Modern Mining April 2023

COVER STORY

Enaex targets Southern African market, eyes

Santiago Stock Exchange listed explosives manufacturer, Enaex – the world’s third-largest explosives company, founded in Chile more than 100 years ago – remains steadfast in its vision of ex panding its African footprint, Enaex Africa CEO Francisco Baudrand tells Modern Mining .

F or Enaex, a company with manufacturing plants in eight countries, including South Africa, USA, France, Australia, Chile, Peru and Brazil, Africa is a key part of its strategic growth plan; but it was only in 2016, aligned with its vision of becom ing the preferred explosives supplier in the world’s top mining regions, that establishing a footprint in resource-rich Africa became Enaex group’s target. Enaex Africa was established on 1 July 2020 through a joint venture with petrochemicals giant, Sasol and Afris. In 2017, Sasol commenced a detailed asset review where the explosives business was identified as having substantial growth potential that could be unlocked through partnering with a world-class explosives brand. In June 2019, after a stringent evaluation process, Enaex S.A. was selected as Sasol’s preferred strategic partner to build a joint venture. Since July 2020, the new organisation has been conducting business under the name Enaex Africa. “As Africa is a mining region with massive growth potential, we identified South Africa as the ideal gate way into the rest of the continent. In fact, we were fortunate in that just after we made the decision to enter the African market, Sasol, which established its explosives business in 1984, was considering divest ing from it. Enaex inked the partnership with Sasol in November 2019 and began operating as Enaex Africa in July 2020,” says Francisco Baudrand. Over the past two-and-a-half years, Enaex Africa

“As Africa is a mining region with massive growth potential, we identified South Africa as the ideal gateway into the rest of the continent,” says Francisco Baudrand.

has grown considerably, becoming one of the most important subsidiaries for the group. The explosives manufacturer, which has an estab lished presence at mines in South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Botswana, and is beginning operations in Zambia, remains upbeat about growth opportuni ties, anticipating new business to come to fruition this year. “Enaex Africa is one of the top three explosives manufacturers in South Africa and, aside from focus ing on local opportunities, we are also on a growth trajectory outside of South Africa,” Baudrand says. Although the company is focused on growing its Southern African footprint in the short term; its

First Day of Enaex Africa.

8  MODERN MINING  April 2023