimal or no Exclusively designed by Lintec, together with loading ramps, reducing material wastage for Siemens PLC, the ECS programme is based on customers. It comes with a two-sided aggregate Windows Operating System and can handle both storage bin (quadrant design) for materials to be Planetary Pan and Twin-Shaft Mixers for various loaded effortlessly. applications.

The new generation of plants will feature enhanced The ECS programme has a remote accessibility overall performance and capacity levels. These Lintec feature (via Wi-Fi or Mobile Data connections) for concrete batching plants can be fully cladded to tele-diagnostic and troubleshooting purposes. This reduce pollution, noise levels and overall impact helps to resolve any plant failure issues remotely and on the environment while also providing powerful to provide faster technical support. a

90 m³

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BLASTING INNOVATION

BME has designed and produced its own electronic initiation system, with its current flagship branded as AXXIS Titanium and AXXIS Silver.

SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATION, KEY TO BME SUCCESS AS OMNIA TURNS 70

The legacy of JSE-listed Omnia, now in its 70th year, continues to underpin the values and potential of its mining division entity, BME – as the companies innovate together to reduce environmental impacts such as carbon emissions.

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ormed in 1984 as the southern African pioneer in cold emulsion technology, BME is now one of the largest explosives and blasting solutions suppliers in Africa, according to BME MD Ralf Hennecke.

It became part of the Omnia group in 1987, with a close alignment to Omnia’s values – including a focus on being impactful, Afrocentric, transformative and sustainable.

“Beyond our quality emulsions, we have also responded to the mining industry’s growing

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need for technical blasting solutions and related technology,” says Hennecke. In line with Omnia’s commitment to sustainable growth through innovation, BME acquired Blastinfo in 1995 – accelerating its journey to becoming a leader in specialised technical solutions. In 2003, it also expanded into the field of electronic detonators, going on to produce its own local range that was regarded as one of the best on the market.

Lower carbon future

With a global reputation built on almost four

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1987

BME became part of the Omnia group in 1987, with a close alignment to Omnia’s values – including a focus on being impactful, Afro-centric, transformative and sustainable

10

The ready availability of chemicals has been a key aspect of this security, through Omnia’s nitrophosphate and calcium nitrate (Omnical) plants, as well as its investment in a porous granular ammonium nitrate plant 10 years ago

“

Beyond our quality emulsions, we have also responded to the mining industry’s growing need for technical blasting solutions and related technology.

Ralf Hennecke, MD of BME

KEY TAKEAWAYS Formed in 1984 as the southern African pioneer in cold emulsion technology, BME is now one of the largest explosives and blasting solutions suppliers in Africa

Beyond its quality emulsions, BME has also responded to the mining industry’s growing need for technical blasting solutions and related technology

BME is now part of an exciting strategic partnership with Swedish-based Hypex Bio Explosives Technology

BME’s own electronic initiation system – AXXIS – has become a household name in the African mining sector

decades of continuous technological innovation, BME is now part of an exciting strategic partnership with Swedish-based Hypex Bio Explosives Technology. Omnia has taken a minority stake in Hypex, which has developed the first non-nitrate explosive emulsions in the market and reduced the carbon content by 90% over traditional sources.

According to Omnia CEO Seelan Gobalsamy, this technology has the potential to completely change the explosives supply industry. The Hypex collaboration also aligns with Omnia’s sustainability and high-growth objectives, including the reduction of pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

The Hypex stake will help BME further improve the environmental impact of its emulsions, in line with Omnia’s purpose of “innovating to enhance life”

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BLASTING INNOVATION

BME’s Blasting Guide allows users to rapidly calculate and check blast designs.

while creating business opportunities for small businesses in local economies around mines.

Supply security

Hennecke says BME’s culture – in common with the Omnia group – has been built around a passion and commitment to delivering high-quality products and solutions to customers. At the level of operations, Omnia’s extensive investment in chemical plants has underpinned BME’s secure and safe supply chain.

The ready availability of chemicals has been a key aspect of this security, through Omnia’s nitrophosphate and calcium nitrate (Omnical) plants, as well as its investment in a porous granular ammonium nitrate plant 10 years ago.

Evolving blasting technology BME has developed its own range of digital tools for blasting, including its blast logging system, Xplolog.

and “together creating a greener future”. Hypex is considered to be at the forefront of sustainable civil explosives solutions and has developed a groundbreaking emulsion using hydrogen peroxide.

The step will also contribute to BME’s international expansion into markets where environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements are stringent.

Hennecke highlights that the company’s globalisation strategy is optimally aligned to the sustainable, nitrate-free emulsion technology offered by Hypex.

“This will contribute to our commitment to a lower carbon future, along with our other initiatives such as the incorporation of used oil as a fuel agent in our emulsion products,” he says. BME’s closely controlled system of collecting, storing, treating and testing this used oil removes the risk of it potentially contaminating water or land. The collection of used oil is a valuable service to customers and other sources,

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With a growing depth of expertise within the business, BME was soon able to design and produce its own electronic initiation system – AXXIS – which has since become a household name in the African mining sector. As a success story on its own, the AXXIS system has continuously evolved and improved, with its current flagship branded as AXXIS Titanium.

Embracing the digital technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, BME has developed its own range of digital tools for blasting. These include the blast planning software BlastMap, blast logging system Xplolog, and the Blasting Guide mobile application for Android devices. With Xplolog and Xplocharge fitted to BME’s smart mobile manufacturing units (MMUs), data on the bulk emulsion that is being loaded into blastholes can be uploaded and shared in real time.

“Integrating these digital tools into our Blast Alliance portfolio, we have enhanced customers’ ability to design quality blasts and to accurately predict blast results. They also facilitate better reporting on each blast, and the gathering of blast data in real time,” concludes Hennecke. a

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TOP INNOVATIONS 2023

The Pantera DP1600i from Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions can drill hole sizes from 102 to 178 mm in diameter, making it the largest top hammer drill on the market.

Ideal for mining, quarrying and large infrastructure projects, the new 55-t excavator breaks the industry norm of production having a direct link to operating weight.

UNLOCKING THE POWER OF INNOVATION In an ever-evolving quarrying and mining environment, there is a growing emphasis on fit-forpurpose solutions that cater to specific industry needs. In this article, Quarrying Africa looks at some of the solutions to come to market this year which we believe will help the industry unlock a new world of possibilities, enabling quarries to streamline processes, maximise efficiency and

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transform their operations. By Munesu Shoko. n today’s cutthroat business environment, quarries must be agile and adaptable to stay ahead of the competition. By harnessing the power of technology and leveraging the expertise of leading original equipment manufacturers and industry solutions providers, quarries can have access to innovative solutions that speak directly to their unique needs and challenges.

To help quarries and mines meet their operational objectives, OEMs and several other solutions providers in the industry are placing innovation at the core of their offerings. This has generally resulted in a move away from the traditional onesize-fits-all approach to custom designs that are aimed at revolutionising the way quarries operate,

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empowering them to meet the demands of an everchanging business landscape. Several new products introduced to the market this year have unlocked the power of innovation to address the industry’s pain points.

New era in drilling

One of the flagship solutions to come to market this year was the Pantera DP1600i from Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, which we profiled in the MarchApril edition of Quarrying Africa. A major talking point is the drill’s ability to drill hole sizes from 102 to 178 mm in diameter, making it the largest top hammer drill on the market.

According to Vanessa Hardy, BLM for Surface

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50%

Results from field tests of the Pantera DP1600i showed a 50% reduction in fuel consumption, 25% reduction in total drilling costs and a 15% increase in productivity, compared with the DTH drilling method under specific conditions

40%

With the new Volvo EC550E excavator, customers can also expect 40% more productivity and a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency

KEY TAKEAWAYS To help quarries and mines meet their operational objectives, OEMs and several other solutions providers in the industry are placing innovation at the core of their offerings

One of the flagship solutions to come to market this year was the Pantera DP1600i from Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, which can drill hole sizes from 102 to 178 mm in diameter, making it the largest top hammer drill on the market

A major talking point on the 55-t Volvo EC550E excavator is the new IMVT hydraulic setup, which allows the machine to punch well above its weight with production more in line with 60-65 t class machines

Originating in Australia, the range of SafeGauge solutions is being distributed in South Africa by proximity detection systems specialist, Booyco Electronics

Mining at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, top hammer drills have always been limited in terms of hole sizes. To provide context, the previous Pantera DP1500i could only drill holes up to 152 mm in diameter and anything beyond that would traditionally call for a switch to down-the-hole (DTH) drilling.

“We are excited to bring the first Pantera DP1600i drill into southern Africa. Being capable of drilling holes up to 178 mm in diameter, the new machine expands the hole size range of previous top hammer drills and challenges traditional DTH drilling on large quarries and surface mines,” says Hardy.

In designing the Pantera DP1600i, Sandvik saw the need to provide a cost-effective option to DTH drilling that could fit certain drilling applications with greatly improved performance. This new offering is therefore highly fuel-efficient, offering mining and quarrying customers a considerable reduction in their carbon (CO2) footprint in the process.

The Pantera DP1600i has proven itself in many locations around the world, including Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, South America and West Africa, where it has been deployed in a variety of open pit conditions with great operational outcomes.

Results from field tests showed a 50% reduction in fuel consumption, 25% reduction in total drilling costs and a 15% increase in productivity, compared with the DTH drilling method under specific conditions.

Breaking the norm

Another major solution of note to come to market was the Volvo EC550E excavator introduced by Babcock. A major talking point on the 55-tonne (t) offering is the new Independent Metering Valve Technology (IMVT) hydraulic setup, which allows the machine to punch well above its weight with production more in line with 60-65 t class machines.

Customers can also expect 40% more productivity and a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency.

Ideal for mining, quarrying and large infrastructure projects, the new 55-t excavator breaks the industry norm of production having a direct link to operating weight. This is achieved through Volvo CE’s ground-breaking Independent Metering Valve Technology (IMVT) hydraulic setup, in conjunction with a totally new engine trim on the D13 block and electrohydraulic command for the joysticks.

“As a result, the machine ‘fights’ well outside its weight category, offering production in line with bigger class machines in the 60-65 t range, despite the decals only stating 55-t,” explains Lance Mannix, GM Sales at Babcock’s Equipment division.

“The machine fits in between our existing 48-t Volvo EC480D and the 75-t Volvo EC750D models. While the EC480D model is aimed at customers looking for an efficient and reliable 50-t class excavator, the EC550E offers 40% greater production than the EC480D in

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TOP INNOVATIONS 2023

SafeGauge helps to achieve this strategic goal by addressing an important area of maintenance: live testing.

typical dig and dump applications, meaning it is closer to the EC750D and so challenges the 60-65 t excavator class,” explains Mannix.

The increased size and weight of the undercarriage gives the machine greater stability, allowing it to accommodate a larger bucket (2,4-4,2 m³) capacity.

By load distribution surface/footprint of the undercarriage, the EC550E has almost an identical size to some competitor 70-t machines.

In mass excavation (ME) configuration, it can even challenge bigger class competitors. For a typical ME machine, at 6 m reach, 1,5 m elevation – in other words where stability really counts – you have a lift value of 17 910 kg across tracks. This is, by kilos, comparable to certain 70-t competitor offerings.

The 2 071 Nm (320 kW) engine, with rated power at 1 600 rpm, is also well in line with certain competitor 70-t machines. This, coupled with the large displacement pumps (832 litres per minute), results in faster cycle times. For most competitor offerings in the bigger class, one needs to rev the engine at 1 800 rpm to reach the maximum power. Low revs are generally good, so the EC550E has the upper hand here.

Experienced people tend to be relatively more interested in torque than power when it comes to large excavators. Torque is more about force, and power is more about speed – and typically excavator force can be more of a priority than speed, subject to application.

However, one cannot see torque in isolation. The EC550E is fitted with large displacement pumps, matched to the capabilities of the engine. Customers can therefore get high flow/fast cycle times at the same time as when operating at a high torque.

Safety breakthrough

A revolutionary innovation to come to the local market this year now makes the live testing of mining and

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other equipment safer and quicker. Originating in Australia, the range of SafeGauge solutions is being distributed in South Africa by proximity detection systems specialist, Booyco Electronics.

According to Graeme Jardine, Booyco Electronics’ chief sales officer, the SafeGauge range aligns closely with the company’s safety focus. “As the mining industry works towards zero harm in the workplace, mines are always on the lookout for technologies that can make their sites safer,” says Jardine. “SafeGauge helps to achieve this strategic goal by addressing an important area of maintenance: live testing.”

This refers to the testing of large equipment such as articulated dump trucks (ADTs), rigid frame dump trucks, load haul dumpers (LHDs) and hydraulic shovels while they are running, to generate vital data on the machines’ condition. He notes that this is traditionally conducted with hoses and handheld gauges, to test variables such as pressure, fan speed and wear on rotating equipment such as slew bearings. The practice often involves maintenance staff being in close proximity to an idling machine, working near high pressures and rotating components.

“By introducing the Safegauge sensors and products which are fitted to large equipment with quick couplers or magnets, the necessary readings and measurements can be taken from a distance of up to 50 m,” he explains. “This removes the personnel from any hazardous areas where they might, for instance, be positioned in crush zones of unplanned movement.”

This wireless monitoring system not only allows workers to test live machines from a safe distance, but it also does it up to seven times more quickly. This translates directly into less downtime, which improves the productivity of mobile plant. a

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TOP INNOVATIONS 2023 – TRACK TROMMELS

The MDS M515 – the best-selling model in the range – is ideally suited for quarries, mines and construction.

USHERING A NEW ERA IN SCREENING Following the announcement of its dealership agreement with MDS International earlier this year, ELB Equipment has brought the first MDS unit into South Africa, the M515 heavy-duty track trommel. A key talking point is the machine’s ability to take feed sizes up to 800 mm and produce much larger material sizes than conventional

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screens and grizzlies. By Munesu Shoko. n July 2023, ELB Equipment announced that it was adding the MDS range of heavy duty static and track trommels to its stable, ‘closing the circuit’ for its minerals processing customers in southern Africa. Speaking at the launch of the MDS M515 track trommel on November 2, 2023, Desmond van Heerden, CEO of ELB Equipment, said the MDS range of heavy-duty track trommels had generated increased global attention, especially following the company’s

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2021 acquisition by Terex.

“I had the privilege of looking at some of their products at CONEXPO-CON/AGG in the United States earlier this year and I was thoroughly excited by what I saw. Following extensive investigations and analysis of the product by our team, we decided to add MDS to our product portfolio. We believe that this addition complements the existing offering in our Mining Division and closes the circuit for our mineral processing customers,” says Van Heerden.

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800 mm

With a hopper capacity of 20 t, the MDS M515 can take a feed size of up to 800 mm

500 tph

The machine has a production capacity of up to 500 tph

The machine comes complete with three fold-out conveyors – the fines conveyor, the mid-product conveyor with a maximum rock size of 450 mm, and the oversize conveyor with a maximum rock size up to 800 mm.

KEY POINTS ELB Equipment has launched the MDS M515 heavy-duty track trommel, the first MDS unit to be introduced in South Africa

The MDS M515 – the best-selling model in the range – is ideally suited for quarries, mines and construction

In quarrying, the machine excels at crafting riprap, gabion stone and armour rock, as well as reclaiming rocks entangled with clay and other sticky materials

The sheer size of material that the machine can take and process sets it apart from conventional screening solutions

Raheel Qamar, business development manager at MDS, says ELB Equipment is a logical partner for MDS as the company already represents other Terex brands, such as Powerscreen scalpers and screens in southern Africa. Given the vast amount of mining activity on the continent, Qamar tells Quarrying Africa that Africa has always been a market of interest to MDS International.

“I am very excited to partner with ELB Equipment, a flagship name in the southern African mining industry,” says Qamar. “Our products will benefit from the high levels of service and support that ELB Equipment is renowned for. We have a niche product that will introduce a totally new way of doing things.”

Equally excited about the new partnership is ELB Equipment’s divisional director, Wakefield Harding, who says that the addition of MDS trommels speaks directly to ELB Equipment’s strategy to expand its offering into new crushing, screening and environmental industries with products that complement its existing portfolio.

First machine

The first MDS machine on ELB’s arrival lounge is the M515, said to be the only heavy-duty track trommel of its nature in the world. The MDS M515 – the best-selling model in the range – is ideally suited for quarries, mines and construction, confirms Qamar. In quarrying, the machine excels at crafting riprap, gabion stone and armour rock, as well as reclaiming rocks entangled with clay and

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TOP INNOVATIONS 2023 – TRACK TROMMELS hand-selected with excavators and grabs.

“We also see big potential for this machine in the diamond fields. Diamonds by their very nature are below 50 mm in size, yet 70% of the feed could be bigger than 50 mm. Diamond mines can therefore run the feed through this big trommel before sending anything below 50 mm onto the processing plant,” explains Dickson.

Other features

ELB Equipment has launched the MDS M515 track trommel in southern Africa.

One of the key features of this machine is its ease of mobility, which allows it to be tracked around the site and transported from mine to mine if need be.

The machine is also easy to set up and can be up and running in about 10 minutes of arrival on site.

In addition, the updated design incorporates new elements that enhance accessibility and stockpile capacities. Maintenance is a breeze with the engine’s swing-out feature, along with a convenient access platform that simplifies access. Both the fines and mid-product conveyors have been extended to elevate stockpile heights. Furthermore, the engine’s new side placement allows for easy fitting on smaller bed trailers, reducing transportation expenses for customers.

A range of drum configurations is also available, including frames with interchangeable screens or fully welded drums. “The drum cleaner is effective for cleaning clay-bound rock, and rocks mixed with limestone and other tricky materials, in preparation for crushing. Where many conventional machines fail in wet, harsh mining conditions, especially in areas such as Mozambique, this machine will thrive,” says Qamar.

other sticky materials.

The sheer size of material that the machine can take and process sets it apart, says Qamar. With a hopper capacity of 20 tonnes (t), the MDS M515 can take a feed size of up to 800 mm and process it down to various size ranges between 100 and 450 mm at a production capacity of up to 500 tonnes per hour (tph). “Traditionally, trommels of this size are static. We are the only company in the world that offers mobile heavy-duty trommels of this size,” says Qamar.

The machine comes complete with three fold-out conveyors – the fines conveyor, the midproduct conveyor with a maximum rock size of 450 mm, and the oversize conveyor with a maximum rock size up to 800 mm. What sets this machine apart is that the biggest rock size you can channel through The range will benefit from the fines conveyor is 200 mm.

ELB Equipment’s extensive

10

Place in the market

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Van Heerden is confident that the MDS venture will be a success for ELB Equipment. The range will benefit from the company’s extensive aftermarket footprint of 10 strategically located sales, service and support outlets, which is complemented by 60 service vehicles.

Qamar also believes that there is definitely a ready market for the MDS heavy duty trommel range in southern Africa. In the past, MDS has sold a few units in the region directly, without which, according to Qamar, is testimony to the interest in this range.

In fact, there are four units already operating in the region – two in the DRC and one each in Mozambique and Madagascar.

In conclusion, Harding says the MDS range is bound to boost production volumes for local customers while increasing profitability on many new and existing plants in South Africa and the southern African region at large. “The plan is to put the first unit into operation in South Africa. We will bring in a smaller unit next year which we will deploy as a test unit to prove concept,” concludes Harding. a

aftermarket footprint of 10 strategically located sales, service and support outlets

Heath Dickson, product and applications manager – Mining Division at ELB Equipment, believes there is a place for mobile trommels in the local market. “The machine can take up to 800 mm and separate it into 100-, 200-, 300- and 450-mm sizes, which no conventional screen can do,” says Dickson. “To provide context, the biggest mobile screen in our stable is the Powerscreen Warrior 2400, and the biggest size that it can screen down to is only 270 mm.”

Dickson says the MDS M515 will therefore usher in a new screening era in a range of applications. For example, it will come in handy when producing dump rock for road construction, which ranges between 65 and 300 mm. It is also ideally suited for producing riprap or armour rock, an effective solution for building dams and protecting coastlines and structures from erosion by the sea, rivers or streams. Dickson says that no screen can produce the required sizes for riprap and armour rock, which are generally between 450 and 800 mm. Traditionally, he says, these products are

Growth prospects

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

Dennis Vietze, MD of Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa.

EXPANSION STRATEGY PAYS DIVIDENDS

Having taken the reins as MD of Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa in 2017, Dennis Vietze implemented a business expansion programme in 2019, which largely hinged on expanding access points for customers in the region through carefully selected dealer partners, and diversifying into new market segments and territories. He tells Quarrying Africa that to date the strategy has paid dividends, with the business doubling turnover in just four years. By Munesu Shoko.

W

hen Vietze joined Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa in 2017, one of his immediate objectives was to reinject the much-needed growth into what was a business with dormant potential at the time. An analysis of the status quo revealed that one of the challenges was its limited footprint.

To provide context, Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa had only three access points at the time –

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the Johannesburg headquarters and two branches located in Durban and Cape Town – to cater to a vast market.

The three access points, he says, were not even sufficient to cater to the South African market alone, which, according to Vietze, is almost threeand-a-half times the size of his home country, Germany. In 2018, Vietze and his team put together a strategy to expand access points across the whole region, with implementation taking centre

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The expansion strategy has yielded massive outcomes, with the extended dealer network and sub-branches increasing access points from three to 89 in sub-Saharan Africa

44%

The company has doubled its turnover in just four years, with 2022 constituting a particularly good year, recording a whopping 44% growth compared to 2021

Wacker Neuson has gained significant market share in the local compact wheel loader market.

In partnership with one of the most prominent equipment rental chains in South and Sub-Saharan Africa, Wacker Neuson SubSaharan Africa has established a rent-to-rent facility, which is geared at SMMEs.

KEY POINTS After joining Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa in 2017, Dennis Vietze implemented a business expansion programme in 2019

The strategy entailed the appointment of capable dealer partners across the region

The expansion strategy not only focused on access points, but also on new market segments

Apart from new market segments, the expansion programme has put Africa at the centre of attention, with new partners appointed in recent years

stage in 2019. The plan entailed the absorption of three Wacker Neuson branches into the main headquarters in Johannesburg and, more importantly, the appointment of capable dealer partners across the region to give customers extended sales and service points.

“Traditionally, our customers were used to dealing with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) directly and the dealer approach was therefore a big change for them,” explains Vietze. “However, they soon realised that dealers were just an extended arm providing the same service, professionalism and parts support, with an added benefit of shorter turnaround times due to their proximity to customer operations.”

The expansion strategy has yielded massive outcomes, with the extended dealer network and sub-branches increasing access points from three to 89 in sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, the company

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

Wacker Neuson is now among the top three brands in the compact telehandler market (with a reach up to 10 m).

has doubled its turnover in just four years, with 2022 constituting a particularly good year, recording a whopping 44% growth compared to 2021. The trajectory has continued into 2023, with a 20% growth rate expected this year.

Diversification

The expansion strategy not only focused on access points, but also on new market segments. Traditionally, Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa was largely focused on the construction sector, where it is ranked amongst the top three brands in the light equipment segment such as rammers, pedestrian rollers, plate compactors, and breakers.

To unlock further growth, the company decided to diversify into other market segments such as agriculture, mining and quarrying, leveraging a strong line-up of underutilised compact gear such as its allsteer wheel loaders, telehandlers and mini excavators.

In the past, says Vietze, this range never reached its potential in the local market because the focus was more on the construction segment than any other potential markets.

“To make the most of opportunities in all segments, we separated our construction and agriculture dealer networks. To this end, we appointed three renowned agricultural dealers – AFGRI Equipment, Senwes Equipment and the TATA Group, who gave us an extensive footprint into agriculture. The partnership was mutually beneficial; the premium Wacker Neuson range also afforded them a solution to close the gap in their existing ranges, particularly in the compact telehandler, wheel loader and mini excavator markets,” says Vietze.

Given that these dealers have an extensive footprint among them and already command a premium customer base, Vietze tells Quarrying Africa that the growth in agriculture has been phenomenal in a short

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space of time. Within one-and-a-half years, Wacker Neuson is now among the top three brands in the compact telehandler market (with a reach up to 10 m), as well as the compact wheel loader and mini excavator markets (up to 8 t).

Apart from agriculture, Vietze says the mining sector also presents a major opportunity for the Wacker Neuson compact range, mainly for utility work such as cleaning and maintenance on mines and quarries.

To this end, Wacker Neuson appointed Kathu-based Maucal Mining & Minerals as an official Kathu dealer in 2019, giving Wacker Neuson an extended presence in the mining region of the Northern Cape.

Focus on SMMEs

Given the high unemployment rate in South Africa, which stood at 31,9% during the third quarter of 2023 (Statistics SA), with youth unemployment at a staggering 43,4%, Vietze has seen an increasing appetite among young people to start small businesses in areas such as plumbing, landscaping and electrical works, amongst others.

Due to lack of capital, these informal, small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) generally use manual labour in applications such as trenching, which, according to Vietze, is unproductive. This, he says, presents an opportunity for Wacker Neuson to offer its mini excavators and compact wheel loaders, for example, to this budding group of customers.

In partnership with one of the most prominent equipment rental chains in South and Sub-Saharan Africa, Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa has established a rent-to-rent facility, which is geared at SMMEs. The facility gives them access to what Wacker Neuson believes to be its niche products. These include mini excavators, mini loaders, dumpers and remote-controlled trench rollers – products that do

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20% Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa expects the growth trajectory to continue this year, with a 20% growth rate expected in 2023

not necessarily yet have large sales volumes. Rental, says Vietze, is a cost-effective option for this group of customers, given that it allows them access to premium machines as and when they need them.

“With this facility, we are playing our part in developing SMMEs which are crucial to the country’s economic growth. As their businesses grow and their utilisation starts to increase, they will consider buying their own machines. This places Wacker Neuson and our dealer partners in good stead to sell to them, given that they will already be accustomed to our product quality, performance and backup support,” explains Vietze.

African expansion

Apart from new market segments, the expansion programme has put Africa at the centre of attention, with new partners appointed in recent years. With existing strong partners in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique, efforts were focused on the rest of the other key markets.

“One of the interesting markets for us is Tanzania, where we have seen rapid growth, more in agriculture than construction. To make the most of this market, we have just appointed a capable dealer, TATA International. The onboarding of TATA International as a Wacker Neuson dealer in Tanzania earlier this year has secured a strong foothold for us on Africa’s East Coast, presenting advantages for both partners,” says Vietze.

To better look after its customers, TATA International opened an office in the capital, Dar es Salaam, in July 2023, which is supported by three branches located in Northern Tanzania – Mwanza, a port city on the shore of Lake Victoria, the city of Arusha, and Mafinga town. With further support from sister companies in Zambia and Malawi, TATA International is equipped to service customers across a wide region which extends into Rwanda.

TATA International will initially supply internal and external vibrators, rammers, single and reversible plate compactors, pedestrian and ride-on rollers, breakers, saws, generators, light towers, clearwater and trash pumps from Wacker Neuson. Eventually, the full range of Wacker Neuson equipment will be available from TATA International.

Another major market of focus is the Ivory Coast, where Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa has also onboarded a new dealer, Batisseurs Machines Et Materiaux (BMM). Elsewhere, the OEM is also currently onboarding a new dealer in Mauritius, a market Vietze ranks highly in terms of potential growth. Zambia, he says, is next on the agenda. After the dealer agreement in Tanzania, TATA International is highly interested in representing the brand in Zambia, a market where it already has a large footprint.

“Looking ahead, we have the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on our radar. We have lined up the first interviews with potential partners for due diligence purposes. We expect to onboard the DRC partner by Q1, 2024,” says Vietze. “One of the most attractive, yet difficult markets, is Nigeria. We plan to visit and negotiate with a potential partner during Q1, 2024.”

The African expansion programme has been a success for Wacker Neuson. To provide context, when Vietze took over, 90% of the company’s revenue was attributed to South Africa, with the other 10% from cross border markets. Following the expansion strategy, the ratio is now 60% South Africa and 40% other African markets.

This, says Vietze, is a favourable ratio because the business is not concentrated in one market. With the drive to secure representation in big markets such as the DRC and Nigeria, Vietze believes there might be a shift to a 50-50 ratio in the next two years.

Trends

Commenting on some new trends in the market, Vietze says Wacker Neuson sees a greater need to start promoting zero-emission, battery-powered products in the African market. Despite the general sentiment that Africa is not yet ready for the technology, Vietze says Wacker Neuson wants to be among the pioneers of the technology in the local market.

The company already has a full range of batterypowered solutions available, including a rammer, plate compactor, a vibrator and also a 1,7-t mini excavator ideally suited for eco-estates. Wacker Neuson has also made its electric range available as part of the rent-torent concept.

Digital innovation is another key trend of focus for Wacker Neuson. As part of this drive, all its dealers have now adopted the Smart Glasses introduced locally in 2022. The mixed reality glasses support service technicians on site. When a customer needs help, the service technician, equipped with the smart glasses, can join a live expert and share his view of the machine.

“With this solution, the machine is up and running again in a short time. The smart glasses thus save travel time, costs and resources,” concludes Vietze. a

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW Kenny Price works with and alongside Rokbak EMEA customers and dealers, day in, day out.

DRIVING ROKBAK’S EMEA GROWTH With 25 years’ experience in the industry under his belt, Rokbak regional sales manager EMEA, Kenny Price, discusses increasing Rokbak hauler sales by 25% and how experience from the factory floor to working with a variety of OEM products at a dealership gives him a unique insight into customer needs.

25%

In the past 12 months, unit sales for Rokbak have increased by 25% and unique customer numbers by 45% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa

60%

The Scottish articulated hauler manufacturer has recorded a 40% returning and 60% new business customer base in 2023

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n the past 12 months, unit sales for Rokbak have increased by 25% and unique customer numbers by 45% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The Scottish articulated hauler manufacturer has recorded a 40% returning and 60% new business customer base in 2023.

It is altogether indicative of strong customer satisfaction in product investment, aftersales support and the development of key partnerships.

“When customers buy machines, they buy them to perform and do a job – sometimes up to 24 hours a day, and so the machines need to be reliable,” states Price. “Rokbak trucks are popular with customers because they are hardworking, robust and durable.

“Our increased unit sales in 2023 are welcome confirmation of confidence in the product, that it is working well for the customer, and that customers enjoy working with Rokbak and our dealer partners. New customers coming into the Rokbak fold are starting to see the benefits they can get from investing in our products, in particular regarding the trucks’ performance and fuel efficiency. We are always looking to strengthen existing relationships and start working with new customers.”

Inside knowledge

Price worked his way up starting on the factory floor as an apprentice maintenance engineer at Rokbak’s Motherwell factory in 1999, just three miles away from his hometown, learning valuable skills and working with the truck product. He progressed as an engineer before moving into product training and becoming a product manager.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS Rokbak’s increased unit sales in 2023 are confirmation of confidence in the product Region EMEA is a strong market for articulated dump trucks, with several important territories including the UK, France and Germany In 2022, the UK ADT market was second only to the United States – and it is on track to compete for that position again by the end of 2023 Rokbak trucks can be found in mining, quarries and in big construction and infrastructure projects

for the best for our customers and dealers.

“We are a close group – there are not thousands of us – and we only manufacture haulers, so we are extremely focused on being the experts in our field.

We stay down-to-earth and form close bonds with customers and dealers – it’s a partnership – and I know this is appreciated by everyone we work with.”

Key markets

Region EMEA is a strong market for articulated dump trucks, with several important territories including the UK, France and Germany. In 2022, the UK ADT market was second only to the United States – and it is on track to compete for that position again by the end of 2023. For the UK market, 2022 was a boom year and Q1 2023 was the biggest opening quarter for market volume in recent memory.

Following this, he spent several years working “The UK market is incredibly important to Rokbak with the distribution of construction equipment and the trucks we manufacture,” explains Price. “This is as a regional sales manager, head of sales and particularly true when large-scale projects come up, which general manager, where he worked with several are ideal for our RA30 and RA40 articulated haulers.”

OEM products and gained first-hand experience Rokbak trucks can be found in mining, quarries and within the dealer network. In 2020 he returned to in big construction and infrastructure projects.

Motherwell with a new perspective and a They are used to transport different types greater awareness of what customers of materials all over the world, in a variety prioritise. of conditions and terrain. Many are “Being front and centre with the working in muckshift and landfill customer at a dealership, you with specialised bodies to maximise understand what is required capacity. Regardless of where they for an OEM to be successful, are or what they are doing, the same particularly with the aftersales For the UK market, 2022 was Rokbak backing is there. and the upfront sales support,” a boom year and Q1 2023 was the biggest opening quarter for “Investing time in the dealer Price reflects. “You come to market volume in recent memory means investing time in the have an appreciation of how customer. The aftersales support is the dealerships are working and so important to them, and it is thus the importance of the relationship important to us too. Customer visits, between them, the customer and the technical product training and information are manufacturer. the framework of our system. The product needs “The customer really values support, the OEM to do its role but when it comes to things like being fair and trustworthy, and doing exactly what servicing and maintenance, it is about being there we say we are going to do. It definitely helps that, at and acting responsibly and quickly to any customer Rokbak, we have a passionate team with a wealth of requirements,” concludes Price. a experience and decades of hauling heritage. We strive

Q1 2023

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CORPORATE PARTNERS

AfriSam AfriSam is a leading construction materials group in southern Africa.

Since establishing its first cement plant in 1934, the company has grown into a formidable construction materials group with operations in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini.

Pilot Crushtec International Pilot Crushtec International (Pty) Ltd is South Africa’s leading supplier of mobile and semi-mobile crushing, screening, recycling, sand washing, stockpiling, compacting and material handling solutions. www.pilotcrushtec.com

www.afrisam.co.za

Babcock Through several business units, Babcock offers a range of products and services, including construction and mining equipment, engineering solutions for steam generation and power plants, crane hire and gear rental, industrial generators, welding equipment and DAF truck sales and service.

Sandvik As a world-leading mining equipment manufacturer, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is committed to improving your productivity and profitability. Our products and services provide you maximum value in terms of performance, quality, safety, flexibility and total economy. www.rocktechnology.sandvik/en/

www.babcock.co.za

Booyco Electronics With more than 16 years of experience in Proximity Detection Systems solutions, Booyco Electronics has supplied over 6 500 sets of mining vehicle equipment installations across southern Africa, as well as more than 55 000 pedestrian RFID installations.

SANY Sany Southern Africa is a subsidiary of Sany Group, a leading manufacturer of construction, mining and port machinery with over 20 R&D centres and manufacturing bases all over the world. www.sanysouthafrica.com

www.booyco-electronics.co.za

ERG Industrial ERG Industrial is a global consumables supplier to the mining, quarrying, civil and construction industries. ERG Industrial is the distributor of the patented Varistem® explosives stemming plugs to sites in Africa. www.ergindustrial.com

Scania Scania is a world leading provider of transport solutions with 50 000 employees in about 100 countries. Together with its partners and customers, the company is driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system. www.scania.com/za

IPR IPR is recognised across the SADC region as the pump, heavy duty slurry handling and dredging specialist operating in underground and surface mining, quarrying, construction, wastewater, petrochemical and oil and gas sectors.

Vermeer Vermeer Equipment Suppliers (Pty) Ltd. has been providing sales and after sales support to Vermeer equipment owners since 2004.

The company also supplies a full line of ANACONDA® Mobile Crushers, Screens and Stacking Conveyors.

www.pumprental.co.za

www.vermeersouthafrica.com

Loadtech LOADTECH Load cells Onboard Weighing are specialists in onboard weighing providing complete solutions onboard your heavy goods vehicle, primarily in the application of load cell and transducer systems for payload protection and accuracy in the commercial vehicle sector.

Weir Minerals Weir Minerals Africa offers a wide range of equipment solutions including pumps, hydrocyclones, valves, dewatering equipment, wear-resistant linings, rubber products, screens and crushers – backed throughout the product lifecycle by high levels of aftermarket support.

www.loadtech.co.za

www.global.weir

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