Providing mining solutions through the Middle East

Specialised in supplying industrial equipment spare parts, logistics, and civil engineering, Christina Trading is headquartered in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company also provides services such as the development of mining scheme and excavation works related to the mining sector and others.

“We need to have greater representation in the UAE, because it is a trade hub for different continents,” said Adolph. The company has operations in Congo, Angola, Tanzania, and South Africa.

“We are most interested in building a brand name for ourselves in Tanzania and Zambia,” said Adolph, adding that these two markets have the most potential to bring in business for the DRC as they are its immediate neighbours.

The company was launched in 2011 when it began supplying spare parts for different brands. In the last 12 years, Christina Trading has gained clients including Frontier SA, Société d'exploitation de Kipoi (SEK), Kipushi Corporation and Ruashi Mining apart from others. Recently, the company became the exclusive and authorised distributor of permatec GmbH & Co. KG products in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Tanzania and Zambia as well.

Most of the clients are involved in cobalt mining, said Adolph, stressing that his country is rich in natural resources, with an abundance of natural wealth, including a multitude of minerals such as diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, cassiterite (tin ore) and coltan, as well as timber, coffee and oil.

“We [DRC] have a lot of resources which means that we have big opportunities in the mining sector. We already have a growing mining sector, and our company is looking to develop easy solutions for the mining sector in the region.”

However, facing supply issues has caused Christina Trading to look towards the Middle East, explained Adolph. For example, he said that if the company needed to order spare parts to the DRC, it would be quicker to do so via Dubai.

“It can take less than three weeks, maybe one month, if you bring spare parts to the DRC from Dubai. But if you were to order it from say,

South Africa, it can take up to two or three months.”

With regards to digitalisation, Adolph revealed that his company is always finding solutions before any issue comes up.

“We are always looking for problems that can come up and as soon as we identify the problem, we seek digital tools to solve the issue, because we cannot wait until a project begins to start finding or developing a programme. We are usually prepared two or three months in advance.”

The company also has a deep commitment to safety, said Adolph, adding that ‘zero danger’ is the company’s motto. It protects all its agents on site, ensuring the safety of its clients.

Finally, Adolph spoke about the future of Christina Trading. “We have a few contacts, but not all partners can support our projects. So we need to have a lot of representation outside of Africa as well, because we have plenty of mining opportunities here. We hope that if we are based in Dubai we can get more contacts for our Africa projects. We also hope that we can start providing mining solutions to clients in Europe and Asia as well, not just for the DRC.” ■