Mineral processing equipment supplier Multotec has won the South African Capital Equipment Export Council’s (SACEEC’s) Exporter of the Year Award in the category for companies with a turnover of R2-billion to R5-billion a year.

Multotec processing equipment MD Bheka Majola says the award is not only an indication of the company’s growth over the years, but also the culmination of a 15-year strategy to grow its global presence and income from its export business.

The SACEEC Exporter of the Year Awards celebrate the passion and commitment of members who have participated and succeeded, through determination and innovation, in their respective local and export markets.

Majola explains that exports currently contribute 63% of Multotec’s total yearly turnover, of which more than 60% is exported into Africa.

Multotec has more than 50 years of experience and expertise in supplying a range of good-quality mineral processing equipment that is backed by field service and maintenance specialists in most of the commodities, including gold, platinum group metals, lithium and copper.

He explains that, to support the growth of its export business, Multotec has had to invest in its manufacturing facilities and now has almost 80 000 m² of manufacturing and storage space in Spartan and Pretoria, in Gauteng, and Secunda, in Mpumalanga.

GROWING INTERNATIONAL FOOTPRINT

“We now employ nearly 2 000 people to service our customers globally and make high-quality products for them. With an increasing international footprint, we are now present on six continents and do business with customers in over 100 countries. We were the first to embrace verification by the South African Bureau of Standards to prove that our equipment has more than 60% local content.

“We are proud of our investment in the properties that house our manufacturing, storage and services space in South Africa, as this is an investment in our economy and provides much-needed local jobs. Our growth enables our people to grow with the company, doing meaningful work and gaining valuable skills and expertise with which they can compete globally. We invest heavily in internal and external training to develop our people,” says Majola.

He adds that Multotec’s product development is customer-driven to ensure that its products and technologies have value for the customer. The company’s regional branch strategy ensures that it has a local presence close to the customer to service and understand customer needs.

“Because no two processing plants are the same, Multotec is a customer- and a needs-driven company that has an in-depth understanding of our customers’ applications. We engineer solutions that address the specific and unique requirements of each of our customers,” says Majola.

DEVELOPING CUSTOMER TRUST

“Our range of technologies and expertise extends over the entire flow sheet, meaning that we are not dependent on selling one type of technology. We, therefore, have the flexibility to ensure the right application is backed by the right technology within our range of products, so our customers trust us to develop solutions that are specifically suited to their needs, wherever they may be in the world.”

Multotec is enthusiastically engaged in numerous industry conferences and exhibitions.

In the past year alone, Multotec actively participated in 24 conferences and events, with a notable presence at ten international gatherings – presenting at four of those gatherings. The company has a long association with Electra Mining Africa and the South African Coal Processing Society.

“We have invested in solar power to produce some renewable energy for our facilities, and we have invested in generators to enable us to reduce our consumption from the grid during loadshedding. This ensures we maintain productivity for our customers, and we contribute to the solution to the country’s power challenges,” says Majola.

He adds that Multotec adheres to international standards such as ISO 14001, 45001 and 9001.

The company makes products that meet all the major international fabrication standards as specified by its customers and its samplers adhere to the strict and relevant commodity International Standards Organisation standard for each application.