As the global mining sector faces mounting pressure to decarbonise without sacrificing productivity, South Africa-based Mafika Engineering has emerged as a quiet powerhouse driving change from within. Capital Equipment News’ Juanita Pienaar spoke with Graydon Epstein, CEO of Mafika Engineering SA, to unpack how the company’s innovative Zero-Hour engine rebuild strategy is redefining circular economy principles in high-horsepower mining applications.
Engineering Circularity at the Core of Mining
“At Mafika, we see every engine as a recoverable asset, not a disposable one,” says Graydon Epstein, explaining the company’s philosophy that underpins its circular-economy model.
Mafika’s Zero-Hour rebuilds return high-horsepower mining engines, such as the CAT 3516, Cummins QSK60, and MTU 4000, to “as-new” condition, with the same performance, warranty, and reliability as a new unit, but at a fraction of the environmental footprint.
“This is circular economy in practice,” Epstein continues. “We extend the life of capital equipment, reduce the need for raw-material extraction, and conserve the energy already embodied in the original engine.”
It’s an approach that has earned Mafika recognition from the World Engine Remanufacturers Council (WERC) as the largest independent high-horsepower diesel engine rebuilder in the world. This is a testament to how sustainable engineering can also be a driver of global competitiveness.
The environmental and financial payoff
Independent studies cited by the U.S. International Trade Administration have shown that remanufacturing can consume up to 95% less energy and materials than producing new engines - savings equivalent to millions of barrels of oil or the annual output of several nuclear power plants. Those efficiencies, Epstein says, “are built into every Mafika rebuild.”
By retaining and reusing the majority of original components, Mafika’s process prevents tonnes of metal waste from entering landfills and cuts emissions by roughly 50% compared with manufacturing a new engine, depending on the model and operating profile. This also conserves the “embedded energy” already invested in creating those components the first time around.
The benefits are not only environmental but also financial. “Our customers typically save 30–50% compared to new replacements,” Epstein notes. “At the same time, they avoid the long OEM lead times that can immobilise critical equipment. It’s a genuine win-win: lower carbon, lower cost, and higher uptime.”
For mines, this balance between cost efficiency and sustainability is key. “They can meet production and ESG targets simultaneously,” Epstein says. “That’s what makes Mafika’s model one of the most practical levers for decarbonisation in the mining value chain.”
A model of independence and precision
Unlike traditional engine replacement cycles that are tied to specific OEM supply chains, Mafika operates on a fully OEM-agnostic basis. “Whether it’s a Cummins, CAT, or MTU platform, we rebuild to exact OEM specifications using genuine components, rigorous traceability, and full dynamometer testing before release,” Epstein explains.
This independence grants mining houses true procurement flexibility and transparency. “It allows us to standardise sustainable manufacturing practices across multiple OEM platforms instead of being locked into a single supply chain,” he adds.
Perhaps most impressively, Mafika delivers complete Zero-Hour rebuilds in just two to four weeks, compared to the six to eighteen months typical for global replacements. Every step of the rebuild process is handled in-house at the company’s 15 000 m² Rebuild Centre in Germiston.
“A single 240-tonne haul truck standing idle can cost a mine upwards of US$500,000 per week in lost production,” Epstein points out. “The efficiency we’ve built into our process doesn’t just set an industry benchmark, it keeps mines producing when every hour counts.”
Extending fleet life and reducing capital burden
For mining operators, Mafika’s rebuilds offer an opportunity to extend equipment lifecycles by another 25 000 to 30 000 operating hours at roughly half the cost of buying new. “A rebuild gives both the engine and the equipment it powers a new lease on life,” Epstein says.
This not only helps clients defer major capital expenditure but also aligns with international sustainability frameworks that reward circularity and resource efficiency. “It’s asset optimisation in its purest form,” he adds.
By restoring engines rather than replacing them, Mafika enables customers to maintain operational reliability while achieving measurable ESG performance gains - something few other interventions in mining can deliver so directly.
Financing the circular transition
A critical element of Mafika’s success lies in making sustainability financially accessible. In 2023, RMB Ventures acquired a 45% stake in Mafika, providing both capital and strategic direction.
“RMB introduced its Sustainable Finance and ESG Advisory teams to co-develop funding mechanisms that make circular-economy projects truly bankable,” Epstein explains. “Together, we’re structuring green and sustainability-linked financial solutions that enable mining companies to fund rebuilds - and soon, hydrogen retrofits - as part of their just-transition strategies.”
The partnership represents a significant bridge between engineering innovation and financial accessibility, empowering clients to decarbonise without constraining cash flow or halting production.
Hydrogen powering the next chapter
While engine remanufacturing forms the foundation of Mafika’s circular-economy model, the company is also looking ahead to the future of clean power. Its collaboration with Bosch Germany and Hyphen Technical on hydrogen internal-combustion engine (H₂ICE) retrofits marks a major leap toward sustainable mining.
“Together, we’re developing hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel systems capable of achieving 35–85% hydrogen substitution initially, with the goal of full 100% hydrogen mono-fuel operation,” Epstein says.
Rather than scrapping diesel fleets, Mafika and Bosch’s approach reuses existing assets and infrastructure. “Bosch contributes world-class hydrogen injection and control expertise, while Mafika brings the practical mining context, test facilities, and deep field data,” Epstein explains. “It’s a solution that enables real-world decarbonisation today. Not in theory, but in practice.”
Epstein believes that mining’s journey to net-zero will be evolutionary, not abrupt. “Rebuilds are the bridge between legacy diesel and a low-carbon future,” he says. “They provide immediate emission reductions, enable the retrofit of hydrogen systems, and make decarbonisation financially achievable without halting production.”
Smart engines for a smarter industry
Mafika’s roadmap doesn’t stop at hydrogen. The company is integrating IoT-enabled, AI-driven diagnostics into its rebuilt engines. These systems continuously monitor performance, detect anomalies, and predict maintenance requirements in real time.
“Digitalisation is the nervous system that ties our sustainability strategy together,” Epstein explains. “AI analysis ensures every Mafika-rebuilt engine functions as a connected, self-optimising asset with measurable uptime and emissions benefits.”
This marriage of engineering and data science represents a shift from reactive maintenance to predictive, performance-optimised operations, further extending the lifespan and reliability of rebuilt assets.
Global reach, African roots
From its strong base in Southern Africa and Australia, Mafika is rapidly expanding into Europe and the Middle East, with a new hub in the UAE serving KSA, North Africa, and the broader Gulf region. Epstein sees enormous opportunity in regions where governments are embedding sustainability and circular-economy agendas into industrial policy.
“Our Gulf hub positions Mafika as a strategic partner of choice for governments and corporations investing in the energy transition,” he says. “The appetite for practical, circular-engineering solutions in that region is immense and growing fast.”
Turning sustainability into a competitive advantage
“For decades, ‘green’ was assumed to mean ‘expensive’,” Epstein reflects. “Mafika has flipped that narrative. Our clients achieve lower total cost of ownership, reduced downtime, and measurable emissions reductions, all while improving performance reliability.”
By combining advanced engineering, sustainable manufacturing, and innovative finance, Mafika proves that sustainability is not a trade-off; it’s a competitive advantage. “Sustainability isn’t the price we pay for doing business,” he says. “It’s the reason our business is thriving.”
The future of mining, rebuilt
As global mining operations face increasing scrutiny to balance profitability with sustainability, Mafika’s model offers a blueprint for how the industry can evolve responsibly.
“The future of mining will belong to those who extract the most value from what already exists,” Epstein concludes. “Mafika embodies that philosophy - engineering excellence fused with environmental intelligence.”
From its Zero-Hour rebuilds to its pioneering hydrogen retrofits, Mafika Engineering is proving that the circular economy is a viable, scalable path to a cleaner, more efficient mining future. Or, as Epstein puts it:
“We’re proving that African industry can lead the global sustainability agenda - one rebuilt, H₂-ready engine at a time.”
