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Project Management

Miner approves project implementation, begins refinery construction

27th January 2023 Diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater announced in November last year that, subsequent to securing an effective controlling interest of about 85% in Keliber Oy, the Sibanye-Stillwater board had approved capital expenditure of €588-million for the Keliber lithium hydroxide project, beginning with... →

Course enables project management’s full potential

By: Nadine Ramdass 27th January 2023 Not-for-profit professional project management organisation Project Management Institute (PMI) has launched a course covering critical power skills amongst others to assist project managers in bridging the gap between project owners and contractors. PMI sub-Saharan Africa MD George Asamani... →

An image of a construction sector worker on site

BRIDGING THE GAP The course bridges the gap between contractors and project owners

Stringent standards dampening SMMEs’ participation

By: Leah Shelene Asaram 4th November 2022 Small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) advisory and project management firm Zevoli Growth Partners (ZGP) has partnered with education and training solutions provider African Management Institute (AMI) to create a programme that helps South Africa’s mining industry build a stronger SMME... →

An image of Zevoli Grwoth Partners MD Mpopi Khupe

MPOPI KHUPE Only becoming acutely aware of the compliance, mandatory and technical requirements at the RFx stage often results in an imminent opportunity being misse

Skills shortages detrimental to mining projects

By: Leah Shelene Asaram 4th November 2022 To carry out any mining project, one must have the necessary tools, skills and knowledge to optimise time and produce high-quality work. Ability to do this requires continuous development, training and upliftment of personnel to avoid any skills shortages, says consultancy firm Wood mining and... →

HENRY JONKER As a global organisation, Wood really tries to do work on a global platform

Scrupulous project management deemed a must

By: Leah Shelene Asaram 4th November 2022 The most important aspect of project management – a proven management discipline that focuses efforts, engages stakeholders and provides a framework within which work is integrated and closely controlled – is to define the scope of work, says University of Pretoria (UP) project management... →

An image of University of Pretoria Professor Giel Bekker

GIEL BEKKER Project managers must ask themselves what needs to be done, why it needs to be done and what the objectives to be met are

App revolutionises project management

By: Leah Shelene Asaram 4th November 2022 Consulting firm SSG Consulting founder and CEO Steven Golding, in partnership with his team, designed and developed the award-winning KEY360 Management Platform that has become a “highly esteemed” global platform, owing to SSG’s passion for solving capital project management challenges for... →

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED KEY360 includes more than 140 business and project management systems in one integrated platform

Increased demand despite pandemic’s effects

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 25th February 2022 Following structural changes at several client organisations that affected the available internal Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) implementation capacity, ESD advisory and project management firm Zevoli Growth Partners has had increased demand from companies that restructured their ESD... →

Zevoli GP executive director Mpopi Khupe

MPOPI KHUPE The impact of Covid-19 required that Zevoli fully digitise its ESD implementation approach

Udumo Adit housing relocation project 80% complete

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 25th February 2022 Coal mining company Kangra, a subsidiary of mining investment company Menar, is nearing the completion of its Udumo Adit housing relocation project, in Donkerhoek, Mpumalanga. Udumo shaft (previously known as Twyfelhoek mine) forms part of one of the planned shafts to access the Kusipongo... →

image of the Udumo Adit mining its first coal

FIRST COAL To save on costs of the establishment of the Udumo Adit, most projects, which includes the relocation project, were primarily managed by the in-house Kangra team

Agility will prove beneficial in mining project management

25th February 2022 With multidimensional and multifaceted change being the only constant in the mining industry, nonprofit organisation Project Management Institute (PMI) says an agile approach to project management is vital to accommodate the constant changes within mining projects. “There is a technological... →

ASHWINI BAKSHI The inherent flexibility afforded by an agile approach to project management lends longevity to the industry

Viable project management for small-scale mining success

By: Claire O'Reilly 29th October 2021 The multidisciplinary nature of mining projects requires strict, iterative processes in terms of establishing what will make the project and its future operation viable, says Johannesburg-based consulting and project management company Bowline. →

Sustainable rare earths separation facility on horizon

By: Claire O'Reilly 29th October 2021 UK-based exploration and development company Pensana, formerly Pensana Rare Earths, is aiming to establish, subject to funding, a world-class, independent and sustainable supply chain of rare-earth metals vital for electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines and other strategic industries, says... →

Weighing the viability of in-house, outsourced project management

By: Claire O'Reilly 29th October 2021 The concept of project co-sourcing – a hybrid model that uses in-house management and outsourced project managers – is not yet readily practiced in South Africa because of perceived resource and intellectual property risks to both owner and contracting firms. During co-sourcing, the resources are... →

Picture of Giel Bekker, University of Pretoria project management Associate Professor

GIEL BEKKER n-house project management is strategically focused, while outsourced project management is implementation-focused and tactically orientated

Project managers’ skill set must evolve

By: Claire O'Reilly 29th October 2021 Project management in South Africa requires continued change in all facets of society, with projects having to consider and address the needs of a multitude of stakeholders while being successful and profitable, says consulting and contracting company ProjectWay director Reniel Engelbrecht →

Picture of ProjectWay director Reniel Engelbrecht

RENIEL ENGELBRECHT . The reality in projects is that more collaboration between client and contractor can be beneficial for project development, and allow for more flexibility and agility when facing varying external pressures

Contractor onboarding creates safe mining operations

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 19th February 2021 Onboarding solutions provider KBC Health & Safety has been hired by coal and minerals mining company Exxaro to oversee the onboarding of contractors for its Grootegeluk Six (GG6) expansion project, in Limpopo, South Africa. The new GG6 plant will enable an additional 600 t/h of throughput o‌n the... →

DRIES LOUBSER KBC has been employed by Exxaro to facilitate the site-specific inductions for the GG6 contractors at the Exxaro Marapong Training Centre

Digital tech advances project management

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 19th February 2021 Since the development and application of critical chain methods, no real new project management techniques have been developed, but information, digital and design technologies have accelerated. This has resulted in improved application of existing project management methodologies, says tertiary... →

GIEL BEKKER In the mining sector, we have already witnessed the application of digital twins, but this tool is still new with many lessons still to be learned

Two-phase coal project will secure production

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 19th February 2021 Coal exploration and mining company Canyon Coal’s De Wittekrans greenfield project, in Mpumalanga, South Africa, will take place in two phases. Phase 1 – the opencast operation – has an economically minable reserve of 14.3-million tonnes of run-of-mine (RoM), while Phase 2 comprises the... →

KEEP IT COAL The De Wittekrans mine has an estimated life-of-mine of about 25 years

Concentrator plant at platinum mine under way

By: Darren Parker 19th February 2021 Engineering, design and project management company COENG is overseeing the engineering design, procurement and construction management of a three-million-tonne-a-year concentrator plan at platinum mining company Wesizwe Platinum’s Bakubung platinum mine, in the North West. Phase 1 of the project,... →

Licence management software to be aligned with South African law

By: Darren Parker 30th October 2020 Geological services company Minrom Consulting plans to expand the capacity of its new exploration and mining licensing management software (LMS) system to become fully aligned with South African legislation, although a completion date has not yet been confirmed. The LMS system currently complies... →

OSCAR VAN ANTWERPEN Minrom Consulting would expand its licensing management software services to incorporate the national licensing database system if it were made open to all

New tool launched for mining project management

By: Darren Parker 30th October 2020 Industry consortium Construction Industry Institute (CII), based in the US, has launched a project definition rating index (PDRI) tool for mining projects, which was showcased during a CII-hosted webinar last month. The PDRI tool was originally going to be revealed and demonstrated during the... →

IMPROVING THE ODDS Only 2.5% of mining projects globally are considered successful

Legal collaboration critical in mining project management

By: Darren Parker 30th October 2020 In-depth specialist legal expertise and analyses are often not adequately considered or invested in at the outset of mining projects, which inevitably lead to delays and project cost overruns, says Inmiso Consulting director Robert Botha. “Often the operational personnel simply want to get on... →

ROBERT BOTHA The legal team ought to be seen as a critical contributor to the strategic side of project planning

Unified systems enable optimal analysis

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 21st February 2020 Mines typically use various disconnected systems, which creates silos or pockets of disparate information, necessitating that an employee manually collate and analyse the information to reach a conclusion – a time-consuming process that could last for weeks. This has resulted in mining companies’... →

Short-termism hinders project management

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 21st February 2020 Developing strategies is much easier than implementing them, which is why many strategies are never successfully implemented, says University of Pretoria (UP) Graduate School of Technology Management project management specialist Professor Herman Steyn. He adds that project portfolio management... →

GET THE JOB DONE project portfolio management is an effective way of implementing company strategy through projects

Leaders must adapt to seize opportunities

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 21st February 2020 Africa’s status as a continent of abundant resources crucial to global development has prompted foreign investors to increase their presence in Africa to capitalise on growth opportunities, says Project Management South Africa (PMSA) director Robert Best, adding that project leaders need to focus... →

ROBERT BEST Project managers need to focus on a success-building mindset in the mining sector

Consortium heading up alumina refinery project

1st November 2019 PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia, a subsidiary of State-owned enterprise PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium has appointed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Black & Veatch-led project management consortium (PMC) as a technical consultant to lead its alumina refinery project. The... →

ON TRACK CONTRACT PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia appoints Black & Veatch as technical consultant for Indonesia's first alumina refinery

Compressor company caters well to shutdowns

By: Halima Frost 1st November 2019 With the mining sector accounting for about 30% of its business, generator and compressor rental company Rand-Air notes that it has proven its ability to mitigate some of the challenges that local mines face during scheduled and unscheduled shutdowns. Rand-Air supplies various equipment items to... →

PRESSED FOR TIME Rand-Air's compressors are supplied to mines for unexpected shutdowns saving time and money

Project management software enhances financial planning

By: Halima Frost 1st November 2019 Construction Computer Software’s Mining and Industrial (CCSMI) division MD Joe de Klerk notes that two CCS software packages can be used simultaneously throughout a mine’s project management phase to maximise its profitability. He notes that the key to the overall success of any capital-intensive... →

DRIVING SAVINGS The two software packages available from Construction Computer Software help keep track of all financial aspects on the project

Investment in new technologies in mining decreasing

By: Thabi Madiba 15th February 2019 The risk aversion of most mining companies has resulted in their being unwilling to invest in new technologies, which limits their competitiveness and growth potential, says emerging mining project management service provider Manhize Mineral Consultants (MMC) executive director Joel Mungoshi.... →

Economic climate poses threat to effective project management

By: Thabi Madiba 15th February 2019 Although there is much room for growth and the implementation of effective project management tools in mines across Africa, the current global economic climate has led companies to refrain from investing in project management software, says mining software solutions provider CCS Mining &... →

PROJECT MANAGEMENT The right control helps mining companies understand where they have already overspent, but more importantly, assists them forecast the project-to-completion and highlight upcoming problem areas

Large New Tomra X-ray Sorter A Game Changer For Mineral Processing

15th February 2019 The contribution of X-ray ore sorting to the efficiency of mineral processing is growing, and TOMRA’s new COM XRT 2.0 sorters are taking the value added by this technology to another level. This upgraded model features higher belt speed and throughput, which translate directly into increased... →

Diamond industry’s confidence in XRT sorting growing

2nd November 2018 X-ray transmission (XRT) technology has ushered in a new era for diamond recovery, with an increasing number of mining companies embracing the technology and scaling back on the use of conventional technologies, such as dense-media separation, for the treatment of middle- and coarse-sized... →

A NEW ERA Mining companies are embracing new technology for diamond recovery and scaling back on the use of conventional technologies

Awards programme to promote innovation in project management

By: Paige Müller 2nd November 2018 Local project, programme and portfolio management practitioners’ association Project Management South Africa (PMSA) has introduced the Project Management Office (PMO) of the Year Awards Programme to honour and promote local innovation in project management offices. “This is an exciting step that... →

NATIONAL BIENNIAL CONFERENCE The Project Management South Africa national biennial conference is taking place from November 14 to 16 at the Wanderers Club, in Johannesburg

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