Editor’s take: The state of disrepair of South Africa’s key infrastructure (power, roads, rail, water and port) often sees citizens dodging potholes on a daily basis and going days and weeks without water and power. With the country currently at Stage 6 load shedding, this begs the question, could it possibly get any worse and is there any hope at the end of this rather dark and dingy tunnel? While we do face a stream of never-ending infrastructure related challenges, there are some green shoots of positivity on the horizon. In fact, the Group of Seven leaders (G7) recently pledged to raise $600bn over the next five years to finance much needed infrastructure development in developing countries –good news for Africa and South Africa, in particular, if we can just land some of that $600bn.
On the cover
John Deere targets African mining growth
While equipment supplier John Deere has a range of products that is synonymous with the construction and agricultural sectors, the company recently made inroads into the mining and quarrying sectors and is on a drive to expand its African mining footprint. The company is now delivering construction and mining equipment directly into Africa because it understands the region’s exponential growth potential. “The African population is projected grow to 2.5-billion people by 2050, which sets the scene for high infrastructure development demand across the continent. As a result, the region remains a key priority for us,” says John Deere Griffiths Makgate.
PNR looks to resurrect the champ – Selebi-Phikwe mine
Premium Nickel Resources (PNR), a Canadian company focused on the exploration and development of high-quality nickel-copper-cobalt mineral deposits, is the new kid on the mining block targeting the resurrection of Botswana’s once mighty nickel and copper giant – Selebi-Phikwe Mine.
Vedanta invests heavily to increase production
Underpinning Vedanta Zinc International’s significant investment in its South African and Namibian businesses, is a vision to create an integrated regional zinc complex comprising Black Mountain Mining (including Gamsberg) and the Skorpion Zinc mining and refining operations, Pushpender Singla, Vedanta Resources CFO and executive director tells Modern Mining. To date, Vedanta has invested more than R21-billion in developing the Black Mountain Mining complex.
Menar benefits from robust coal prices
In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity, wrote Sun Tzu in The Art of War. It is a quote that aptly describes the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which has heightened the surge in demand for most commodities, in particular energy related commodities such as oil, gas and coal. This demand, which has continued to grow since Russia invaded Ukraine, is propitious for the South African coal and anthracite industry, says Menar’s MD, Vuslat Bayoglu.
AECI drives the ESG agenda
JSE-listed explosives manufacturer AECI Mining’s strategy remains firmly focused on step-changes aligned with meeting its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, says newly appointed chief executive officer for AECI Mining, Mark Kathan.
“As we transition over the next 2 – 5 years our core focus will be on supporting the environment and our people and dovetailing our initiatives to meet our customers’ goals,” Kathan tells Modern Mining.
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