The second Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo and Conference (CBM-Tec), that took place in Kitwe, Zambia, in May, showed a 67% growth in new visitors, event organiser integrated media company Spintelligent and events company Specialised Exhibitions report.

Spintelligent – which oversees a specialist iPad series of mining, energy and infrastructure conferences – and Specialised Exhibitions, which also facilitates the biennial Electra Mining Africa, held in South Africa, ran this year’s CBM-Tec under the theme ‘Taking the Zambian mining industry to the next level’.

The event hosted 1 449 visitors, from 14 different countries, while more than 90 conference delegates were addressed by 34 speakers. More than 120 exhibitors showcased their products and services at the expo, which took place on May 5 and 6.

“This is confirmation that Zambian mining is expanding and the CBM-Tec is at the forefront. Despite the outlook for the copper industry being conservative in 2015, Zambian mining took centre stage at the event and should remain the key driver of Zambian economic growth,” says Spintelligent director Nicole Smith.

Manufacturing Potential
This year’s CBM-Tec also included several innovations, such as an extended technical workshop hosted by the Zambian Association of Manufacturers (ZAM).

“With Zambian mining companies [importing] more than a billion dollars’ worth of manufactured [goods] yearly, there is clearly a significant opportunity for the local industry,” ZAM CEO Maybin Nsupila noted ahead of the conference.

According to Nsupila, research last year by the Zambian Chamber of Mines and the International Council of Mining and Metals showed that a sample of six mining companies was importing up to $1.7-billion in manufactured products yearly, excluding capital expenditure.

“About $600-million was being imported directly by the mining companies and about $1-billion sourced locally, but imported. And only $100-million [comes] from here,” he added.

Nsupila therefore believes that there is significant opportunity for local producers.

“I think we are increasing the potential for the mining companies to contribute to much more sustainable employment creation through backward linkages. We are also thinking that . . . those backward linkages are able to help us move on with commodity-based industrialisation.”

Nsupila hosted a workshop for Zambian suppliers and mining purchasing managers at CBM-Tec. He noted that the ZAM was “exploring ways of integrating the local manu- facturing industry more into the mining supply chain”. Discussions at the workshop included developing success stories, as well as the interventions being put in place in the medium and long term to try to increase the volumes of locally manufactured goods that are supplied into the mining supply chain.

“We do have companies that are producing very good quality products and we can arrange certification, but they don’t have access. And we are working towards bridging the information gap between the local manufacturers and the supply chain of the mining companies,” Nsupila noted.

He also highlighted that some companies do not always have the requisite quality certification from a recognised authority.

ZAM, therefore, launched a new Web facility, Zamb2b.com, to bridge the information gap. The facility is an online searchable database, which will allow for large corporate businesses, also called anchor firms, to find small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) suppliers producing local inputs that they can buy.

Industry Support
The two-day CBM-Tec offered high-level engagement and was opened by Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma. Chamber of Mines of Zambia president Jackson Sikamo, who chaired the keynote session, also noted that the conference presentations were “relevant and timely”, while “the quality of the exhibition and diversity of products and services were very pleasing”.

Other speakers at the event included copper miner Mopani Copper Mines CFO John Chiwele, copper miner Konkola Copper Mines Zambia VP for local economic development David Patterson, and Australian miner Blackthorn Resources country manager Geoffrey Mulenga.

In addition to the endorsement by the Zambia Chamber of Mines and the ZAM, the Association of Zambian Mineral Exploration Companies and the Lusaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry also supported CBM-Tec.

Mining and construction engineering group Sandvik Mining was again a platinum sponsor for the event, while Barloworld Equipment and investment group ZCCM Investments Holdings was a gold sponsor.

Other exhibitors included South Africa-based construction, engineering and mining contractor Murray & Roberts, high-end telescopic handler distributor and rough-terrain equipment company Manitou Group, Sweden-based construction and mining tools and equipment manufacturer Atlas Copco and pumps company Tri-Pump Engineering.