North West Business 2023-24

OVERVIEW
special mention of two significant recent investments in the mining
sector: Sedibelo Pilanesberg Platinum Mine R9.4-billion injection
into the Moses Kotane Local Municipality will create 3 000 job
opportunities and the City of Matlosana will be 6 000 jobs better off
as a result of a R7-billion investment from Harmony Gold.
The 2022 iterations of the Mining and Technical Exhibitions
(MTE) took place in two platinum-mining towns, Rustenburg and
Mooinooi, which is roughly halfway between Rustenburg and Brits.
The travelling exhibition company, a division of IMD Conferences
Exhibitions and Workshops, celebrates its 30th birthday in 2023.
Small business support
Pilanesberg Platinum Mines created Community Crusher as a nonprofit
enterprise but with 14 employees and a steady set of orders
for building projects run by the company, the small business is
starting to show signs of becoming a bigger business.
Many mines run similar programmes, sourcing goods and
services from local community-based companies and sometimes
providing mentoring and advice on how to improve as businesses.
Implats has a programme of procurement in which it supports
local business and black-owned businesses through enterprise and
supplier development programmes.
The Provincial Government of the North West is in talks with
several mining companies in the Matlosana Local Municipality area
(which includes Klerksdorp and Orkney) as some mines are being
closed down. One of the initiatives to extract more value from
mining is the proposed Platinum Valley Special Economic Zone.
Creating a base for companies to supply the mining industry is one
of the key drivers behind the scheme.
The Seda Platinum Incubator (SPI) is an initiative of the
Platinum Trust of South Africa and is funded by the Small Enterprise
Development Agency (Seda) through its Seda Technology
Programme (Stp) with the support of the North West Provincial
Government and private companies.
Mineral resources
The North West Province is aligned with the Western Limb of the
Bushveld Igneous Complex, a remarkably rich minerals formation.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Council for Geoscience: www.geoscience.org.za
MTE: www.mteexpos.co.za
National Department of Mineral Resources and Energy: www.dmr.gov.za
North West Development Corporation: www.nwdc.co.za
Mines in the province produce
50% of the platinum produced
in the world, and 65% of South
Africa’s PGMs. Chromite is the
other major mineral mined
throughout the province, and
there are several ferrochrome
smelters and other processing
plants. South Africa produces
about 70% of the world’s
chrome. Gold and uranium are
found along the border of the
province with Gauteng and the
Free State (in Klerksdorp and
Orkney).
Diamonds are mined at
Christiana, Bloemhof and
Lichtenburg. Other minerals
include fluorspar, vanadium,
rhodium, uranium, copper,
limestone, slate, phosphate,
manganese, coal and nickel.
Limestone quarries run by G&W
Base and Industrial Minerals in
the Marico District are located
next to a PPC cement factory.
One of the last economically
viable limestone deposits in
South Africa is mined and
processed by Sephaku Cement.
Sephaku runs a 6 000-tonper-day
clinker plant near
Lichtenburg.
AfriSam, PPC and Lafarge
are active in the Mahikeng/
Lichtenburg area, but Sephaku
is confident that its clinker and
cement-production facilities will
be supported by raw materials
for at least 30 years. AfriSam
has taken measures to reduce
carbon emissions at its Dudfield
cement plant. ■
17 NORTH WEST BUSINESS 2023/24