Black women-owned complete pipeline solutions provider Rare has found “immeasurable value” in exhibiting at the annual Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo and Conference (CBM-TEC), in Zambia, in 2015 and 2016.

During this time, the company has seen an increase in opportunities and valuable contacts through networking.

Rare has recently grown its product offering through the acquisition of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe manufacturing facility, says Rare CEO Renier Viljoen. Pipes up to 1 000 mm in diameter are manufactured at the facility and are used in various mining applications.

Rare MD Ashin Tasdhary adds that, as a result of this “exponential growth”, the company has secured continuous supply orders of the HDPE pipes, as well as fittings, from various mines on the Copperbelt, which covers Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“CBM-TEC attracts important role-players from the Zambian mining industry. As a result, it creates a valuable opportunity to network with decision-makers in the mining industry,” explains Viljoen.

The value of the two-day expo is especially significant because of the recent increase in the investment potential of the Copperbelt mining region.

The expo has aided the company by creating awareness of Rare’s presence in Zambia. It enabled Rare to “network with like-minded individuals in the Zambian mining Industry” supporting its Zambian brand and their commitment to the expanding the country’s mining sector, says Viljoen.

Rare’s solidifying of its presence on the Copperbelt in Zambia follows the strategic decision to establish an office in the country in 2008.

“We had serious challenges regarding the availability of suitably qualified staff to use on our installation projects,” Viljoen states, enthusing, however, that Rare overcame this by investing time and money in the training and skills development of its Zambian employees.

Rare, established in 1975, initially focused on supplying carbon steel products to the petrochemicals industry. It has since evolved into a complete pipelines solution provider, with its head office in Kliprivier, in Gauteng, recently acquired HDPE pipe manufacturing facility in Meyerton, Gauteng, both servicing markets in Zambia, Ghana, Botswana, Namibia and the DRC, besides South Africa.

CBM-TEC showcases cost-effective solutions that will yield maximum output in the mining industry, says Rare. The expo consists of indoor and outdoor exhibitions and free seminars, aiming to give exhibitors and visitors measurable return on investment.