To meet the demand for affordable temporary accommodation, Urban Hotel launched the first hotel in Kathu, which is considered the iron-ore capital of South Africa.

The hotel is a short drive from the Sishen and Kolomela mines.

“It also provides easy access to important landmarks and is directly across from the town’s shopping mall,” Urban Hotel CEO Beyers Myburgh explains, adding that the demand for proper accommodation in Kathu is “very high”, largely owing to mining activities in and around the town.

The Urban Hotel franchise was developed and is owned by Myburgh. The first Urban Hotel was developed in 2008 in Bloemfontein.

“Urban Hotel approached the Industrial Development Corporation and the Sishen Iron Ore Community Development Trust (SIOC-cdt) for investments in the hotel. As a result of the hotel’s significant contribution to the community of Kathu and surrounding areas, not only during the development phase, but also during the operational phase, these stakeholders agreed to also invest in the hotel. The surplus was funded by the Myburgh family trust,” says Urban Hotels brand custodian Heloise Jordaan.

“We identified a need for accommodation and our model of supply is perfectly suited to the demand. After a hard day’s work, Urban Hotel Kathu will offer those travelling to Kathu to do business with the mines in the area an experience never before seen in the town and one that will be very hard to match,” Myburgh adds.

Further, Jordaan tells Mining Weekly that the target market for the hotel is the business traveller, coming to Kathu and surrounding areas, who mainly provides services and expertise for the mines. “Of course, we cannot place our guest demographic in a box; therefore, our guest profile includes guests staying over for a variety of reasons,” he adds.

The hotel promises to bring economic upliftment to the Kathu area by only employ- ing locals from Kathu and surrounding areas, and providing them with basic first aid, emergency procedure and crisis training. The basic skills that these employees will gain can also be used in the upliftment and development of the general community. Currently, the hotel has 27 employees.

The hotel offers 79 rooms with all the necessities, such as air conditioning, satellite television and a wireless local area network.

“We are also expanding in the near future – which will include long-stay rooms, a conference facility and a restaurant. At the moment, the hotel also runs a conference facility in partnership with the SIOC-cdt in the SIOC building, which is within walking distance of the hotel,” says Jordaan.

Other Accommodation Projects

In May, Mining Weekly reported that mine site accommodation in the region was multiplying, driven by the development in the area over the last few years and spurred by mining giants Assmang’s and Anglo American’s – the two biggest mining companies in South Africa – development of accommodation and revamping of existing accommodation.

Corobrik Free State and Northern Cape sales manager Gary Westwood states that the Kumba iron-ore project in Sishen, near the town of Kathu, is believed to be one of the seven largest openpit mines in the world. “Kumba is currently building 60 houses for mine management personnel using our Blue Barley Travertine and Roan Travertine face bricks. Further, a contract for the construction of a 47 950 m2 housing project has been awarded to construction company Steffanuti Stocks and is scheduled to begin before year-end,” he said.

The Kolomela iron-ore mine, 22 km from Postmasburg, in South Africa’s Northern Cape province, saw Corobrik delivering around two-million Corngold Satin bricks for the development of 400 staff houses. The project has been subdivided into three sections, namely Postdene, Airfield and Boichoko.

Westwood mentions that, for the most part, the mining sector supplied appalling living conditions for mineworkers during the apartheid era, leading to the contraction and spread of diseases, and an environment conducive to substance abuse.

Counteracting this legacy will not be cheap; however, the use of clay bricks in these housing projects is cost-effective because it provides sustainable housing.
Clay bricks have the ability to regulate the temperature within the home, thereby lowering energy costs. As naturally as the bricks insulate heat, they are also able to prevent too much heat from entering the home.

“Clay bricks also have mineral properties that meet all the necessary requirements for healthy living, as clay bricks do not release toxic fumes under normal, or fire, conditions. Further, it also has natural sound insulation properties to support quiet indoor environments. The strength and reliability of brick also ensure that homeowners feel they are in a safe, good-quality home. Therefore, clay bricks add sustainable value in a unique holistic context,” he says.

Westwood states that one of the biggest problems in the mining industry is the resettlement of workers in order to facilitate the expansion of the mine. Schools and clinics are also important landmarks which need to be built near all new developments in order to ensure a sustainable future.