South Africa-based mining industry products and services provider Multotec is increasing its focus on the Zambia and Central Africa markets, including the southern and eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Malawi. Its customers in these areas are serviced out of Multotec Zambia, in Chingola, the hub of the Copperbelt region.
“We regard the Zambia market as a mature market from where we draw infrastructure and logistics support, and the DRC as a growing and developing market. As a result, we approach these markets differently,” says Multotec Africa MD Jaco du Toit.
He explains that, owing to the significant size of the DRC market, the country needs local support, which is why Multotec decided in 2011 to appoint a French-speaking Congolese sales representative, based in Kolwezi, Katanga provice, to look after the company’s interests in the region.
“This representative is a Multotec employee with local business experience, tasked with visiting our customers in the DRC on a regular basis. However, when product specialists are needed, they are deployed from Zambia or South Africa,” says Du Toit.
Multotec Group originally serviced the Zambian mining industry from its headquarters in South Africa, but later entered into an agency agreement with an established engineering company based in Chingola, whereby Multotec products, as well as fabrication and maintenance services, were channelled directly into the local mineral processing market.
Multotec maintained its presence throughout the subsequent slump in the global copper market, a decision that benefited the group once the market recovered, since local customers perceived Multotec to be an organisation that “endured the hard times” with them.
As demand for Multotec products and services grew steadily, the organisation began investing more in the region, ultimately acquiring the agent’s company in 2007 and incorporating it into Multotec Group. Multotec Zambia was registered in 2001 and, in the relatively stable mining market that has prevailed since, it has recruited and built up a strong team – 100% local – currently constituting 35% of the group’s personnel, under Multotec Zambia’s regional manager, Johan Eksteen.
Du Toit points out that Multotec Zambia currently supports most mining opera- tions in the region, either through the sale of consumable and capital equipment or by providing after-sales services for the operational market, including installations and field-service maintenance.
He notes that it has always been a core strategy for the company to be as local as possible, as Multotec Group currently serves 25 countries in Africa. The company serves some of these African countries through regional hubs such as Zambia, through agents or resident employees. Its continentwide presence allows Multotec to respond to its markets rapidly – a capability that has been a major factor in the company’s subsequent success in these markets.
“We’ll continue to move closer to customers on the operational front as this is what builds sound and long-term relationships. This strategy has been proved correct, since, today, we have a strong African footprint and we occupy a significant segment of the mineral processing market,” adds Du Toit.
Multotec equipment is operational at Malawi’s uranium plant, with resin-in-pulp (RIP) technology having been commissioned at the Kayalekera uranium mine – a first for RIP technology in the country and only the second site globally to introduce it.