In January this year, Sandvik brought its two South African acquisitions – Kwatani and Schenck Process Mining (SP Mining) – under its umbrella.
Consolidating the offering of Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions South Africa and putting the company in good stead to become the preferred crushing and screening supplier to the mining industry, not just in the southern African region but throughout Africa. GERARD PETER reports.
Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions acquired Kwatani in December 2021 and the mining-related business of Schenck Process Group in October 2022. Tarynn Yatras, Vice President of Sales Area Africa for Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions, says that the acquisitions are part of the company’s ambition to increase its product offering as well as to complement its existing aftermarket products and services portfolio.
“Previously, our screen range was more focused on the construction sector, and we realised that there was a big gap in our offering to the mining industry. Both companies offer larger mining screens, and the acquisitions mean that we can now offer an extensive range of screens as well as the aftermarket market service to back up our offering, especially in Africa,” she adds.
Both Kwatani and Schenck are established names in screening. So why did Sandvik decide to integrate them into one company rather than keep them as separate entities? Yatras explains that by amalgamating the companies, Sandvik can ensure that it leverages its presence in nine African countries for the benefit of its customers across the continent.
“We had to consider our go-to-market strategy as we had three different channels servicing the same customers, predominately in South Africa. At the same time, we have a large customer base throughout Africa. Sandvik has invested a lot in infrastructure and people in its nine African entities. As such, we can leverage this strong presence to ensure that we bring our products and services closer to our customers.
WATCH:
Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions’ 1st South African-manufactured package
Sandvik Screening Solutions: the integration of Kwatani and Schenk
“Also, it is about taking the competence in country. For example, customers don’t want to wait for a service technician to fly from with a screen. We now have a presence closer to site and can assist them in a proactive manner rather than wait for an issue to arise. By integrating the companies, we can use Sandvik’s sound footprint to deliver better solutions to our customers.”
Southern Africa a stepping-stone to the rest of the continent
Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions currently has a strong presence in the southern African region, with a customer base in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The company has workshops and warehouses in these countries and – now with its new product offering – it is keen to ensure that it has a skilled workforce in these countries to ensure it can provide aftermarket parts and consumables as well as technical support in-country.
In addition, Yatras states that the company’s success in the region has set a firm foundation for expansion in other parts of Africa, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania.
Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions is committed to ensuring that it is a solutions provider for its customers, hence the emphasis on being close to its customers and providing parts and technical services. Gavin McLaggan, Lifecycle Services Manager at Sandvik Rock Processing explains that this is something that the company could not do effectively in the past.
“For example, operating out of South Africa, it was challenging to service a customer in Tanzania. Now, by having an in-country presence, we can keep a stockholding of critical spares and consumables to minimise lead times. Furthermore, we are now able to train the on-site on problem-solving skills, ensuring that we offer a complete solution.”
McLaggan is confident that the company has the capacity to produce the volumes needed for its growing African mining customer base, however, it is most important to ensure that customers’ requirements are fulfilled.
“As such, we need to understand what inventory they have, the rate of consumption and the critical spare parts they have in their stores. In this way, we can ensure that we provide a better offering to our customers.”
Weighing in on McLaggan’s point, Yatras adds, “We’re not going to just throw all our products into those locations. Rather, we want to partner with our customers and understand their needs so that we can perform our obligations as an OEM and work with them.”
Already, Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions is making great inroads in ensuring that it can meet its customers’ demands. In July this year, the company announced the successful completion of its first South African-manufactured screen package at its Spartan facility in Johannesburg. Made for a gold mine in North East Africa, it includes a vibrating grizzly screen with a motor-driven exciter, five feeders and two custom-engineered feed-in chutes.
“We are immensely proud of this achievement, and it shows that we can produce world-class screening solutions here in South Africa. Also, it reduces lead time and shipping costs as opposed to sourcing a solution from outside the continent,” states Yatras.
Not only does this prove that the company can supply world-class products, but it also bodes well for South Africa’s economy. “If we can manufacture screening products for all our African customers in South Africa, we are going to expand and potentially employ more people in the country. As a result, more people will pay taxes and this will benefit South Africa’s economy,” adds Yatras.
While it can now offer a comprehensive range of screening and crushing solutions, Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions also goes to great lengths to ensure the success of its workforce. To that end, it places great emphasis on training and upskilling within the company.
“While we provide quality products, it is important that our people have the necessary skills to complement our offerings. At Sandvik, we understand the importance of investing in our employees.
“This also speaks a lot to our customers because if we value our people, it shows that we also value our customers and are ready to address their concerns and ensure that we provide the best possible solution for their mining operation,” concludes McLaggan
