Sustainability, longevity embedded in strategy

Having anticipated the future demands of the mining sector, global refractory and industrial solutions company the Dickinson Group of Companies (DGC) Africa’s key strategic objectives are aimed at developing lasting solutions for more sustainable mining practices and integrating advanced technologies.

The company’s focus is on creating an uncontested market space by identifying and addressing unmet needs in the mining sector while breaking the value–cost tradeoff with clients. Other requirements include an emphasis on value innovation over competitive benchmarking.

“At DGC, we’re expanding beyond our traditional industrial furnace clientele,” states DGC Africa chairperson Trevor Dickinson.

“We’re looking upstream to mining customers, where our industrial linings, weld overlay, and wear protection solutions are crucial. This approach redefines industry boundaries, moving us from refractory specialists to comprehensive asset integrity management providers.”

He says the company is now reaching previously underserved markets, including remote mining operations, with its advanced industrial technologies. “This strategic shift leverages our expertise in new ways, creating value for a broader client base while strengthening our market position.”

The company’s approach to developing custom industrial solutions for the mining sector in Southern Africa and Latin America is fundamentally shaped by its Blue Ocean Strategy – one that has transformed DGC Africa from mere refractory specialists to a leading global provider of asset integrity management and industrial solutions.

Challenges, Partnerships

DGC Africa has faced numerous challenges in developing optimal industrial solutions for clients across multiple jurisdictions in sub-Saharan Africa and these challenges have tested the company’s resilience and driven it to innovate and adapt its strategies, continuously.

“One of the most significant hurdles has been navigating the diverse and complex regulatory environments across different countries, each with its unique set of mining laws, environmental regulations, and labour standards. To overcome this, we’ve developed a deep understanding of local regulatory frameworks and built strong relationships with regulatory bodies in each of the countries in which we operate,” explains Dickinson.

Infrastructure disparities, with varying levels of development across the region, have posed considerable challenges, along with inadequate transportation networks and unreliable power supply in some areas.

Skills shortages and workforce development have been persistent issues, particularly for specialised roles in advanced industrial processes. The company has addressed this by investing heavily in its artisanal skills development initiative in partnership with artisan training and development provider UXi Artisan Development.

DGC Africa has also had to contend with political and economic instability in some regions, with sudden policy changes, currency fluctuations and supply chain disruptions requiring robust contingency plans and flexible operational strategies.

Other challenges include mitigating incongruency in terms of matching the company’s advanced technologies with operations in remote mining locations and areas with limited technological infrastructure.

Managing supply chains across multiple countries with limited logistical infrastructure has resulted in DGC Africa having to build strong local supplier networks and maintain consistent health and safety standards across diverse operational environments.

“Despite these challenges, DGC Africa has consistently strived to deliver excellent industrial solutions, turning many of these obstacles into opportunities for innovation. Our ability to navigate these complex issues has been key to our success and has reinforced our position as a leading provider of asset integrity management and industrial solutions in the mining sector across sub-Saharan Africa,” says Dickinson.

Comprehensive Strategy

The company has developed a robust strategy to leverage its partnerships with mineral processing companies to significantly enhance its engineering capabilities for the mining sector in Southern Africa.

Dickinson notes that this approach aligns with DGC Africa’s directive of creating uncontested market space and offering unique value to clients in the region.

To complement this directive, the company has partnered with multidisciplinary engineering firm LogiProc, enabling the former to offer comprehensive mineral process engineering, design and construction services.

Dickinson highlights that this partnership enhances DGC Africa’s capacity to deliver turnkey solutions across the mining, metals smelting, and mineral processing sectors in sub-Saharan Africa, with these services spanning the entire project life cycle – from initial feasibility studies and engineering, through to project management and ongoing plant operations and maintenance.

“Our strategic alliance with Effixon Engineering significantly enhances DGC Africa’s reverse engineering capabilities,” states Dickinson.

“This collaboration is particularly valuable for clients lacking original component drawings – a common challenge in brownfield environments.

“Using advanced techniques like 3D scanning and precise measurements, we recreate accurate digital representations of existing equipment. This allows us to not only replicate parts but also identify potential improvements, enabling us to offer tailored retrofit solutions that enhance performance and extend equipment life.”

This approach is crucial for optimising operations and modernising legacy systems, even without original documentation, he notes.

This partnership strategy supports DGC Africa’s broader expansion plans to extend its geographic reach, with plans to enter Francophone West Africa by late 2025, further plans for DGC LATAM, in South America, and the eventual establishment of DGC Middle East.

Dickinson adds that DGC Africa is also positioning itself as a versatile and robust international provider of industrial solutions.

“This approach ensures that DGC Africa can offer localised expertise backed by world-class capabilities, meeting the evolving needs of mining clients across multiple continents while maintaining a strong focus on innovation, efficiency and sustainable practices,” concludes Dickinson.