The African Mining Ministerial Forum’s presentation will be a key platform of interest to coal sampling and analytical services provider Umzamo Analytical Services (UAS) at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba, as the forum will highlight potential continental opportunities, which UAS aims to pursue.

The forum is hosted by finance institutions the African Development Bank, the Japan Oil, Gas & Metals National Corporation, and the World Bank Group.

This event will provide a platform for 16 African mining Ministers to outline sector opportunities in their respective countries.
UAS CEO Audrey Ndlovu highlights the company’s eagerness to determine where its services could be applied in Africa, reasoning that, without the support of the Mining Indaba, such opportunities would be more difficult to determine.

“UAS believes that the key to succeeding in the mining industry is to remain at the forefront of industry trends and developments, and to be part of the greater conversation about current needs in the industry. The Mining Indaba creates a platform for both these elements, and the discourse that takes place at the event will be valuable to the industry overall,” she says.

Quality Accreditation
Mpumalanga-based UAS is ISO-17025 accredited – the laboratory equivalent of the ISO 9000 quality management certification for laboratory management – and uses International Organisation for Standardisation  and international standards organisation ASTM methods for sampling and analysis. The company’s equipment is also calibrated for temperature and mass by a South African National Standards- (Sanas-) accredited facility.

To complement its service offering, UAS has increased its capacity through the procurement of the latest technology, as well as backup equipment, which ensures continued service when breakdowns occur. UAS further plans to expand into Southern Africa this year, Ndlovu adds. While she acknowledges the competition for UAS in this region, Ndlovu believes that the company, with its expertise and professionalism, is ready to face it. “We also have the ability to be flexible and efficient without compromising the quality of our services.”

Ndlovu credits the 400% growth experienced by the company over the past year while working within the South African market to its hands-on approach, passion for the industry and extensive knowledge in coal sampling and testing.

Quality Focus
The company renders various services for coal exploration companies, emerging coal miners, existing coal producers and exporters, as well as laboratories in need of quality management systems, besides others.

UAS can offer the coal mining industry in Southern Africa analytical services, with quick turnaround times allowing for factual, financially stable decision-making for clients.

“We offer convenience and greater efficiency,” says Ndlovu, adding that the company can also set up on-site laboratories.

“There is still high demand for coal to generate power, for use in the steel industry and for exports,” explains Ndlovu.
However, she acknowledges that, as a result of the current global economic environment, operational costs have significantly increased, leading to the downscaling of production, which adversely affects the mining industry.

With this challenge in mind, Ndlovu believes that sustainability is a key issue and that any mining services provider – be it in products or services – should try to achieve the highest possible accreditation, which ensures that the client receives an undisputed high-quality service.

“For the industry to survive, the highest-quality product must be released onto the market and, for this to happen, the supporting products and services must also be of the highest quality and must use the latest technology,” she notes, highlighting the company’s interest in industry thought leaders’ comments on the topic of high-quality products and service provision.

Meanwhile, UAS is involved in the implementation of an ISO 17025 quality management system for a client, which the company started last month and aims to complete in March.
 

UAS will develop management and technical documentation to address the requirements of ISO 17025, as well as provide coaching and mentoring during the development and implementation of the quality management system (QMS) manual, which will include the QMS policy, procedures and forms.

“Any nonconformance found during the Sanas assessment of the quality manual should be corrected through root cause analysis,” Ndlovu adds.

The company will also ensure that all requirements for Sanas accreditation are addressed, she concludes.

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