Drilling equipment supplier Rock Drill Technologies (RDT) is aiming to grow its market share in the Southern Africa mining industry, based on its ability to supply affordable pneumatics products because of its reliable supply chain.

The move north is owed to there being limited opportunities in the South African mining industry, given the number of current suppliers in this shrinking market, states RDT MD Bob Brown.

“South Africa has prevailing tailwinds of higher metal and commodity prices, but faces challenges with ongoing electricity supply problems, higher energy costs and a labour force that is facing tough economic realities that need an above-consumer-price-index wage increase to keep up. Managing these opposing forces will not be an easy task.”

The company supplies pneumatic rock drills including their maintenance spare parts to the mining, quarrying and construction industries across Southern Africa. This includes complete drills, as well as separate component parts for wet and dry pneumatic rock drills used in underground and surface mining operations.

The drills and spare parts are fully interchangeable with more well-known existing drills without any compromise on quality, says Brown.

RDT carries “considerable” inventory stock of the complete drills and spares, which can be delivered using couriers or air freight to any location in Southern Africa as required.

“Pneumatic rock drills are a mature technology and there is limited research and development into their use. They are being phased out by most major mining companies in favour of newer technologies such as hydropower or hydraulic drilling.”

He adds that the widespread use of conventional pneumatic drills, however, continues amid the development of mechanised, nonpneumatic drilling equipment.

RDT supplies cost-effective pneumatic drills and spares to support customers that have invested in this equipment and infrastructure over many years, in addition to employing a trained and competent workforce to use such drills.

Brown says the junior mining sector, and particularly artisanal and small-scale mining, provides ideal opportunities for RDT to supply more of its products into sub-Saharan Africa.

RDT is aiming to capitalise on this opportunity by partnering with distributors locally and in neighbouring countries.