Top Empowerment 22nd Edition

METHANO GROUP INTERVIEW WITH CEO, SEREME JOEL MAPHAKA

SEREME JOEL MAPHAKA, CEO OF METHANO GROUP

Q: Please describe the products and services provided by Methano Group.

We offer services such as developing infrastructure solutions in underground deeping projects for all mining commodities i.e. pre-feasibility to feasibility studies that are made possible by our capable team comprising of engineers (mining, mechanical, civil, electrical, process and industrial), geologists, ventilation specialists, planners, and financial modellers. Our resources have capability of delivering a complete EPCM solution from concepts, feasibility, project financial evaluation, project management and project closure.

Q: What does it mean to be an EPCM partner?

Our approach is more customer-centric in our engagement and how we deliver our solution, and in this approach, we see ourselves as EPCM partners to our stakeholders, ranging from our employees, the communities we operate in, investors, and our customers. We listen to our customers and adopt integrative collaboration when developing customised solutions to their problems.

Q: In your opinion, what sets Methano Group apart from the competition?

Our differentiator is the core value diversity that we put at the centre of

our strategy, through recruiting the multi-cultural South African professionals both old and young coming from all boundaries of South Africa, this approach makes us embrace the challenges and benefits of operating as a multicultural organisation in the African market. The engineering solutions we offer to our clients are also backed by the digital transformation (through the use of technology) that we embed in our business processes when developing solutions. We enjoy the benefit of skills transfer from the diverse in-house professionals that take place between the experienced multidiscipline engineering professionals and young professionals. At Methano Group we combine our unique strengths as individuals to make diversity come alive.

Q: The organisation was established in 2014 – what changes have you seen taking place in the sector and in your company over the last 14 years?

The evolution in the industry includes the changes such working remotely and being able to collaborate and deliver projects without regular contact sessions with the project stakeholders. The other reality in mining sector is that the PGM mines are getting deeper and deeper there is a going to be a huge demand of solutions for keeping the deeper mining working areas cooler, and most of the proven ways of keeping the deeper mines cooler

(LEFT TO RIGHT) ANDRE LEVENDAL, BOARD CHAIRPERSON; EDDIE HOLDEN-SMITH, OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE; SEREME JOEL MAPHAKA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

is through implementing fridge plant to send the ice down the mine shaft. This is an excellent opportunity for the South African mining engineers to prove their worth, since the world is very interconnected, we need innovative solutions to remain competitive in the global market.

The changes in the organisational levels, we have seen a lot of very talented young graduates in our graduate recruitment programme. This is a positive sign that our universities are really doing well in preparing them for the working place environments. I believe this is also good for South Africa to have such talented young graduates ready for the workplace market.

Q: Please share some of your flagship projects.

We did a pre-feasibility study for a PGM client, for two shafts as a ramp for 200KT and 100 KT projects - the business case project cost was R2-billion. We’ve done mining and engineering project management for reviving a mothballed shaft into full-production for a PGM client in the North West.

We designed a public road in the Limpopo province region and also designed a water management system for both surface and underground in a mining complex for a PGM client in the same province.

We’ve also done modernisation of the mining conveyor guarding for an iron ore client in the Northern Cape, using the Wire Mesh (which is a patented product). Another flagship project is EPCM of a diamond mine dust plant for a client in the Northern Cape.

How do you ensure diversity and inclusion are embedded in the policies and practices of the company?

Firstly, our recruitment policy accommodates employment of any SA citizen irrespective of their background and culture. We believe SA has a rich diversity and if it's embraced, it can be a catalyst to South African and continental economic growth. We have seen innovative solutions

developed by our multicultural team when addressing our clients’ pains in the form of sustainable, technically sound and economical solutions. As a business we saw our revenue growing, new sustainable jobs created, and at the same time we also created partnership in the communities we operate.

In order to map out the vision we have for the business, we’ve developed a 5-year strategy and invested a great deal of resouces in our employees. We strive to get the message to all to become Methano Group brand ambassadors. To achieve this effectively, we undertook intervention required to address the integration

between Methano Group’s strategy (the compelling vision of its future), its aspirational culture, and leadership development. This would be done through building and aligning the Methano Group team and creating a visual map to articulate our strategy. We believe that this approach will allow operational employees to interpret the strategy in their own language and their perspective.

Q: What is the Sandcone model and how do you apply it in the Group?

We adopted the Sandcone Model to measure the sustainability of our competitive advantage. Sandcone is

a principle used in our business process, both internally and externally when delivering our project value chain. At Methano Group we use the Sandcone model to prioritise actions and initiatives for a sustainable advantage.

Q: How important are partnerships in your business model?

We value strategic partnership at Methano Group, since we believe they essentially drive shared value. With partnerships we are able to deliver competitive solutions that are feasible from the manufacturing perspective and economic in the market. Our clients, the communities where we deliver projects, the government and our investor are valuable partners, and they are all valued equally in our business model.

Q: Do you think the requirements of leadership have changed over the last decade-and- a-half? How would you describe your leadership style – and has it changed over the years?

Yes, there have certainly been a lot of changes and today leaders need to deal with issues. Big data and cloud computing innovation has influenced how leaders are expected to remain

ahead of the curve. Internally, most businesses need to drive digital transformation and data computing and data analytics call for a high level of transparency. As a result, today leaders have very less opportunity to hold back information that is out of the radar. Today leaders are expected to be well informed on both internal and external affairs issues to remain competitive with the dynamic business environment.

I am an advocate of authentic leadership. I believe people's life experiences are rich enough to be relied upon for valuable input in any team.

I like to understand where people are from and what their past experience has been, which helps me understand them better and I can easily know where one strength lies for an organisation to be dependent on its strength when we’re faced with a challenge as a team.

Q: What have been the greatest challenges Methano Group has faced, and how did you overcome them?

We had to make a choice whether we wanted to become a leading EPCM in the African market or not and how we overcame that challenge was by accepting that putting diversity as our

number one value is the only way to deliver the vision. And we have really seen the result with the exponential growth rate in revenue that Methano Group has achieved in the last three financial years.

Q: As CEO, what do you see as your key responsibilities?

I am confronted with the responsibility to get our team aligned with our strategy of becoming the leading EPCM entity in the African market, through keeping them informed of the brand in the market, co-ordinating the implementation of the board resolution both internally and externally, last but not least making sure that we deliver our goal that we have set to all our

stakeholders (communities, employees, government, customers and our valuable investors).

Q: What do you enjoy about what you do? What gets you up in the morning –and does anything keep you awake at night?

I am humbled when I see Methano Group creating sustainable employment opportunities for South Africans, especially from the communities that we operate from. One of my drivers is to keep going to see South Africans with their rich diversity working together to grow the economy of South Africa. I believe we can, especially if we can embrace the value that lies in our diversity.

Q: Do you have exciting plans for 2023?

In 2023 we will be setting up an office in Zambia, and our next project is to do environmental scanning in both Botswana and DRC. We believe we have what it takes to contribute to the new projects that will be targeting critical metals such copper, manganese, cobalt, lithium, etc. Finally, we will continue strengthening our relationships in the communities where we operate.

Q: Would you like to share a message with our readership?

We need to remain optimistic about South Africa, since we are blessed with diversity. We just need to embrace the best of the diversity we have to offer for our country to achieve its goals, such as curbing unemployment, economic growth and providing the basics to all South Africans.