The theme of this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba – Stronger together: Progress through partnerships – underscores a pivotal consensus in the mining industry that collaboration among stakeholders is an “indispensable” component in effectively navigating the complex mining industry, says blasting solutions and mining chemicals provider BME MD Ralf Hennecke.

By acting as a “collaboration accelerator”, the event transforms isolated efforts into ecosystem-wide progress, consequently mitigating risks, amplifying rewards and ensuring that the industry evolves responsibly.

“Without collaboration, the mining industry risks inefficiency, conflicts and failure to innovate at the pace required for a sustainable future,” he says, adding that the African continent continues to provide immense growth potential, mirrored by vibrant exploration activity and a diverse range of minerals, including those that are crucial to battery performance, longevity and diversity.



Through strategic partnerships with technology suppliers, mines, host countries and mine-affected communities, BME has grown its presence in Africa, where the company supplies high-quality, precision blasting solutions, delivering performance, optimising downstream costs and enhancing energy efficiency,” says Hennecke.

Partnerships That Elevate Mining

Diversified chemicals group Omnia CEO Seelan Gobalsamy states that the company has collaborated with its stakeholders to advance new mining technologies, enhance operational excellence, and foster trust within communities.

“Omnia remains committed to combining innovation with responsibility to deliver solutions that perform with excellence and contribute to sustainable mining,” he says, adding that in line with this commitment, BME continues to demonstrate a strong track record of delivering safe, innovative and quality services to its customers.

He explains that, backed by Omnia’s integrated manufacturing and supply chain capabilities, BME’s security of supply to customers and innovation had driven meaningful transformation in a sector that was positively leveraged to long-term global trends.

Further, Hennecke highlights that as BME expands its global footprint, the company remains true to its core market – the Southern African Development Community region.

“It is our nucleus and where we believe we can add even more value by helping the region’s maturing mining industry reduce its operating costs to ensure long-term sustainability.

“This is against a backdrop of rising input costs owing to infrastructure failures, high labour and electricity prices, as well as regulatory uncertainty,” he says.

Hennecke attributes BME’s continued success in existing and new markets to its ability to provide customers with tailored solutions that address unique operational and technical challenges, thereby positioning the company as an explosives and metallurgical partner that collaborates strategically, offering custom solutions, proactive problem-solving and continued support to drive customers’ long-term success.

Helping Mines Achieve Autonomy

African mines are actively pursuing greater autonomy as a strategic goal to enhance safety, improve efficiency and reduce costs to ensure long-term competitiveness.

As such, BME technology and marketing GM Nishen Hariparsad notes that the company continues to seek collaborations with technology companies in the fields of automation, AI, autonomy and digital solutions.

For example, BME’s mobile manufacturing units now include innovative smart solutions, such as XPLOCHARGE and XPLOLOG, for real-time monitoring, data capture and analysis.

“This level of precision optimises emulsion delivery into blast holes, resulting in cost savings and increased efficiency, solving for our customers’ needs,” he says.

Meanwhile, in line with the energy transition, factors associated with environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles have become an imperative for African mining projects, says Hariparsad.

“The question is no longer whether to integrate these principles, but how and under which legal framework,” he says.

“ESG ensures the sustainable extraction of 30% of the world’s minerals and 19% of the metals needed for clean energy technology, enabling our customers to maintain their social licences to operate. This is in addition to enhancing the balance of power between mining companies and the governments of host countries,” adds Hariparsad.

In this vein, BME’s dual-salt emulsions have helped mines reduce greenhouse-gas emissions during blasts to meet decarbonisation targets, and by using lower amounts of ammonia, BME’s emulsions mitigate environmental contamination.

BME also leverages its parent company Omnia Holdings’ significant global reach, supply chain and manufacturing capacity, which is vertically integrated into ammonia nitrates, highlights BME COO Deon Swart.

This offers African mining industries stability and assurance of supply at a time when other blasting companies are struggling to access these feedstock chemicals, he states.

For example, BME’s ability to manufacture products in South Africa and distribute them through a well-established distribution network has enabled the company to tap into the renewed growth in Africa’s Copperbelt region, fueled by record-high copper prices and new investments.