Recent developments bode well for copper, copper alloys

Several developments are making copper and copper alloys increasingly important, says metallurgical industry plant and integrated systems provider SMS group. 

Bright future for copper – consultancy

The copper sector’s current buoyancy can be attributed to improved prices and substantial demand from industrialised nations, such as China, says civil and structural engineering firm ADA... 

Tailings dam failures concerning

It is unacceptable that tailings dam failures are reported to be about ten times more frequent than water dams on a ratio basis, says geotechnical engineering company Geotheta CEO Ian Hammond,... 

Battery technology advances could create savings, environmental benefits

Further advances in battery technology are expected as new options come to market and new economies of scale are achieved, says independent consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting. 

Holistic solutions crucial for mining sustainability – consultancy

Holistic solutions that consider closure, social, environmental and technical best practices will be important for the sustainability and longevity of the African mining industry, say independent... 

Mine health, safety awareness crucial for consultants

Owing to the mining industry having historically gained a reputation for being “inherently unsafe”, consulting engineers need to be more mindful of this aspect when working in the sector, says... 

Recent disasters thrust tailings dam management to the fore

The tailings storage facility (TSF) failures at Mount Polley in Canada and at San Marco and Brumadinho – both in Brazil – have altered how tailings engineering, construction and operations will... 

Tailings solutions target reduced water use, pollution

Using more paste thickeners for dry tailings has been beneficial from an environmental aspect, as less water is required to transport the tailings, says environmental solutions company I-CAT... 

Tailings failures increase awareness of associated risks

There has been a noticeable increase in awareness around tailings dams, owing mostly to the tragic disasters caused by their collapsing, and the subsequent social activism, says software company... 

Recent disasters thrust tailings dam management to the fore

The tailings storage facility (TSF) failures at Mount Polley in Canada and at San Marco and Brumadinho – both in Brazil – have altered how tailings engineering, construction and operations will... 

Small business celebrates award, charts way forward

Consulting company ADA Consulting Engineers recently won a commendation for the Small Company of the Year award at this year’s Consulting Engineers South Africa AON Excellence Awards, held in... 

Cesa shines on international stage

Voluntary association Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) was one of the big winners at the 2019 International Federation of Consulting Engineers (Fidic) Member Association (MA) Excellence... 

More support needed for SMMEs in construction

Amid the downturn in the construction sector during the past five years, it has been very difficult for small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) in the sector to keep afloat, says... 

Technology huge driver for earthworks company

Amid continuous technological development, equipment must keep up with global trends, says earthworks company ICON Group MD Wayne Neary. 

Global company eyes growth in S Africa, rest of Africa

Construction connection technology supplier Peikko recently entered the South African market, offering “ground-breaking technology” to improve efficiency and boost cost savings in the construction... 

Conference highlights critical role of small business in the economy

The small business sector in South Africa plays a significant role in the national economy, with government’s National Development Plan looking to small-, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs)... 

Science, innovation investment crucial to Africa’s development

Africa still does not realise the potential and opportunity that science and innovation hold for its development and the time has come for the continent to be serious about investing more in... 

Stored goods a fire risk for warehouses

Large industrial warehouses are at risk of catching fire, especially when the goods stored are not the property of, for example, courier or logistics companies that own the buildings, says fire... 

4IR strategies fast-track company’s procedures

Incorporating Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) strategies into its operations has enabled storage equipment manufacturer and supplier Universal Storage Systems to fast-track certain aspects of... 

Warehousing strategy aids facilities management company

There is an opportunity for the facilities management sector to leverage expertise from the supply chain and logistics sectors by replicating similar processes in its warehousing and logistic... 

Industry changes impact on explosives sector

Owing to low overall business confidence, year-on-year mining production declining by more than 4% and volatility across all mineral commodities, the explosives industry has remained relatively... 

Manufacturing decline prompts company’s cross-border aspirations

As the local manufacturing sector has been declining steadily over the past 15 years, industrial packaging solutions company PackSolve is exploring opportunities in the international market to grow... 

Barcodes add value to Industry 4.0

There is an opportunity, through Industry 4.0, to make the data derived from barcodes more useful across industrial value chains, says industrial automation provider Omron South Africa product... 

Legislature calls for more labelling, packaging awareness

As the food and drug / medicine sectors are highly regulated from a labelling perspective, companies need to be aware of the claims they can make about their products on the packaging, says... 

Horizonte's Vermelho project has potential to be significant low-cost nickel mine

Nickel is currently one of the “best performing” metals and demand for new nickel resources is expected to grow over the next decade. This places Horizonte Minerals' Vermelho nickel/cobalt project,... 

Shanta’s training improves livelihood of miners

With artisanal mining underpinning the livelihoods of many families in Tanzania, the risk remains that informal mining is not conducted safely, says Tanzanian gold mining company Shanta Gold CEO... 

Resource nationalism on Tanzanian agenda

The primary trend in Tanzanian mining – as is the case with many African jurisdictions – is resource nationalism, says multinational law practice Eversheds Sutherland mining and infrastructure head... 

Rhodium price rally forecast to continue on firm demand, constrained supply

In the 1990s it was unlikely that tennis sensations Venus Williams and Serena Williams – collectively known as the Williams sisters – would have been mentioned without referencing their coach at... 

Rhodium price rally forecast to continue on firm demand, constrained supply

In the 1990s it was unlikely that tennis sensations Venus Williams and Serena Williams – collectively known as the Williams sisters – would have been mentioned without referencing their coach at... 

Mining industry sunrise at even odds – consultant

Recent debates regarding the South African mining industry have centred on whether it is a sunrise or sunset industry. Local mining engineering consultancy Ukwazi business development director... 

Amplats continues to see positive demand for 3E PGMs

Platinum-group metals (PGMs) mining and marketing company Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) continued to see positive demand for platinum, rhodium and palladium (3E) PGMs over the short and medium... 

Mining industry sunrise at even odds – consultant

Recent debates regarding the South African mining industry have centred on whether it is a sunrise or sunset industry. Local mining engineering consultancy Ukwazi business development director... 

Joburg Indaba sponsor looks forward to industry engagements

Independent consulting practice SRK Consulting is a networking sponsor at the 2019 Joburg Indaba. Organised by resources investment conferences company Resources 4 Africa, SRK partner and principal... 

Energy alternatives for mining

The demand for electricity in South Africa continues to increase and there is no certainty that State-owned power utility Eskom will be able to meet that demand at a cost-effective price, says... 

US-China trade war may cause gold project surge

Although many commodities have remained flat over the past year, the resurgent gold price – mainly driven by uncertainty, owing to the US-China trade war – may result in more gold projects, given... 

Joburg Indaba continues to create positive platform

The seventh yearly Joburg Indaba has firmly solidified its place as the local mining conference of choice among key mining industry players. The two-day conference will take place on October 2 and... 

DTIC enables supply to Zambian market

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) followed a strategic and targeted approach earlier this year to enable South African mining equipment manufacturers to secure partnerships... 

Local demand for gravel pumps declining

The demand for gravel pumps in South Africa has been on a steady decline over the past twenty years, says mining equipment manufacturer PCF Engineering managing partner Jan Feldtmann. “At times, it... 

Marked increase in company’s pump refurbishment orders

Pumps supplier Mechanical Rotating Solutions (MRS) has witnessed a marked increase in refurbishment orders for its pumps division in the first quarter of 2019 – as opposed to new installations –... 

Pump couplings supply completed

Since being appointed the South African distributor for coupling manufacturer Straub’s couplings range, pumps supplier Mechanical Rotating Solutions (MRS) has completed several mining projects that...