The South African Embassy in Chile invited Conymet Duratray President Manuel Medel to present on the experience of Duratray investing and operating in South Africa at the “South Africa: Business Opportunities” webinar organised in collaboration with the South Africa-Chile Chamber of Commerce, held in March this year.
As part of Conymet International Group, Duratray has operated in Africa since 2011. After years of negotiation, South Africa was the first country to be reached in Africa with Duratray’s Suspended Dump Bodies (SDB), which resulted in a mine of the Anglo-American Group implementing a 12-month-trial with the SDB technology.
The success of the trial resulted in them adopting the Suspended Dump Body for a new fleet, with an investment of US$2,4 millions. This generated interest from other mines within the Anglo-American group, therefore Duratray decided to invest in Africa. The company’s branch was established in 2016 through a partnership with a local South African company.
Operating locally in South Africa has allowed Duratray International to be fully autonomous with local manufacturing, warehouse and field services, which has facilitated the export to other countries in the continent, including Zambia. From the initial unit sent from Australia for trial, the local fleet has grown to over 40 units in the last few years, with most of the oldest units still being used by customers due to their reliability and durability.
"It is an honour for us to tell the story of our company's journey in South Africa and encourage other Chilean METS to do the same. Despite the current political situation in the country, we're confident on the strength and resilience of the mining industry in South Africa", said Medel.
South Africa is also a strategic location to setup a hub for the rest of the continent, due to their suitable infrastructure and skilled workforce.
Currently, Duratray's Regional Manager for Africa is working on a number of new opportunities for SDBs in the region and exploring new markets, including Angola, Ghana and Namibia.
Africa has about 30% of the world’s total mineral reserves and even a higher share of deposits of diamonds, vanadium, manganese, platinum, cobalt and gold.
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