Though classified as a medium-sized mine planning and engineering consultancy, Gauteng-based Ukwazi Group remains the largest independent and focused mine planning and engineering services provider in Africa.

Ukwazi specialises in the use and interpretation of various mine planning software systems and sees itself not only as a user, but also as an expert in the field, working closely with various software suppliers, including Dassault Systèmes, RungePincockMinarco, Trimble, MineRP and Bentley.

The company has worked on several prominent projects over the last 12 months, providing independent professional mining engineering services to clients, such as platinum mining major Impala Platinum, diversified miner Glencore, iron-ore major Kumba Iron Ore, China’s largest iron and steel trader China Minmetals Corporation, diamond producers Petra Diamonds and Gem Diamonds and midtier mining group Metorex, among many others.

Representing the mine owners’ team on all the projects it is involved in, Ukwazi approaches each project with a proven and compliant planning process, using experienced in-house mining engineers and mine planners and the most appropriate software tools for each specific project.

“We work as teams, and not as individuals, to ensure long-term continuity and ownership of a project,” says Ukwazi director and principal mining engineer Jaco Lotheringen, adding that Ukwazi’s teams are diversely experienced and focused on its planning and design solutions and the appropriate application thereof.

Ukwazi has five teams operating in the same number of focus areas, including underground narrow tabular mining, underground massive mining, openpit mining, opencast and underground coal mining and mine planning and maintenance.

Established in 2004, Ukwazi employs a staff complement of 28, including 14 mining engineers, 11 mine planners and three office employees. Ukwazi employees enjoy a 30% shareholding in the company.

Ukwazi’s 600 m2 office is located at Unit 4B, Hazel Close, on 141 Witch Hazel avenue in Highveld, Centurion.