Making mining

Driving innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, the Probe IMT Group remains optimistic about the future of mining both locally and globally. Probe IMT Group’s CEO, Gert J. Roselt shares some insights on driving transformation within the sector.

What is critical for the mining industry going forward?

There is an obvious need to invest in the right skills and infrastructure, ensuring access to energy and focusing on health and safety. As resources become scarce or depleted, companies are forced to push new frontiers of exploration.

Traditional mining is costly and to reach resources that remain, some mines are establishing off-grid locations and their lifecycle is decreasing, meaning it is no longer financially viable to build permanent power infrastructure to service the mine. Mines must sustain their return on investment and evolve with the lifecycle, improving flexibility and efficiency.

At Probe IMT we are working to improve traditional processes and equipment to make mining smarter and have mines run on cleaner energies. The right information translates into

How does Probe IMT assist in driving more environmentally friendly mining practices?

We are spearheading a shift to renewable and alternative energy with a suite of solutions and products that facilitate energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction.

Our digital sensor-based solutions also enable environmental efficiencies, providing accurate realtime data that facilitates optimal operation of lighting and cooling systems, for example.

Essentially, we are making traditional equipment smarter with technology. These days it is possible huge cost savings in a mine environment – for example, an M3SH sensor within a mining environment picks up air quality, and decisions can be made to increase or reduce fan speed, thereby saving power and securing carbon tax rebates. Sensors monitor where people are and ensure the safety of the assets and that the lights are on only when needed. to have sensors on every type of asset in a mine, including people.

These efficiencies are paramount at a time when environmental, social, and governance (ESG) pressure on mines has never been greater.

We are also focused on making world-class renewable energy and digital solutions accessible in Southern Africa, helping mining and industrial users to revolutionise their energy sources. This will enable Probe IMT to digitise the clients’ journey.

Real-time monitoring effectively sets environmental performance goals and emission reduction targets and creates environmental monitoring reports to track progress.

Another major benefit is the improvement of disaster response and preparedness. We use live data to improve mining and share this with our clients to improve their compliance, productivity, and safety.

As an evolved mining organisation, focused on social, environmental, and economic sustainability guidance, Probe IMT partnered with the Mandela Mining Precinct on The Real-Time Information Management Systems (RTIMS) research programme, to improve data sourcing, transmission, storage, dissemination, and procedures for mines.

Highlight some future key projects that seek to unlock future opportunities for sustainable growth?

Mining is energy-intensive, and energy is one of the major costs. Mining and various other sectors have a great opportunity to drive value, improve productivity and mitigate risks through a shift to renewable energy and effective energy management.

At Probe IMT, renewable and alternative energy solutions, provided through Probe Group companies, present solid opportunities for our clients. These scalable solutions include new technology supercapacitors, containerised solutions, electrical vehicle conversions and more. As well as importing industry-leading product solutions, we are innovating with locally engineered solutions.

As early adopters of technology, we continue to drive and enable digital transformation efforts in the industry, ensuring our clients have the tools and data to tackle future challenges. Advanced sensor-based solutions have become an essential part of solving energy, resource, and environmental challenges while enhancing productivity and safety.

Probe IMT remains ahead of the curve in best-ofbreed Collision Awareness Technology with the launch of Wabtec Generation 3 solutions. South African companies must be legally compliant and can make the leap to Level 9

– driving zero-harm and maximum productivity while complying with the new collision avoidance regulations.

We are closely operationally involved with our clients at every level and bring in solutions that ensure work is safer and more productive, from sensor-based monitoring solutions to tailored harnesses to market-leading industrial lights from Vision X.

Additionally we develop sustainable and strategic partnerships thus enabling access and transformation of value chains. We support the growth of small businesses and suppliers with either mentoring, non-financial or financial assistance or both.

What are the strengths of Probe IMT?

One of our biggest strengths is that we see problems as challenges, and every challenge has a solution.

Additionally as we are local we understand the market/mining environment. We are a premium supplier of high-end products and deliver long term solutions that are sustainable, optimise uptime and reduce total cost of ownership for mines. Our mission is clear – limit downtime so mines can operate efficiently, without incurring losses.

As we multiply our solutions offering at our existing branches (SA, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia), we envisage significant expansion across the continent together with local partners. Further to this we have a Value-Added Partner (VAP) agreement with Wabtec, which has opened avenues for Probe IMT to go into Europe right up to Finland. With that said, I am personally passionate and optimistic about the future of mining in South Africa and globally. 

Unlocking Botswana’s mining potential

Unlocking Botswana’s mining potential

with EPCM expertise

with EPCM expertise

Botswana has become a model for South Africa in using its mineral resources to achieve economic prosperity. The mining and quarrying industry has emerged as the primary contributor to Botswana's economy, accounting for 24.6% of its GDP in 2022. Sectors such as coal, soda ash, and diamonds have experienced significant growth, indicating the industry's diversity and potential.

In the pursuit of economic prosperity, Botswana stands as a shining example for South Africa for its efforts to harness its abundant mineral resources to drive remarkable growth. Yet, achieving broad-based, future-proof economic growth in the country calls for professional engineering expertise and investment to enhance the sector’s development and workforce skills.

The mining and quarrying industry emerged once again as the major contributor to Botswana’s economy in 2022, accounting for 24.6% of its GDP, as per Statistics Botswana’s Gross Domestic Product Fourth Quarter of 2022 report. Notably, the real value added by the coal, soda ash, and diamond industries grew by 21.8%, 8.9%, and 7% respectively, underlining the sector’s dynamic diversity and growth potential.

Key to long-term mining growth lies in optimising the country’s operations

James Othapile, Managing Director of Erudite Botswana, notes that the key in meeting this potential and ensuring the country’s long-term mining growth lies in optimising the country’s operations. This is where engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) firms like Erudite can play an invaluable role, assisting in transforming Botswana’s mining sector and economy, and positioning themselves as partners in the nation’s socio-economic development.

“Multinational EPCMs have primarily been serving the local mining industry, with a modus operandi of setting up remote offices with minimal staff within the country’s borders and delegating tasks to their internationally based head offices. While this may seem efficient, this approach has brought little to no substantial local empowerment to the local engineering sector in which they operate,” he says.

A significant advantage of partnering with more localised, African-based EPCMs is their commitment to local ownership and skills development. Rather than relying primarily on international expertise, these firms invest in developing the skills of local engineering and project management professionals. The goal is to build teams that can ultimately manage local projects independently from their parents and contribute to the nation’s skills development in a sustainable manner.

Ensuring the transfer and development of valuable skills and expertise

Othapile points out that operational methods generally employed by large multinational EPCMs are ill-suited to assisting Botswana and other developing nations to build locally driven, knowledge-based economies.

By contrast, Erudite believes in fostering local ownership, developing local teams, and collaborating with existing local engineering firms. This approach ensures the transfer and development of valuable skills and expertise within local businesses. It further results in the retention of funds within the borders rather than exporting funds to international destinations.

“The value that Erudite brings to local clients, which include mine owners and governments, extends beyond our capacity to design and build infrastructure or processing plants. With a greenfield project, for example, you start with a barren stretch of land which must be cleared and developed, introducing road, water reticulation and power infrastructure, and the necessary mining and beneficiation plant facilities. This responsibility generally falls to appropriate EPCMs, which in turn appoint subcontractors. But it’s how the EPCM engages with those contractors that matter,” says Othapile.

Creating value for local communities and the wider Botswana economy

He adds that success is not simply measured by meeting immediate project execution goals, but also through creating value for local communities and the wider Botswana economy. This is achieved in two basic ways.

Firstly, by subcontracting local companies, EPCM firms directly facilitate the growth of the local economy, creating jobs and driving income growth. This approach goes a long way in supporting the growth of local enterprises, offering them lucrative opportunities to participate in significant projects and gain exposure to the industry.

Secondly, these firms deploy comprehensive training programmes designed to enhance the professional capabilities of local workforces. This helps raise the skill levels within their immediate teams and contributes to a broader ecosystem of well-trained professionals. The long-term impact of such initiatives is substantial, equipping workforces in countries such as Botswana with the expertise needed to lead future projects and drive innovation in the sector.

“Sustained investment in local subcontracting and training forms an integral part of EPCMs’ strategies. By committing to these initiatives, they can nurture an ecosystem of skilled professionals and robust enterprises. As we’ve seen in Botswana, the ripple effects of such an ecosystem are substantial, with potential to contribute significantly to economic growth well beyond the completion of initial projects,” concludes Othapile. 