Mamaili Mamaila

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Mamaili Mamaila

Copperbelt outlook promising despite challenges

6th December 2019 The Central African Copperbelt offers some of the most attractive deposits worldwide, says diversified resources producer Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) CEO Benedikt Sobotka, adding that most investors are bullish on copper’s long-term fundamentals. →

ERG committed to the Copperbelt

6th December 2019 Diversified natural resources producer Eurasian Resources Group’s (ERG’s) copper and cobalt activities are located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, with ERG CEO Benedikt Sobotka noting that Metalkol RTR and Frontier Mine are the company’s operational and copper-producing assets. →

PROMISING OUTLOOK Upon completion of a second phase of development, Metalkol RTR will produce 105 000 t/y of copper and 20 000 t/y of cobalt

Recent developments bode well for copper, copper alloys

6th December 2019 Several developments are making copper and copper alloys increasingly important, says metallurgical industry plant and integrated systems provider SMS group. →

MORE THAN JUST A METAL Copper is more than just a mined metal – it not only provides jobs but also promotes a higher standard of living

Bright future for copper – consultancy

6th December 2019 The copper sector’s current buoyancy can be attributed to improved prices and substantial demand from industrialised nations, such as China, says civil and structural engineering firm ADA Consulting Engineers director Paul Maitre. →

LARGE FACILITY In the DRC, ADA Consulting is involved in the building of a large facility on the road towards Kinsevere mine, for a mining equipment supplier operating in the copper mining sector

Tailings dam failures concerning

29th November 2019 It is unacceptable that tailings dam failures are reported to be about ten times more frequent than water dams on a ratio basis, says geotechnical engineering company Geotheta CEO Ian Hammond, particularly in terms of loss of life, livelihood or environmental damage. →

STRICTER FOCUS Professional engineers overseeing tailings facilities must account for more stringent, more severe and more appropriate factors in the design, monitoring, surveillance and closure aspects of the tailings storage facilities and their appurtenant structures

Battery technology advances could create savings, environmental benefits

29th November 2019 Further advances in battery technology are expected as new options come to market and new economies of scale are achieved, says independent consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting. →

ANDREW VAN ZYL AND MARCIN WERTZ Advancements in battery technology are likely to create the potential to reduce costs and environmental impact while providing a disruptive force as price volatility persists

Holistic solutions crucial for mining sustainability – consultancy

29th November 2019 Holistic solutions that consider closure, social, environmental and technical best practices will be important for the sustainability and longevity of the African mining industry, say independent consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting. →

ENAURING BEST PRACTICE The integration of the various mining-related disciplines such as mine planning and geotechnical, to environmental and social – is key to ensuring best practice on any project

Mine health, safety awareness crucial for consultants

29th November 2019 Owing to the mining industry having historically gained a reputation for being “inherently unsafe”, consulting engineers need to be more mindful of this aspect when working in the sector, says professional association Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) CEO Christopher Campbell. →

CHRISTOPHER CAMPBELL As there is an explicit emphasis on zero harm in the mining sector, consulting engineers in mining have to conform to industry requirements

Recent disasters thrust tailings dam management to the fore

22nd November 2019 The tailings storage facility (TSF) failures at Mount Polley in Canada and at San Marco and Brumadinho – both in Brazil – have altered how tailings engineering, construction and operations will take place, says independent consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting partner and principal... →

UNDER SCRUTINY Responsible and accountable mining companies have put a lot of effort into scrutinising the way in which their TSFs are being operated

Tailings solutions target reduced water use, pollution

22nd November 2019 Using more paste thickeners for dry tailings has been beneficial from an environmental aspect, as less water is required to transport the tailings, says environmental solutions company I-CAT operations manager Alex McHaffie. →

DUST SUPPRESSION I-CAT’s dust solutions division prides itself on being a leader within the dust suppression market, with a constant drive to pursue new technologies and products to ensure the best possible results for clients

Tailings failures increase awareness of associated risks

22nd November 2019 There has been a noticeable increase in awareness around tailings dams, owing mostly to the tragic disasters caused by their collapsing, and the subsequent social activism, says software company IsoMetrix sustainability executive head Robin Bolton. →

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS Looking ahead, the changes to the design and operation of tailings facilities will certainly leverage off the advancements in technology, especially for the monitoring of key indicators and the performance of assets

Recent disasters thrust tailings dam management to the fore

22nd November 2019 The tailings storage facility (TSF) failures at Mount Polley in Canada and at San Marco and Brumadinho – both in Brazil – have altered how tailings engineering, construction and operations will take place, says independent consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting partner and principal... →

UNDER SCRUTINY Responsible and accountable mining companies have put a lot of effort into scrutinising the way in which their TSFs are being operated

Small business celebrates award, charts way forward

15th November 2019 Consulting company ADA Consulting Engineers recently won a commendation for the Small Company of the Year award at this year’s Consulting Engineers South Africa AON Excellence Awards, held in Midrand, Gauteng in August. →

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT The South African public and the private sectors need to do their bit to support the development of the infrastructure industry in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond

Cesa shines on international stage

15th November 2019 Voluntary association Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) was one of the big winners at the 2019 International Federation of Consulting Engineers (Fidic) Member Association (MA) Excellence Awards. →

CHRISTOPHER CAMPBELL Consulting Engineers South Africa's aspirations are in sync with those of the country's National Development Plan

More support needed for SMMEs in construction

15th November 2019 Amid the downturn in the construction sector during the past five years, it has been very difficult for small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) in the sector to keep afloat, says construction company Sinopa Construction and Property founder and MD Simpiwe Msibi. →

SECTOR HURDLES Construction sector difficulties are particularly acute for a 100% black- and female-owned business, such as Sinopa, which is operating in a male-dominated sector

Technology huge driver for earthworks company

15th November 2019 Amid continuous technological development, equipment must keep up with global trends, says earthworks company ICON Group MD Wayne Neary. →

ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS With tightening global emission standards, ICON Group's equipment range complies with European emission standards

Global company eyes growth in S Africa, rest of Africa

15th November 2019 Construction connection technology supplier Peikko recently entered the South African market, offering “ground-breaking technology” to improve efficiency and boost cost savings in the construction sector. →

LARGEST AFRICAN MALL Peikko South Africa played an integral role in the construction of Fourways Mall, which is now the largest mall in South Africa and probably Africa

Conference highlights critical role of small business in the economy

11th November 2019 The small business sector in South Africa plays a significant role in the national economy, with government’s National Development Plan looking to small-, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) to create 11-million jobs and help drive economic growth, project delivery company Worley project... →

Science, innovation investment crucial to Africa’s development

7th November 2019 Africa still does not realise the potential and opportunity that science and innovation hold for its development and the time has come for the continent to be serious about investing more in research, development and innovation, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor said... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor

Stored goods a fire risk for warehouses

1st November 2019 Large industrial warehouses are at risk of catching fire, especially when the goods stored are not the property of, for example, courier or logistics companies that own the buildings, says fire risk management company ASP Fire. →

MICHAEL VAN NIEKERK When dealing with courier and freight forwarding companies, ASP Fire assigns the highest possible fire load and risk

4IR strategies fast-track company’s procedures

1st November 2019 Incorporating Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) strategies into its operations has enabled storage equipment manufacturer and supplier Universal Storage Systems to fast-track certain aspects of its procedures that had previously lagged behind. →

RAPID ENHANCEMENT Meeting the prerequisites of 4IR can rapidly improve business procedures

Warehousing strategy aids facilities management company

1st November 2019 There is an opportunity for the facilities management sector to leverage expertise from the supply chain and logistics sectors by replicating similar processes in its warehousing and logistic systems, says integrated facilities solutions company Servest CEO Xolile Sizani. →

XOLILE SIZANI While the market remains under pressure, Servest has embraced new technologies to remain competitive and still maintain sufficiently good margins

Industry changes impact on explosives sector

18th October 2019 Owing to low overall business confidence, year-on-year mining production declining by more than 4% and volatility across all mineral commodities, the explosives industry has remained relatively undynamic, says explosives and blasting company BME commercial marketing GM Ralf Hennecke. →

MINERAL POTENTIAL South Africa’s reserves of key minerals are still high, but that it will take a long time to unlock them

Manufacturing decline prompts company’s cross-border aspirations

18th October 2019 As the local manufacturing sector has been declining steadily over the past 15 years, industrial packaging solutions company PackSolve is exploring opportunities in the international market to grow its business. →

SIGHTS ON MOZAMBIQUE With several large industrial projects expected to start in Mozambique, PackSolve has earmarked the country as its first potential market

Barcodes add value to Industry 4.0

18th October 2019 There is an opportunity, through Industry 4.0, to make the data derived from barcodes more useful across industrial value chains, says industrial automation provider Omron South Africa product manager Khotso Majoe. →

KHOTSO MAJOE Omron partners with clients to offer holistic solutions where production processes are integrated in one house

Legislature calls for more labelling, packaging awareness

18th October 2019 As the food and drug / medicine sectors are highly regulated from a labelling perspective, companies need to be aware of the claims they can make about their products on the packaging, says intellectual property (IP) services law firm Spoor & Fisher partner Megan Reimers. →

MEGAN REIMERS The ethical requirements of food packaging and labelling also extend to aspects such as Itellectual Property

Shanta’s training improves livelihood of miners

11th October 2019 With artisanal mining underpinning the livelihoods of many families in Tanzania, the risk remains that informal mining is not conducted safely, says Tanzanian gold mining company Shanta Gold CEO Eric Zurrin. →

HIGHER GRADE Tanzania has a long history of gold mining and hosts some of the highest-grade gold deposits globally

Resource nationalism on Tanzanian agenda

11th October 2019 The primary trend in Tanzanian mining – as is the case with many African jurisdictions – is resource nationalism, says multinational law practice Eversheds Sutherland mining and infrastructure head Warren Beech. →

WARREN BEECH Tanzanian citizens expect to benefit substantially from the country’s vast natural resources

Rhodium price rally forecast to continue on firm demand, constrained supply

4th October 2019 In the 1990s it was unlikely that tennis sensations Venus Williams and Serena Williams – collectively known as the Williams sisters – would have been mentioned without referencing their coach at the time and father, Richard Williams. →

VALUABLE METAL Rhodium is considered the rarest and most precious metal in the world – well above gold or silver

Rhodium price rally forecast to continue on firm demand, constrained supply

4th October 2019 In the 1990s it was unlikely that tennis sensations Venus Williams and Serena Williams – collectively known as the Williams sisters – would have been mentioned without referencing their coach at the time and father, Richard Williams. →

VALUABLE METAL Rhodium is considered the rarest and most precious metal in the world – well above gold or silver

Amplats continues to see positive demand for 3E PGMs

27th September 2019 Platinum-group metals (PGMs) mining and marketing company Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) continued to see positive demand for platinum, rhodium and palladium (3E) PGMs over the short and medium term, Amplats CEO Chris Griffith noted at the company’s interim results presentation, held in... →

CHRIS GRIFFITH Platinum has been boosted this year by very strong investment demand of more than 700 000 oz

Mining industry sunrise at even odds – consultant

27th September 2019 Recent debates regarding the South African mining industry have centred on whether it is a sunrise or sunset industry. Local mining engineering consultancy Ukwazi business development director Spencer Eckstein comments that while the sun may rise on certain aspects of the sector, it may set on... →

SWIFT PROGRESSION There is now a need for projects to progress from exploration to production faster and, as a result, obtain funding quicker

Joburg Indaba sponsor looks forward to industry engagements

27th September 2019 Independent consulting practice SRK Consulting is a networking sponsor at the 2019 Joburg Indaba. Organised by resources investment conferences company Resources 4 Africa, SRK partner and principal mining engineer Marcin Wertz says Joburg Indaba is a unique industry conference, with the direct... →

FRANK CONVERSATIONS The Joburg Indaba is a place for frank and honest discussions on issues that are pertinent to the South African mining sector

Energy alternatives for mining

27th September 2019 The demand for electricity in South Africa continues to increase and there is no certainty that State-owned power utility Eskom will be able to meet that demand at a cost-effective price, says international business law firm Fasken partner and finance and projects head Ashen Jugoo. It is highly... →

ASHEN JUGOO We expect that there will be a remarkable increase in captive power projects throughout sub-Saharan Africa

US-China trade war may cause gold project surge

27th September 2019 Although many commodities have remained flat over the past year, the resurgent gold price – mainly driven by uncertainty, owing to the US-China trade war – may result in more gold projects, given the favourable price environment, says project and engineering solutions provider Wood business... →

KUDAKWASHE MARAMBA The US-China trade war – may result in more gold projects, given the favourable price environment

Joburg Indaba continues to create positive platform

27th September 2019 The seventh yearly Joburg Indaba has firmly solidified its place as the local mining conference of choice among key mining industry players. The two-day conference will take place on October 2 and 3 at the Inanda Club in Sandton, Johannesburg. →

PAULA MUNSIE It is time for collective critical discussions on a range of topics regarding the opportunities and challenges the mining industry faces

FRA to act against illegal wholesale diesel trade

19th September 2019 The illegal trade of wholesale diesel to retail customers has had dire consequences for the fuel retail industry, Fuel Retail Association (FRA) CEO Reggie Sibiya said on Thursday. “It is a serious problem. This thing is like cancer [and it] is killing our businesses,” he said during the second... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Mamaili Mamaila
FRA CEO Reggie Sibiya

DTIC enables supply to Zambian market

13th September 2019 The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) followed a strategic and targeted approach earlier this year to enable South African mining equipment manufacturers to secure partnerships to supply the Zambian mining market. While the initial intention is to increase local manufacturers’... →

Photo by Bloomberg
SIGHTS SET The DTIC would like to engage African mining-focused countries so that mining equipment manufacturers can transition economically and supply more widely

Local demand for gravel pumps declining

13th September 2019 The demand for gravel pumps in South Africa has been on a steady decline over the past twenty years, says mining equipment manufacturer PCF Engineering managing partner Jan Feldtmann. “At times, it takes up to a week to secure an order, whereas sometimes it can be anything from a month to a year... →

LOOKING AHEAD PCF Engineering sees a positive future for pumps used in mining in Africa, especially in artisanal mining

Marked increase in company’s pump refurbishment orders

13th September 2019 Pumps supplier Mechanical Rotating Solutions (MRS) has witnessed a marked increase in refurbishment orders for its pumps division in the first quarter of 2019 – as opposed to new installations – compared with the same period last year. “The company has invested significantly in the improvement of... →

OPTIMAL SYSTEMS The future of pump technology may be in optimal system integration rather than the pump itself

Pump couplings supply completed

13th September 2019 Since being appointed the South African distributor for coupling manufacturer Straub’s couplings range, pumps supplier Mechanical Rotating Solutions (MRS) has completed several mining projects that included the supply and installation of these couplings. “The removal of a suction pipe for pump... →

STRAUB COUPLIGS The Straub Grip and Open Flex reduces pipe assembly to just fifteen minutes

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