Booming demand for key commodities is stoking Africa’s appetite for explosives, and one South African start-up has eagerly seized this opportunity to ramp up expansion.
Founded in June 2022 by Black entrepreneurs, Mining and Energy Acuity (MEA) has wasted no time entering new markets, launching operations in Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire – an incredible accomplishment in a short space of time.
Johan von Landsberg, technical manager at MEA, notes that the secret to the company’s success has been offering turnkey, end-to-end solutions for optimising explosives management.
“The difficulty many African mines face is that their operations are remote with limited road access, and they lack the ready availability of specialised services or expertise. However, as a South African company, we have the proximity, agility, and expertise to move quickly and offer integrated solutions on the ground. That’s our advantage – our approach involves everything from procurement, transportation, and storage to on-site training and tailored blasting services,” he explains.
“In the mining sector particularly, this type of efficiency has received increasing emphasis from clients as they race to keep up with commodity demand. Everything from gold to battery metals like lithium and cobalt is in the spotlight, and when clients need to step up operations, they turn to partners who can supply and manage explosives quickly, safely, and cost-effectively for maximum output.”
Surging mineral demand
Demonstrating von Landsberg’s point, gold prices soared some 31% from the beginning of 2025 to reach record highs of over $3,500 per ounce in April, propelled by heightened fears of a global trade war and mounting demand for safe haven assets. This trend, in turn, has placed heightened focus on speed-to-market for African gold miners.
Despite efforts to advance the global energy transition, demand for coal also remains resilient, largely driven by Asia and China, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimating that global coal consumption reached an all-time high of 8.77 billion tons in 2024.
Meanwhile, the increasing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) has stimulated rapid growth in demand for battery minerals, particularly lithium. A recent McKinsey report reveals that more than 80% of the world’s lithium already goes into battery production, a figure that could reach 95% by 2030 as the EV market continues its upward trajectory.
In response, the African explosives market can likewise look forward to strong growth momentum as new gold, coal, and battery metal projects come online. “MEA’s expansion is already a direct reflection of growing opportunities within the mining space. We’ve onboarded new clients in eight new countries over the past few months, all looking to improve their blasting services and results to keep production lines moving,” says von Landsberg.
Overcoming obstacles
But while there are abundant opportunities for explosives companies, operating in multiple jurisdictions involves numerous risks and challenges as well. Licenses for importing or storing explosives can be complex, with a heavy administrative and compliance burden, while poor or deteriorating infrastructure can disrupt supply chains.
In Ghana, for instance, importers need to obtain permission from the Minister of the Interior and pay a fee of 7% of the invoice value for an import permit in addition to other charges. The process can be lengthy, so utilising a professional service provider can help to carefully monitor explosives supply and compliance to prevent any delays.
Furthermore, authorities and clients are understandably cautious when dealing with explosives materials, he emphasises, pointing to the tragic lesson of the 2020 Beirut port explosion. During this accident, 2,750 tonnes of improperly stored ammonium nitrate (a mining explosive component) detonated, injuring 7,000 people, killing 218 individuals, and devastating the city.
“For example, some countries may additionally require armed escorts for explosive transports, routine audits of inventory, and background checks on any personnel handling explosives. In places like Burkina Faso or Zambia, you may also face bureaucratic hurdles or poor transport corridors. So, if you want to be a serious player in Africa, you need to find local partners who can help to navigate the business landscape, which is why MEA prides itself on strict compliance and safety procedures.”
Looking ahead, von Landsberg sees even bigger ambitions for MEA, boosted by the African Continental Free Trade Area’s gradual shift toward tariff reductions and harmonised regulations.
“With decreased tariffs and streamlined compliance processes, the African explosives and mining industry will only become more cost competitive. We then believe that, as mining scales up across the continent, so too will the demand for well-managed, localised blasting solutions – and MEA aims to be at the forefront of the trend,” he concludes.