WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL

Since its founding in 2001, a strong sense of balance has purveyed the operations at Afmine (the combination of Dairyhill Investments and African Mining and Exploration). Standing out in the industry as a beacon of environmental and industrial collaboration the company is one of the strongest and it is a pillar of strength. Always with a keen ear to taking a hands on approach to his work, Derek Cockcroft, the managing director, was on hand to discuss his company’s latest developments in this deeply South African industry.

A BUSINESS AS STRONG AS Diamonds

The solution for this haulage method was developed in

conjunction with Zimplats, with a view to establishing a safe,

reliable and cost effective solution. This was achieved through

the use of Australian style road trains, able to operate under the

legislated loading parameters set by the Zimbabwean Government.

Specific legislation was passed by Government to allow the operation

of these units, measured at 42 metres long and an overall gross

vehicle mass of 160 ton.

This specialised equipment was originally sourced from Australia,

and was partially assembled locally utilising existing facilities within

the group. Hence they were able to offer a cost advantage to the client

and this operation continues to be the largest road train operation

in Africa, achieving approximately 200 million ton/kilometres per

annum.

“Since then, we have grown the services to Zimplats through the

introduction of ore rehandling, involving the introduction of both

mining and crushing equipment, in order to assist with their above

ground and underground developments,” Derek adds, “We have

also expanded the group activities into exploration drilling services,

such that we are able to accommodate most mining companies

requirements within the group.”

Afmine are heavily involved in a number of markets, indicitative

of their organic growth that they have been able to meet the

various demands of each of these different countries, which include

Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique, with the most current

projects being pursued in Tanzania and Namibia.

Additionally, Afmine’s capabilities extend to contract mining and

DAIRYHILL INVESTMENTS AND AFRICAN MINING AND EXPLORATION

“In 2001 we secured a contract with Zimbabwe Platinum Mines (Private) Limited, which has subsequently become a subsidiary of Impala Platinum Holdings Limited, a listed company in South Africa,” Derek explains, “This contract was for the haulage of platinoid ore from the opencast mine operation in Ngezi to the processing plant in Selous, an overall distance of 76km.”

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earthmoving, which is a medium sized operation undergoing organic

growth currently as a result of additional client requirements as well

as new projects. Specialised haulage solutions for the mining industry,

including exploration drilling:

“The equipment used here is considered to be the best in its class,”

Derek states, “The Boart Longyear LF90D diamond drill rigs as well

as RC/RAB equipment,”

Historical operations of Afmine also support the capability of

performing diamond drilling in excess of 1000 metres using blast

hole drilling, which is one of their current developments, mining

consultancy services which makes use of Afmine’s highly skilled and

practical mining experience and the significant skills they have in both

opencast and underground developments.

What Training Is Given?Up to and over 250 staff work with Afmine at any one time and

each of them adhere and follow a certain philosophy and attitude that

can distinguish one of their employees out of a crowd.

“One of our major focuses is the management of health and safety

principles within our operations, and protection of the environment,”

Derek explains, “Continual improvement of such skills is ongoing

within the organisation, with regular training courses. Our client

requirements are particularly stringent due to nature of the mining

industry and associated risks. We also continue to develop personnel

and skills through both on the job and independent educational

courses with a view to strengthening our skills base.”

Some companies place no emphasis on staff development, let

alone individual development however Derek is adamant with his

opinion to how important this particular area is to him:

“Very!” he exclaims, “Zimbabwe and Botswana have a fairly well

educated workforce but skills are still limited and Mozambique has a

very limited skill base. The future of our business lies in the abilities

of our personnel and we take their development and education very

seriously.”

Afmine’s CustomersDerek immediately strikes as one of those people who has

approached business with the intention of making a definite impact on

those he works with. Handling both staff and clients with a sincerity

that is refreshing and inspiring.

“In order to service the client fully, we ensure that we understand

their business needs from the outset,” he details, “We all undergo

continual improvement of our

services to ensure that their

needs are constantly met as their

own business develops.”

He continues, “Being an

owner/operator of business we

recognise that the success of

our business is directly related

to the success of our clients

and by maintaining a successful

relationship with the client

through proven performance, we

are able to secure a competitive

edge with repeat business.”

Along with a smooth

operation and a keen

understanding of how best to

look after staff and customers

alike, Afmine is further enhanced

by a willingness to adapt to

circumstances and learn, relearn

and reform whatever they need

to.

“With current commodity

prices, costs and production

challenges being faced by our

clients, we are required to

constantly review our work

methods and the equipment

deployed to ensure that we

are taking advantage of recent

technology developments,” he

details, “ Capital equipment

replacement is a major focus in

order to ensure that our services

are always reliable, cost effective

and safe.”

What’s In The Future?

Leading into 2013 Afmine

DAIRYHILL INVESTMENTS AND AFRICAN MINING AND EXPLORATION

are introducing a mining consultancy division which allows them to

assist in the development of the mining industry and further develop

opportunities for their group. This consultancy extends to full

management of new projects, with final handover to the client once

in productive state.

There is also the ongoing expansion of the mining services into

blast hole drilling for opencast mining projects which has expected

growth within the mining industry within Zimbabwe, Botswana and

Mozambique. All countries have massive potential for growth within

this sector, being very undeveloped in worldwide standards.

“We believe that we will be able to grow the business significantly

due to our position in all three countries. We also believe that we shall

be able to expand into other territories within the region, becoming a

sizeable player within the mining services industry,

Our aim is to effectively double the size of the business within

the next 3 years, requiring further investment of approximately $20

million. In order to achieve this, we are doing as much as possible to

develop internal skills in order to cope with the anticipated growth,

thereby ensuring no reduction in our client service principles,” he

concludes.

DAIRYHILL INVESTMENTS AND AFRICAN MINING AND EXPLORATION

00263 4 708036

WWW.AFMINE.CO.ZA

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