South Africa-based specialist vibrating-equipment supplier Joest Kwatani has been approved to exhibit at the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI’s) stand at this year’s Investing in Africa Mining Indaba.

The Mining Indaba will take place from February 8 to 11 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

The criteria for exhibiting at the DTI stand stipulate that the company must be an emerging exporter that is owned by persons of South African nationality, have traded locally for more than 12 months, be a taxpayer in good standing with a valid tax clearance certificate and offer an Export Marketing and Investment Assistance-qualifying product or service. Applications must be made well in advance of the start of the event.

Joest Kwatani MD Kim Schoepflin highlights that the company has progressed through several strategic and significant developments in the past six months, which strengthen the company’s heritage and streamline its continuous focus on Africa.

This company, which in 2016 celebrates its fortieth year as a local original-equipment manufacturer providing its services across Africa, entered into a partnership agreement with black-owned consortium Vhatsila Holdings to form Joest Kwatani in April 2015.

“This agreement enabled the company to be the first in the sector to not only meet but also exceed the compliance criteria of the Mining Charter. Joest Kwatani also achieved Level 3 broad-based black economic-empowerment certification,” Schoepflin notes.

Other strategic developments include the company’s expansion into Botswana to supply the country’s mining industry with vibrating screens and feeders through a partnership with local mechanical engineering company Lucient Engineering & Construction Services to establish a local company called Joest Kwatani Botswana based in Jwaneng.

The company will supply its vibrating screens and feeders, provide all-year-round on-site services and technical support, as well as a parts stockholding “commensurate with the machine population”, Mining Weekly reported in November last year.

Further, Joest Kwatani is progressing the establishment of an African network through partnerships. The company, which is also involved in the gold mining industry, aims to consider a strategic position in the mining industry in West Africa and increase its proximity to Namibian customers within the next 12 months.

The company has undertaken calculated advancements that underpin its belief in Africa and focus on growth, hence its positioning itself accordingly, Schoepflin says, stressing that, to achieve success in Africa, suitable partnerships are needed, as well as a presence in Africa.

Schoepflin believes that the Mining Indaba is a key event to initiate partnerships and emphasising the importance of the event as “the world’s largest mining investment conference, the third-largest mining conference and Africa’s largest mining event”.

Joest Kwatani CEO Derrick Alston explains that the company will attend the Mining Indaba to remain abreast of market conditions and gauge the mining industry’s sentiments on future market outlook.

Schoepflin also notes the company’s interest in topics highlighted at the event, which include new or upcoming mining projects or expansions in Africa and new trends in mineral beneficiation, as well as the introduction of new technologies to improve performance and reduce costs.

“New information on these topics will provide a better estimate of the duration of the current global economic downturn, which will enable Joest Kwatani to better reposition itself to meet these new requirements in the current market,” she suggests.

Project Success
The company’s strength lies in engineering vibrating equipment solutions through engineering for tonnage to offer customers sustainable, lowest cost of ownership. High profile key projects completed by Joest Kwatani underscore the company’s ability to provide turnkey solutions.

Recent projects include the engineering, design, supply, installation and commissioning of 100 vibrating screening and feeding machines to an iron-ore operation in the Northern Cape. Joest Kwatani completed the project last month. Following the commissioning at the end of 2015, the company will service and maintain the machines for one year.

Joest Kwatani also supplied the operation with a third-generation scalping screen, which weighs more than 53 t and can screen heavy minerals at 7 000 t/h. The screen has been designed for large tonnage throughputs, long drop heights, heavy run-of-mine ore boulders and large cut apertures, Schoepflin states.

Another recent contract awarded to Joest Kwatani includes the replacement, refurbishment, service and maintenance of 96 coal screening machines at the largest coal processing complex in the world, in Limpopo. The company signed the contract, which will be valid for the next 11 years, in September last year.

“As a leading manufacturer of custom-built vibrating equipment solutions, Joest Kwatani offers robust equipment for harsh African mining conditions using advanced technology that is supported by qualified mechanical and metallurgical engineers, an in-house research and development team and service centres that are located in key mining regions,” Schoepflin concludes.