Mining

Factory work on a girder for one of the 50-ton, 20m-span cranes (Image source: Condra)

The growth of Africa’s mining industry is driving demand for robust solutions and heavy equipment built for the rigours of the continent, especially where it can be produced locally

Teams at South Africa’s Condra are working flat out to finish a series of crane orders for mines in Zambia, Namibia and South Africa.

The company has introduced additional shifts to complete a glut of what it calls “unusually large” overhead cranes now under manufacture at its Johannesburg factory — among them are three with boxgirders more than 30 metres long.

“These are very big, very long, very heavy fabrications to manage,” a Condra spokesman said.

On the floor currently are two 50-ton cranes with spans of 34 metres, and a third, high-lift, 5-ton crane with a 35-metre span.Condra is simultaneously completing manufacture of a further four 50-ton cranes with spans of around 20 metres.

All six 50-tonners are for a mine in Zambia, while the 5-tonner is for a Namibian mine.

Manufacturing challenges

Spans of 34 and 35 metres present unusual manufacturing challenges because of girder dimensions — besides length, box girders for these spans stand two metres high and just under one metre wide.

“Manufacture involves intricate welding and very careful jigging to incorporate the correct camber to counter girders’ natural tendency to sag under load,” the spokesman said.

“Girders this long are also quite delicate to manoeuvre on the shop floor. They require resource and workflow planning, and tie up use of our factory cranes.”

The spokesman added that end-carriage design has been important to ensure crane longevity, because the wheels must accommodate continuously changing stresses imposed by the girders as they flex under different loads.

“Our design team paid attention to both camber and end-carriage design to ensure durability,” he said. “Condra cranes are known for their low overall lifetime cost.”

Also under manufacture for Namibian mines are three single-girder overhead cranes, two portal cranes and a jib crane.The company behind these orders is an undisclosed engineering and project management consultancy with representation worldwide.

It has additionally ordered 18 electric hoists of between 2 and 25-ton capacity, and four chain blocks.

South Africa commissioning

In South Africa’s Northern Cape province, Condra is now commissioning two cranes at Gamsberg Phase Two, where the same consultancy contributed to metallurgy and process plant design.

These, too, are big machines: one a 40/5 ton crane with 22-metre span, the other an 80/20 ton machine with 18-metre span.

Gamsberg Phase Two is an expansion of the open-cast zinc mine near the town of Aggeneys, to double annual ore output from 4 million to 8 million tonnes.

Besides the cranes undergoing commissioning, Condra has completed delivery of two other cranes to Gamsberg Phase Two, for installation as the structural steelwork progresses.

The company reported that it anticipates further orders from southern and east Africa, notably Tanzania and Mozambique, where a marketing drive is currently under way.

Read more:

On-site power boost for Kamoa Copper

Byrnecut expands underground mining fleet with Sandvik equipment

Actom puts energy resilience centre stage at Electra Mining Africa

Byrnecut orders Sandvik drills, loaders and trucks globally. (Image source: Sandvik)

Byrnecut has expanded its underground mining equipment fleet through a major investment in Sandvik machinery, strengthening its capabilities across mining operations in Australia, Canada, West Africa and Southern Africa

The latest investment comprises four Sandvik DD422i development drills, four Toro LH621i loaders equipped with AutoMine, four Toro TH663i underground trucks, two Sandvik DL432i longhole drills and one Sandvik DL422i longhole drill. The equipment order also includes four Rhino 100 mobile raise boring machines and one Rhino uphole module.

The orders were booked in June 2026, with equipment deliveries already underway and scheduled to continue through June 2028. Byrnecut will deploy the new underground mining equipment across multiple operations, supporting both new and established underground mining projects in key regions.

The investment will expand Byrnecut’s access to advanced underground drilling, loading, hauling and raise boring equipment while strengthening its ability to support safe, productive and technology-driven mining operations across its international project portfolio.

Sandvik and Byrnecut have developed a long-standing global partnership, collaborating over many years to deliver underground mining equipment and solutions focused on safety, productivity and innovation across multiple markets.

“Our relationship with Sandvik has been built over many years on trust, collaboration and consistent performance,” said Pat Boniwell, managing director, Byrnecut Australia.

“As our business continues to grow globally, we need equipment that delivers the productivity, reliability and technology our customers expect. This investment strengthens our fleet with proven underground equipment, automation capabilities and the global support we need to deliver for our customers.”

Patrick Murphy, president of Mining at Sandvik, said Byrnecut remains one of Sandvik’s key global partners in underground mining.

“Byrnecut has been a trusted partner for many years, and we are proud to continue supporting its global growth through this significant fleet investment,” Murphy said. “This investment demonstrates Byrnecut’s confidence in Sandvik’s underground equipment portfolio and our ability to support customers consistently across multiple continents. Together we are focused on delivering safer, more productive and increasingly automated underground mining operations.”

As part of the investment, Byrnecut will also draw on Sandvik’s global service and support network to help maximise equipment availability, reliability and productivity throughout the operational life of the fleet.

Raising the bar on energy resilience (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Energy storage, and its potential to reduce its exposure to grid instability, a key development constraint facing Africa, will be the primary focus for ACTOM when it exhibits at Electra Mining Africa in September

Africa’s largest manufacturer, repairer and distributor of electro-mechanical equipment will use the platform to showcase its fast-growing energy storage capability with lithium-ion batteries.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will form the core focus of its stand at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, from 7 to 11 September, alongside its latest medium-voltage switchgear.

“Energy storage is the fastest growing area and the biggest opportunity for South African industry to reduce its exposure to grid instability,” said managing director of ACTOM Static Energy, Louis Heyns.

For ACTOM, the opportunity goes beyond supplying another generation of energy technology, however.

Energy storage is becoming an key part of building a more resilient African power system — one that can manage an increasingly unpredictable grid while giving mines and industry greater control over how and when they use electricity.

By developing this capability locally, ACTOM is also positioning energy storage as an industrial opportunity: keeping engineering expertise, manufacturing capability and value creation within South Africa while helping customers become less dependent on an unstable grid and imported solutions.

Local expertise

The September event follows a period of significant growth for ACTOM Static Energy, the business unit formed after ACTOM acquired JUEL Batteries earlier this year and integrated it into a complete energy-storage manufacturing ecosystem at ACTOM’s Pretoria West campus.

ACTOM now produces batteries, inverters, transformers and medium voltage integration systems on a single industrial site, enabling it to test complete, integrated systems in-factory before they reach the market.

“What we provide is unique in that these solutions are not generic, imported offerings,”said Heyns.

“They are locally designed and assembled, tested as complete systems and supported by a company with over a century of engineering credibility in South Africa. That’s the kind of assurance our customers, our energy partners, need when they’re making long-term infrastructure decisions.”

ACTOM’s GELPAG MSS H solid-dielectric insulated switchgear (SIS) family, which ACTOM offers through its MV Switchgear subsidiary, is another new medium-voltage (MV) switchgear product that visitors will be able to view.

The GELPAG SIS provides compact, low-maintenance MV solutions appropriate for containerised substations, PV collector substations, and mining installations with limited space by using epoxy resin-insulated pole modules with embedded vacuum interrupters and earth-screening to remove exposed live conductors and do away with the need for gas-based primary insulation.

The series has undergone type testing in accordance with IEC standards, giving it a proven choice for applications requiring compact, high-integrity MV distribution.

Industry showcase

At its Electra Mining Africa stand, visitors will see how ACTOM’s locally manufactured, end‑to‑end capabilities, from design and assembly to testing and commissioning, deliver durable, bankable solutions and measurable value for mines and industry.

According to Heyns, the exhibition is a place to demonstrate how local engineering and integrated delivery shorten project timelines, reduce risk and keep economic benefit in South Africa.

“Electra Mining Africa brings together precisely the customer base that needs bankable, locally manufactured energy-storage solutions at this time,” he said.

“Mines and industrial operations are under real pressure to secure reliable power, manage rising grid costs and reduce diesel dependency and our lithium-ion batteries and BESS are engineered to meet that demand at scale.”

Mervyn Naidoo, CEO of The ACTOM Group, echoed the sentiment to support African-made products and solutions.

“ACTOM's guiding principle — in Africa, for Africa, by Africa — shapes everything we build. It's why we design, manufacture and test our batteries, inverters and switchgear locally, keeping skills, jobs and know-how here. This is how we deliver bankable solutions for mines and industry, while reducing South Africa's reliance on imports.”

Read more:

Sandvik expands underground fleet at Karowe mine

MMD Africa expands mining solutions at Electra Mining

Aramac: new underground mining equipment firm

Sandvik equips Karowe for long-term underground growth. (Image source: Sandvik)

Sandvik has secured orders from Lucara Botswana Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Lucara Diamond Corp., for a 15-unit underground mining equipment fleet for the Karowe diamond mine in Botswana

The package includes underground drills and loaders, as well as parts, rock tools, aftermarket services and digital solutions. Financing for the investment has been arranged through Sandvik Financial Services (SFS), with an export credit guarantee from the Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN).

The equipment package comprises five Sandvik DD321 development drills, four Toro LH517i loaders, two Toro LH621i loaders, two Sandvik DD422i development drills, one Sandvik DS422i cable bolter and one Sandvik DU311 longhole drill. The order was booked during the second quarter of 2026, with deliveries already under way and scheduled to continue through the fourth quarter.

The fleet will support Lucara’s continued development of the Karowe underground mine as the operation progresses through its transition from open-pit mining. The Karowe Underground Project is designed to extend the mine’s operating life beyond 2038.

Karowe is recognised as one of the world’s highest-value diamond mines and has gained a reputation for producing large and exceptional stones. Earlier this year, the mine announced the recovery of its tenth diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats, further highlighting the significance of the operation.

“As we continue developing the Karowe underground mine, we were looking for a partner that could support us throughout the project lifecycle,” said Benjamin Wang, director corporate finance at Lucara. “Sandvik's combination of leading underground equipment, aftermarket support and financing capability made it a compelling solution for our operation. This investment supports our strategy of building a safe and productive underground mine.”

Beyond the initial equipment supply, Sandvik will provide ongoing aftermarket support intended to enhance fleet availability and productivity throughout the equipment lifecycle. The support package also incorporates rock tools and digital technologies, including My Sandvik and Remote Monitoring Service.

“This order demonstrates the breadth of our offering and our ability to support customers in Botswana with an integrated solution that extends beyond the equipment,” stated Floors Foord, Territory manager for Botswana at Sandvik Mining. “By bringing together expertise from across Sandvik, we can support Lucara throughout the equipment lifecycle while contributing to the long-term success of its underground operation.”

The equipment investment is being supported through an SFS financing structure backed by an EKN export credit guarantee. The arrangement combines Sandvik’s equipment and aftermarket capabilities with its financial services offering, providing support for Lucara’s continued investment in the underground development of Karowe.

“By combining Sandvik’s mining expertise with our financial services capabilities and EKN’s export credit support, we were able to structure a competitive financing solution around Lucara’s investment requirements,” said Tony Clarke, SFS EMEA manager at Sandvik. “It demonstrates how financing can complement our equipment and aftermarket offering and help customers advance significant long-term mining investments.”