China continues to drive iron-ore demand

Despite the likely weakening of China’s demand for iron-ore, owing to the continuing decline of its real estate market and overall lower pace of urbanisation, the country’s lower projected 2015... 

Expected mine tonnage increases at Guinea project

Aim-listed exploration company Sable Mining Africa in February announced an increase in the total Joint Ore Reserves Committee- (Jorc-) compliant resource for its Nimba iron-ore project, in... 

Kumba to relocate VIU facility to Joburg

Mining major Kumba Iron Ore, a business unit of Anglo American, will start moving its value-in-use (VIU) facility, in the west of Pretoria, to the Anglo American technical solutions facility, near... 

Australian junior starts Gabon exploration

Australia-based iron-ore junior IronRidge in May hired exploration consultancy firm SRK Exploration Services to conduct exploration on its flagship Tchibanga project, in south-west Gabon, and the... 

African mining investment low, but infrastructure, consumer market boom could help

Owing to the slump in the commodities market, there has been restricted growth in mining worldwide, including in Africa, with mines consolidating their existing assets rather than expanding, says... 

Digitalisation expands specialist skills requirements at mines

Digitalisation across the spectrum of mining processes could create various new jobs, thus promoting skills development, says information technology consulting and system integration services... 

Rare earths company hopeful despite political conflict in Burundi

Mining exploration and development company Rainbow Rare Earths is closely monitoring events in Burundi, hoping for a peaceful resolution to political upheaval, including a failed military coup last... 

Risk in Africa is manageable – gold miner

Africa is generally considered a high-risk mining environment, but gold explorer and miner Randgold Resources CEO Mark Bristow argues that the problem is rather that companies are not flexible... 

Zambia copper mine blast company’s biggest blast to date

Explosives supplier and service provider BME achieved its biggest blast to date in March at Kansanshi copper mine, in the north-west of Zambia, detonating 4 141 electronic delay detonators (EDDs)... 

African countries becoming more investor friendly

Senior lawyers from Zimbabwe and Uganda are confident that African countries, including Uganda and Zimbabwe, are becoming more investor friendly through the implementation of more liberal economic... 

Miners face complications and opportunities in Burundi

Burundi law firm, Shonubi, Musoke and Gilbert & Partners managing partner Gilbert Nibigirwe, states that Burundi’s political conflict, which mainly occured in the capital city Bujumbura in April... 

Project financing focused on power related resources

Owing to robust demand and acceptable hard currency returns, there has been a swing towards private equity funds and banks providing project financing for power-related projects in Africa in the... 

Advisory network promotes shared infrastructure in Africa

To fast-track high-level private sector investment in Africa’s regional infrastructure, top global and African CEOs launched the Continental Business Network (CBN) – an exclusive infrastructure... 

Local company hopes to be awarded Transnet tender

Local partner and agent for Plasser & Theurer Track, maintenance equipment manufacturer Plasser South Africa (SA), has submitted a tender to provide State-owned rail utility Transnet with three... 

Clear strategy needed for rail upgrade plans

South Africa’s numerous rail upgrade plans are not guided by a coherent, high-level, overarching strategy, the lack of which may lead to poor implementation, advises engineering and professional... 

Rail development must encompass entire continent – JCCI

If South Africa enhances its railway capacity and is the only country to do so in the Southern Africa region, without attending to north–south, inter-State rail corridors, the benefits of the... 

Passenger fleet revamp a reason to celebrate, says consultancy

State-owned rail operator the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (PRASA’s) rolling stock fleet renewal programme will provide a vital boost for South Africa’s economy and help establish a... 

Local engineering firm more than doubles y/y rail revenue

Niche technology engineering firm Ansys reported in May that it had increased its rail revenue from R37-million in 2014 to R94-million in 2015.  

Africa’s rail industry assembles in Joburg

Remodelling public–private partnerships (PPPs), financing rail infrastructure and light rail as an alternative for passengers and intermodal networks for supply chain efficiency are a few of the... 

Road-to-rail policy crucial for rural areas

While the South African government has finally indicated its support for a road-to-rail policy, which involves significant upgrades of South Africa’s rail facilities to encourage their being used... 

Rolling stock life expectancy improved

With billions of rands being invested in South Africa’s rail infrastructure over the next three years, the country must consider ways of ensuring the reliability, efficiency and longevity of these... 

Intricate on-site tyre replacement completed within three days

A recent project, involving intricate on-site repairs to a Bradford Breaker, for a major colliery in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, is part of the strong demand metals and mining service... 

Industrial service provider set to clean coal silo

The quotation and the method statement for furnace and industrial service provider Dickinson Group’s cleaning of a Mpumalanga coal mine’s storage silo has been agreed upon, says Dickinson Group... 

Fuel cleanliness company develops automatic fuel decontaminator

South Africa-based fuel cleanliness company Supa Fuel has developed a system that detects the presence of water and drains it from fuel storage tanks automatically, eliminating problems associated... 

Company yet to offer thermal assessment services to mining industry

Although the solutions of electrical equipment, industrial instrumentation and automation supply, implementation and support company Magnet can be used for any electrical or mechanical application,... 

Cape Town refinery completes maintenance, safety inspection

Multinational energy corporation Chevron completed a month-and-a-half-long,  

Solutions team customises maintenance safety product

Responding to industry requests, identification solutions manufacturer Brady has introduced customised additions to its Lockout/Tagout system, a product that has the ability to totally cut off any... 

Split bearing saves on maintenance

Owing to its unique design features, the Cooper split bearing, distributed by bearings manufacturer Bearings International, lasts longer and saves on maintenance time, says Cooper split bearing... 

OEMs blocking progress – wear control group

Some original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are rejecting the oil purification expertise of wear control company Filter Focus to maintain high replacement and component sales volumes, says Filter... 

Govt energy efficiency incentive programmes ‘petered out’, says Sessa

All government’s incentive programmes, aimed at encouraging energy efficiency in households, have petered out, says renewable-energy organisation the Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa... 

Sector bias causing renewable-energy market failure

Renewable-energy companies have been promoting their products in sectors where the products might not be the most appropriate for the task at hand, which has resulted in many consumers turning... 

Electronics company launches green initiative

Power-saving technology provider Ellies Renewable Energy, a division of public diversified electronics manufacturer Ellies Group, launched the Ellies Green Initiative at The Pyramid conference... 

Energy consultancy assists local bank with efficiency strategy

Sustainability consultancy Environmental Resources Management (ERM) is involved in an ongoing energy efficiency project with one of South Africa’s big four commercial banks, ERM Partners Simon... 

Energy management regulations out for public comment

The draft proposal requiring all businesses that use more than 400 TJ/y of energy, by law, to submit five-year energy management plans is out for public comment, reports business coalition National... 

DTI-funded programme produces 78 expert level graduates

Since 2010, resource efficiency programme the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa’s (NCPC-SA’s) expert-level industrial energy efficiency courses, have produced 78 graduates, says... 

Companies partner to deliver excellence in bulk

Supply chain solutions provider Barloworld Logistics and bulk commodities shipping and logistics company LBH Africa formed a strategic partnership in March to offer dry bulk commodity supply chain... 

Dump trucks delivered to diamond mine

Mobile capital equipment provider Eqstra Industrial Equipment (EIE) delivered 13 Terex TR100 rigid dump trucks in January this year to its sister company, contract mining and plant rental division... 

Materials handling partners participate in exhibition

Materials handling equipment distributor BLT South Africa (SA), in conjunction with materials handling equipment manufacturer Samson Materials Handling, hosted a stand at the Institute of Quarrying... 

Bulk handlers up the ante in dense phase conveying

Bulk handling solutions provider Clyde Bergemann Power Group’s dense-phase pneumatic conveying system, installed at Unit 6 of national power utility Eskom’s Medupi power station, in Limpopo, is... 

Direct current arc furnace research and development focused on safety, efficiency

South African mineral and metallurgical innovation company Mintek is focusing on achieving greater safety and efficiency from its direct current furnaces, pyrometallurgy specialist consultant...