The South African Mineral Processing Equipment Cluster (Sampec), which was launched earlier this year, has had a flying start, says South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC) MD Sybil Rhomberg.

The cluster, under the auspices of the SACEEC umbrella, aims to help drive government policy and focus for the mineral processing sector, identify opportunities and obtain government’s assistance on packaging deals. Through clustering, the value offering for customers also increases, especially on large projects.

The organisation further aims to develop the mineral processing equipment market, while simultaneously developing the member companies to supply the market.

In addition, Sampec will identify research and development requirements to ensure South Africa remains ahead of the world technology curve, while also working to identify larger contracts, which would allow for control over local content.

Speaking at the Sampec networking event, held at the Electra Mining Africa Exhibition, last week, mineral processing and industrial mining components company Tega Industries South Africa MD Fernando Monteiro, who is tasked with spearheading Sampec, said the cluster’s aim, going forward, would be to ensure the organisation gathers enough momentum and that is has enough members to form subgroups.

This is expected to resolve some of the key issues, such as labour, skills and localisation, facing the South African mineral processing industry.

Specialist engineering and project management company Roymec Technologies sales and marketing director Hoosen Essack is also championing Sampec.

Monteiro said Sampec wanted to find common ground among mineral processing industry stakeholders and have them focus on the issues affecting the industry’s efficiencies and effectiveness.

He also highlighted that clustering was about maximising the collective assets and skills of a sector, while maintaining individual intellectual property, as well as cooperating in the value chain, yet still remaining firm competitors.

Rhomberg stressed that, while South Africa did not have the funds to meet the required capital investment to gear each of the individual companies to be global players, it could be achieved for the industry as a whole if the individual companies worked together towards the common goal.

She noted that the only way to develop an industry quickly was through clustering, as this created a platform to interface and link synergies.

A good complement of stakeholders in the mineral processing industry was represented at the meeting, hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research on behalf of the Department of Science and Technology, and included representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Mineral Resources, the University of Johannesburg, the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction and the Technology Localisation Implementation Unit.