Modern Mining December 2020

the storm

This presence, says Davies, has been key to the company’s continued successes, especially during COVID-19. “One of the key advantages for us, espe- cially during the lockdown, is that we were already close to our customers, which was key to accom- modating the travel ban. Even during the middle of Alert Level 5 of the lockdown, we could still function properly, giving customers the much-needed peace of mind,” he adds. Davies hails the dedication of the staff, who ensured the continued safe execution of projects during the lockdown. “For example, we had our team locked-down at a diamond mine in Botswana for six

of the projects that the company has watched over the past three to five years and were supposed to get financial closure during this year, were either postponed or cancelled. “We haven’t really seen many projects in excess of R10-million being granted this year. A lot of projects that have been in the pipe- line for the past three to five years have been put on hold,” he says. The lack of new capital projects, however, did not really put the company on the fence, says Bhaga. “It gave us an opportunity to focus on important things like our staff and to self-introspect as an organ- isation, looking at how we can be efficient going forward,” he says. With the capital projects side

Jetfloat installation on new dam at a diamond mine in Botswana.

Apron feeder testing before shipment to Guinea.

understandably down during 2020, the aftermarket side of the business, says Davies, has thrived “beyond expectations”. “I didn’t think we would do this well under the circumstances. Hats off to the staff, who have exceeded expectations in the face of a tough operating envi- ronment,” says Davies. TAKRAF South Africa runs several offices across all the major mining regions of the country. These include the main Spartan, Gauteng office, complemented by branches in Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and Western Cape. “Our success to a large degree lies in our after- market capabilities, and central to that is our presence in all the key mining regions,” he says.

December 2020  MODERN MINING  9