6 minute read
A Positive Approach
Nico Pienaar of ASPASA
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With the failing of the country’s state-owned enterprises, a tough economy and slowdown in the mining and construction industries, owners and investors in the surface mining industry should take heart that the industry still holds many opportunities for those who remain committed.
So says surface mining industry association, ASPASA, director, Nico Pienaar, who believes that the difference between success and failure in the surface mining industry mostly relates to the attitude of the owners and employees of the company rather than the state of the economy, diminishing commodity prices or rising costs. With members across the country, he says that as many companies are thriving as those who are failing. While they face the same odds as their peers, those who are thriving are most often the ones who have a positive outlook, participate in
Environmentally friendlier aggregates Sustainable construction needs to start at the very foundation of all business projects with the sand and aggregates that constitute the largest part of just about every construction project. This is an often-overlooked element of sustainable construction and requires that all materials used for ground stabilisation and concrete be manufactured with sand and stone that is procured through registered legal entities that adhere to all the relevant legislation relating to the environment. All too often sand and stone is overlooked by green building practitioners, yet it constitutes the largest component of any construction work. By volume, sand and stone make up by far the biggest percentage of the dry mix of concrete and it is vitally important that a paper-trail be followed to ensure the materials are obtained from legal mining operations. Sand and stone suppliers, as well as readymix or prefabricated concrete suppliers should be able to prove the supplying mine is operating with a valid mining licence from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), has land-use rights from the local, provincial and national authorities, and complies with all relevant environmental protection requirements.
the association’s training and other initiatives, and those who constantly strive for ways of doing things differently in a changing economy. Toughness required “There are undeniable factors that can influence the success of a business, but a positive approach
Five years without loss of life Surface mining operations under the umbrella of industry association, ASPASA, have upheld their proud achievement of zero fatalities on their premises for the fifth consecutive year. Following the release of the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe’s 2019 industry health and safety performance statistics it became clear that continued efforts of the association’s members had yielded the best kind of reward. “Planning, attention to detail, checking and rechecking of systems to ensure compliance has once again paid off for our members and we have recorded no fatalities once again. This underlines the serious nature in which ASPASA members view mine health and safety,” says Nico. and never-say-die attitude can still go a long way towards steering a company in the right direction. And, we have noticed that while some companies had been scared-off by negative reports, many of our members choose to take the lead from their own experiences and situations, rather than hinging their expectations on media reports or public sentiment. “Based on these experiences I have compiled an informal list of traits that I have noticed sets many of the top performing mines apart from the struggling ones. On the following page I have listed the Top 10 actions that can be taken to make 2020 a great year. Nico concludes, “Those who believe that the downturn is across-the-board and don’t look for business will not do very well and may even fail in future, however those who look for solutions and new markets are set to thrive. If you have given up or are overwhelmed by the bad news of the economy, then your opposition may already be lining up to buy your business on auction one day. Rather stay positive, keep doing the right things right and be part of the success story.” ASPASA Nico Pienaar, Tel: (011) 791-3327 Email: nico@aspasa.co.za, www.aspasa.co.za
Remain positive and adopt a can-do approach towards reaching company objectives 1
Do not be influenced by negative sentiments, as they may not apply to your sector or even geographical area of operation 2
Study and know your own market so that you do not have to rely on news and television to influence your decisions and determine your business confidence 3
4If you have the money to expand or invest in resources capitalise on the opportunity and grow your business
6Never look for short cuts to save money. Rather look for opportunities to make more money.
7Always maintain the highest possible levels of quality, as this is a long insurance policy to ensure customers keep using your product or services
8 9 Nurture your employees and train them to look for positive opportunities. Never accept negativity and especially do not allow non-performing staff to blame poor performance on the state of the economy. Rather encourage them to seek opportunities in the place of negativity Maintain a never-say-die approach even in the face of adversity
5Never neglect maintenance of your plant, equipment and fleet as you may need to act quickly to capitalise on opportunities
10
Plan to succeed independent of outside factors
Small mines get a big voice The three main industry organisations representing smaller-scale mines in South Africa have formed a combined Leadership Forum to represent the interests of members at the highest levels through the Minerals Council. The decision comes after a meeting held in Kimberley recently where representatives from ASPASA, the Claybrick Association and the South African Diamond Producers Organisation, known as CAS, committed to cooperate and combine the voices of the bodies members in order to better serve their common interests. ASPASA director, Nico Pienaar, says that as serving members of the Minerals Council the newly formed Leadership Forum will allow the bodies to better address issues such as prohibitive legislation for large mines that is not always applicable to smaller mines, power shortages, insufficient rail infrastructure, diesel rebates, Royalty Act, illegal mining and a host of other issues. “The Minerals Council does not always grasp the problems smaller mines face and it is our intention to conduct surveys among our individual memberships in order to identify issues that need to be carefully documented and communicated to the council’s decision makers. “We have already identified a number of shared concerns that threaten the livelihoods of our members including illegal mining, criminal activities on mines, extortion carried out by 'Mafia-like' groups, impractical charter requirements and several others.
