As mining operations across Africa, and particularly in South Africa, continue to evolve, the role of advanced pump systems “has never been more critical”, says Pump manufacturer Pump & Abrasion Technologies (PABT) sales head Kilian de Jonge.

The sector faces a rapidly shifting landscape, driven by rising environmental, social and governance expectations, and compounded by supply chain disruptions and capital constraints, he adds.

“The technology needed to improve sustainability already exists,” says De Jonge, adding that PABT has positioned itself at the forefront of these challenges.

“Our Curve slurry pumps were designed to directly address the toughest challenges in slurry pumping,” he says.

The range’s advanced hydraulic design allows abrasive slurries to be handled at lower operating speeds, reducing power draw, extending wear life and maintaining efficiency throughout the pump’s lifecycle.

Combined with modern dry and wet sealing arrangements, the Curve slurry pumps enable mines to cut total ownership costs, conserve resources and improve safety, while delivering reliability in harsh environments.

Yet, De Jonge says many mining operations remain constrained by volatile commodity prices and tightening budgets, which restrict investment in plant upgrades.

“We address these limitations through flexible, innovative solutions that help clients optimise their pump systems despite capital constraints,” he notes.

For operations where new systems are not feasible, PABT developed the Black Widow high-performance kits, which retrofit to existing pumps to upgrade hydraulic performance, sealing capability and safety.

“The Black Widow kits provide a pragmatic pathway for operators to achieve significant improvements on their plants without requiring capital expenditure,” explains De Jonge.

Supply chain reliability is another pressing challenge, he says, adding that delays in accessing critical spares can quickly escalate into production losses.

To counter this, PABT has invested heavily in South African manufacturing capacity, casting, machining and assembling pumps domestically, reducing reliance on international logistics and ensuring consistent product availability.

PABT positions itself as a pump system specialist, with a team of application engineers who conduct performance analysis, site audits and predictive maintenance planning, says De Jonge. Their role is to identify inefficiencies and design tailored solutions before issues escalate.

As pump systems become more sophisticated, De Jonge stresses that continuous learning is essential.

To this end, PABT runs training programmes – onsite, virtually and at its own facilities – and has introduced immersive virtual reality tools that allow participants to explore the inner workings of pumps in a safe and practical way.