Xylem Water Solutions South Africa is developing a new mine dewatering pump that is due for release this year.

Xylem Water Solutions acting sales director Bennie Thiart notes that the mine dewatering pump, currently in its final development and testing phase, is based on customers’ needs.

“The pump is based on many hours of research and development (R&D) and listening to the voice of the customer. The new pump is being developed and built on the reputation of quality and longevity evident in our previous ranges and is being adjusted to suit customers’ requirements more,” says Thiart.

He adds that the company is supplying slurry pump units for applications in various process parts of mines and that it has a submersible slurry range which is an improved alternative to conventional and outdated vertical shaft pumps.

“The benefits of our pumps are that they are readily available and have a low life-cycle cost. Our pumps are also known for their quality and efficiency. “The feedback of our customers is impor- tant to us and recent customer surveys suggest that customers in the mining indus- try rely on our pumps for most of their slurry and dewatering needs.

“All our pumps, which are developed and manufactured by Xylem’s R&D facilities in Europe, are constantly being improved upon so that we can ensure efficiency and reliability. The benefit of this is that it cuts down on labour and process time if a mine shaft gets flooded,” he says.

Thiart adds that another benefit is the on-site and aftercare support the company offers.

“We have resources and backup systems throughout South Africa and sub- Saharan Africa, as well as a large team of technicians that is in the process of expansion,” he says.

Management

Meanwhile, the company’s South African branch appointed Vincent Chirouze MD in September last year and he is aligning the company’s approach strategy with the requirements of the mining industry.

“Listening to our customers and giving them what they want is a major focus point for our team. We are also focusing more on the mining industry in sub-Saharan Africa, where we see significant potential for growth,” he says.

Chirouze adds that the state of the industry varies from area to area and that the company is experiencing reasonable growth in South Africa.

“The economy in South Africa is steadily growing at 2.5%. In the rest of Africa, there is a growth rate of between 8% and 10%, which is reflected in our business market and where we see opportunities, with the biggest potential for growth in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and countries in West and Central Africa.

“We have received quite a few orders for pumps for mining applications in that region and are working on various mining projects there. We expect more opportunities to emerge from the continent,” he says.

However, he notes that the industry is not without challenges. “The most significant challenges the company is facing are logistics and infrastructure issues throughout Africa and how to meet the needs of customers from a logistical and equipment-servicing point of view.”

Cheap and unreliable imports and pirated products are also a challenge. “In South Africa, we are competing with several international companies that are trying to break into the mining sector; it is a highly competitive market,” he says.

Total Care

Chirouze states that the company is establishing itself as a full-maintenance service provider and has started to expand into a broader scope of services.

“Xylem has one of the biggest rental fleets in South Africa and key players in the mining industry are our largest market. We have 700 pumps available for mining applications, ranging from submersible pumps to slurry pumps. We see this as a major opportunity to reach out to the mining industry throughout sub-Saharan Africa,” he concludes.