Company Announcement - Polypipe, the UK’s largest and most innovative manufacturer of plastic piping systems, has appointed a mining industry expert to head up its Southern African operations as the company seeks to expand its presence across the continent. Bart Malan takes up the newly-created role of Mining Business Development Manager and brings with him nearly 20 years of experience in mining products and processes, gained through his previous roles with Multotec, Victaulic and Osborn Engineered Products among others.  Bart is also a member of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and has developed extensive knowledge of multiple mining disciplines including: coal processing; gold mining; copper processing and refining; iron ore beneficiation and processing; and filtration and electro-winning.  Having worked around the globe, in the USA, Europe, India, Turkey and Africa, Bart has developed a high level of international mining knowledge, particularly on methods and environments.

After supplying several high-profile mining projects in Kenya, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo among others, Polypipe is building a reputation for providing efficient, resilient water management solutions which withstand the demands of mining environments. This is achieved through Polypipe’s products being a combination of strong and lightweight, with the added benefit of being chemical and corrosion resistant.

Commenting on his new role, Bart explained: “This new role at Polypipe allows me to draw on my years of experience in the international mining industry and open up new opportunities. Polypipe is still a relatively new name to the African mining market and my first task will be to introduce the company and its water management solutions to the industry, as well as highlighting the benefits of working with a global manufacturer such as Polypipe.

“Africa as a continent frequently struggles with water shortages and, as water is essential for mineral extraction and processing operations, it will be my job to work closely with mine operators to help them optimise their water management systems. Polypipe has a variety of solutions for water recycling, storage and rainwater harvesting which can help make the most of the available resources and allow us to plan for times of drought, so a major part of my role will be assisting with the design and development of water infrastructure at mines across the continent.”

Bart will be based at Growth Point Industrial Estate in Meadowdale, Johannesburg, travelling internationally within southern Africa. He can be contacted at bart.malan@polypipe.com or on 00 27 (0) 726 900 279.