Portfolio committees satisfied with Medupi progress

Parliament’s portfolio committees on Public Enterprises and Energy are satisfied with the progress made on construction at State-owned power utility Eskom’s Medupi power station in Lephalale,... 

Symposium to focus on mine safety

Local nonprofit organisation the South African Flameproof Association’s (Safa’s) symposium, which will take place on November 13 in Secunda, Mpumalanga, will focus on mine safety and preventing... 

Company introduces battery-powered lifts onto local market

Vertical transportation systems manufacturer Otis introduced its Gen2 Switch range of lifts, which boasts ReGen technology, in May, making the Gen2 systems 75% more energy efficient than... 

Lack of skills weaken lift service offerings

South Africa’s lift-servicing industry faces the challenge of not being able to offer all the required service offerings, owing to a lack of highly skilled technicians and an influx of... 

Company modifies pumps range to meet miner’s requirements

Local pumps manufacturer Cemo Pumps last month delivered the first set of GE812 pumps to gold miner Gold One’s Modder East mine, on Johannesburg’s East Rand, says Cemo Pumps MD Gregory Cohen. The... 

Pumps company grows product portfolio, focuses on R&D

Scotland-headquartered specialist slurry equipment solutions provider Weir Minerals has been focusing on enhancing its growing pump portfolio by ongoing investment in research and development (R&D)... 

Local supplier, exclusive distributor

Newly established Boksburg-based pumps supplier Integrated Pump Technology was named in June as the exclusive Southern Africa distributor for the world’s third-largest submersible pump manufacturer... 

Local pump manufacturers expand

Johannesburg-based pump manufacturers APE Pumps and Mather+Platt, owned by India-based multinational pumps manufacturer WPIL, have bought factory space alongside their existing pump factory as part... 

Manufacturer prioritises quality and service

Johannesburg-based heavy-duty slurry pump manufacturer Pump and Abrasion Technologies is developing several new products and materials that will benefit the company’s existing and prospective... 

Zim-focused gold miner aims for midtier status

Zimbabwe-focused London-based gold miner Metallon Corporation is implementing a five-year strategy to become a midtier gold producer of 200 000 oz of gold per year by 2016, says Metallon CEO and... 

Zimbabwe among the ten worst mining investment destinations

Canada-based research organisation the Fraser Institute has placed Zimbabwe among the world’s ten worst mining jurisdictions, according to its 2013 Mining Survey, which tallied responses from about... 

Standby capacity for SA mines

Harare-based mining equipment supplier Machinery Exchange, in expectation of a time when Zimbabwe’s mining industry can live up to its full potential, prioritises staff training, the supply of... 

Zim wants minerals processed locally

Zimbabwe is proceeding with plans to ensure that the minerals mined in-country are also processed in-country, instead of in South Africa or Europe, which is the current norm. As part of this... 

Multicurrency trade spurring Zim growth

Zimbabwe’s mining and agriculture sectors have been on a growth path since the government adopted a multi-currency regime in 2009, which has enabled mining companies to sell their commodities in US... 

Fire protection workshops for professionals a success

Cape Town-based fire-protection technology provider DoseTech last month hosted its third four-day course, the 2014 storage tank and associated facilities fire hazard management workshop, at coal... 

New product range grows company market share

Environmental solutions provider I-Cat has increased its market share and strengthened relations with its existing client base since acquiring the local agency of fire suppression solutions... 

Company expands fire protection services

JSE-listed electronics group Jasco is expanding its fire-detection and fire-suppression market reach in South Africa, says Jasco fire-protection head and founder of former fire-protection solutions... 

Company integrates security and fire protection systems

Fire-protection solutions provider, Tyco, provides fire-protection products that are integrated into a building’s security management systems, states Tyco integrated fire & security South Africa... 

NDP boosts steel construction sector

The implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) – government’s long-term strategy for building infrastructure, creating employment opportunities and developing the country – will create... 

Powerline association growing steadily

Steel construction industry body the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction’s (Saisc’s) newly launched Powerline Association of South Africa (Polasa) has grown exponentially and... 

LSFB method adds to skills set

Light-steel-frame (LSF) franchised construction company and engineering service provider Silverline Group has had to prioritise workforce training to ensure the transfer of quality LSF building... 

Awareness of steel building method growing

The South African construction community is becoming more aware of the advantages associated with the innovative construction method of light-steel- frame building (LSFB), which has led to a 21%... 

Canadian miner expands West African operation

As part of its aim to expand its West African presence, Canada-based TSX- and ASX-listed gold miner Endeavour Mining announced in June that it started production at its Segala underground mine, in... 

NPO tackles high TB rate at SA gold mines

Shedding light on the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic that continues to pervade the global mining industry, international nonprofit biotechnology company with a mission to develop TB vaccines, Aeras,... 

West Africa-focused gold miner prioritises community empowerment

London- and Nasdaq-listed gold miner Randgold Resources aims to ensure that communities surrounding its mining operations benefit from the proceeds of mining the natural resources, says CEO Mark... 

Increased demand from Asia despite price decline

Gold exploration projects continue to attract significant investor interest, mostly owing to Asian markets’ increasing demand for the yellow metal, despite the commodity’s price decline, says... 

Gold miners need to focus on cost accounting

With gold mining companies looking for ways of reducing costs amid the recent price decline, implementing area cost accounting analysis will help mining companies that do not already use this... 

Increased demand for South African smelting tech

As Africa’s mining industries consider new methods of processing precious metals and base metals, the demand for South African induction-heating technologies on the continent is increasing, says... 

Company takes new hydraulic range to mine operations

British high pressure hydraulic tools manufacturer Hi-Force has attended a series of roadshows to showcase some of its newly launched hydraulic solutions, as well as other mining-specific products,... 

Pneumatics manufacturer to attend international expo

Representatives from the local branch of German pneumatic solutions provider Airtec Pneumatic, including MD Michael Wendemuth and two other employees, will this year attend the yearly Motek... 

Infrastructure deficit thwarting investment

A lack of infrastructure in several African countries continues to hinder investment in new mining projects and efficient operations at existing mining operations, says multidisciplinary mining and... 

Power supply deficit hindering African mining

The deficiency in power generation on the African continent is impacting on the mining industry’s ability to reach its full production potential, thereby impacting on the industry’s ability to... 

South African strike won’t affect global mining performance

While South Africa remained the world’s largest platinum producer, industrial action in the local platinum sector – which lasted for five months and the longest in South African history – will not... 

Insufficient infrastructure a challenge for Africa

African governments should prioritise infrastructure development to attract foreign investment to the continent, which boasts a wealth of mineral resources, says South Africa-based midtier mining... 

Commodity prices impact on mineral rents

Mining companies operating in Africa need to understand that fluctuating commodity prices impact on mineral rents, says mining risk analysis company Eunomix MD Claude Baissac. Baissac was the guest... 

Mining companies to follow holistic approach to infrastructure development

Mining companies operating in Africa are starting to understand the importance of developing infrastructure that will not only enable easy access to their operations but also benefit their host... 

African governments misjudge impact of volatile global commodity prices

African countries that host mining projects have often sought to renegotiate contracts during periods of high commodity prices, when they should have seized those opportunities to develop the... 

Women in mining still a challenge in SA

Despite efforts to increase the participation of women in the mining industry, mining companies operating in South Africa face the continuous challenge of high turnover of women mineworkers and are... 

Decline in new mining projects

Last year saw a decline in the number of new mining projects worldwide, with Africa contributing 29% of the total, although these projects were small, on average, compared with the global norm,... 

Sunlight harvester growing market share

Sunlight harvesting systems supplier Light Sculptors reports that its services have been well received by the South African wine industry and food manufacturing industry. Light Sculptors is the...