The South African branch of Belgium-based mobile track-mounted crushing and screening equipment manufacturer Keestrack Group aims to make inroads into the local quarrying and mining sectors, the company tells Mining Weekly.

Having established its Southern African head office in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, in April, Keestrack South Africa MD Zdenek ‘Stan’ Fischer says the company is well placed to satisfy the local market’s mining equipment needs, owing to the high-quality and robust nature of Keestrack machines.

“All Keestrack’s equipment is well suited to operating in harsh African operating conditions,” he emphasises.

Fischer adds that Keestrack South Africa has developed a partnership with Mpumalanga-based equipment distributor HHIL Consultants to promote the sale of the company’s equipment to local mines and quarries.

Keestrack has sold a Frontier scalping screen to a junior coal miner, which is using the unit at a Mpumalanga-based operation.

The Keestrack brand was first introduced onto the South African market in 2011 and presented to the public at the 2013 bauma Africa trade fair, recently renamed bauma Conexpo Africa.

With this in mind, Fischer explains that it will still take some time before Keestrack makes significant inroads into the local mining and quarrying sectors.

He further tells Mining Weekly that, while Keestrack is currently focused on establishing its operations in South Africa, it is also actively seeking opportunities in other parts of Africa.

“It is no secret that neighbouring countries like Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique are experiencing significant growth in their mining and quarrying sectors. Therefore, we have started engaging with the relevant stakeholders in these countries about the possibility of supplying crushing and screening equipment to new and existing projects,” states Fischer.

He says Keestrack’s Namibia-based distributor is mining, drilling and construction products and equipment supplier Desert Mining Suppliers, run by MD Jannie Kirsten.

Although none of the Keestrack machines have been sold by the company to date, Kirsten says: “There have been several enquiries from interested mining companies, which may lead to sales in the future.”

Meanwhile, Fischer highlights that Keestrack South Africa will exhibit at next year’s bauma Conexpo Africa, which will run from September 15 to 18 at a Johannesburg-based venue that has yet to be announced.

Currently, Keestrack South Africa stocks several Keestrack machines, including the track-mounted Apollo jaw crusher, the track-mounted Explorer 1800 triple deck and the track-mounted stacker.

“However, we will add more Keestrack machines to our stable as demand grows in the country,” Fischer concludes.