16
MODERN MINING
February 2014
COVER STORY
R
oets attributes the health of South
Africa’s coal mining sector to the
fact that South Africa exports a
far smaller proportion of its coal
than competitor countries such as
Australia – which means that local coal mines
have generally been less affected by depressed
global demand for coal than their counterparts
overseas. “The major part of South Africa’s
coal production is used for domestic power
generation and there has been little tailing
off in demand from Eskom,” he says. “Given
South Africa’s need for additional generating
capacity, we don’t see this situation changing
anytime soon.”
It helps, of course, that Kopex Africa, part
of the global Kopex Group, produces a range
of transformers and switchgear that is highly
thought of by the mines. As Roets says, “Our
products have a very high reputation for reli-
ability, durability and efficiency which has
been built up since the 1970s, when we first
started manufacturing in South Africa.” He
adds that the fact that Kopex Africa’s product
line is 100 % locally designed and manufac-
tured means that the company’s customers
are protected from the type of exchange-rate
induced price increases that are already affect-
ing many other categories of mining equipment.
While the Kopex Group internationally is
emerging as an important global supplier of
a wide range of mining equipment including
longwall systems, conveyors, stacker-reclaim-
ers, shuttle cars and pumps, the South African
operation remains highly focused on dry type
transformers, in either standard or flame-
proofed versions, together with associated
switchgear and distribution equipment such as
load centres, gate end boxes and intrinsically
safe protection relays. The transformers range
in capacity from 50 kVA to 10 MVA while some
of the other products are of formidable size –
gate end boxes, for example, are up to 9 m in
length, can weigh as much as 16 tons, and offer
as many as 20 power outlets. Kopex Africa has
also designed and manufactured a 10 MVA
KOPEX AFRICA
unfazed
Kopex Africa’s Managing Director,
Nico Roets.
A completed 10 MVA skid-
mounted sub-station for an
open-pit dragline, ready for
delivery.
Despite the difficult conditions in South Africa’s mining industry,
Kopex Africa, the East Rand-based manufacturer of transformers and
switchgear, reports brisk demand for its products – to the extent that
it has increased its employee complement by 50 % over the past year
and is currently contemplating expanding its production facilities. Says
MD Nico Roets: “Our primary market – accounting for over 95 % of our
business – is the coal mining sector, which has proved to be very resilient
when compared to gold and platinummining. Certainly, we have grown
significantly over the last year and we’re budgeting for a further 25 %
increase in revenue for the coming year.”
