Modern Mining December 2023

COVER STORY

Ubuntu: Brelko pays it forward South Africans have an innate competitive streak and the

resilience to back it up, which is what sets us apart – be it on the playing field or in business, says Brelko MD Kenny Padayachee, who likens the fortitude of local business to the heroics of the Springboks. By Nelendhre Moodley .

O n the road to victory, the Springboks displayed nothing less than dogged determination when edging out New Zealand 12-11 to win the Rugby World Cup and claim the Webb Ellis Cup for a record fourth time. “From the onset we played tough teams and, with every match, there was a great possibility of losing, yet we persevered to triumph over our opponents, some at the very last second. This is reflective of most business mindsets operating in our current tough environment, with many companies dis playing the same type of grit to face down the challenges. In fact, several businesses in South Africa go beyond the call of duty to rise above circumstances and ‘Pay it forward’.” Paying it forward Investing in the youth, the disabled and in local communities, Brelko is one such example of companies paying it forward. Although businesses, and the mining sector in particular, invest heavily in community uplift ment initiatives, Padayachee says ‘If everyone were prepared to share their dollars to uplift the less fortunate, our society would be richer in so many ways.” According to Rudolf van Rensburg, Director at Carve Consulting, Brelko’s philanthropy extends beyond government’s requirements to fulfil the BEE scorecard. Each year, the equipment supplier invests millions of rands in skills development pro grammes for the industry, providing a helping hand

Goodwill Khupha working in the new hi-impact assembly area.

to struggling SMMEs and bursaries and learnerships for its employees and surrounding communities. Carve Consulting is a financial solutions provider that aids Brelko with its tax compliance and social labour plan, and guides the company to retain its Level 1 BEE certification. “Over the past seven to eight years, Brelko has invested heavily in previously disadvantaged youth, women and the disabled, providing them with access to skills development and experiential train ing. The company upskills roughly 18 people per annum. This year, we concentrated on previously disadvantaged women and the physically disabled, offering learnerships in different career paths, including administration, accounting, IT, marketing, finance, sales and training for skills related to the manufacturing process that is undertaken at Brelko’s manufacturing facility,” explains Van Rensburg. For the duration of the 18-month programme Brelko provides learners with a monthly stipend to tide them over. “On completion of the training programme, we determine which students are a fit with the com pany, and those we employ. In fact, among the learners who have come through the programme,

Ubuntu: humanity to others Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning ‘humanity to others’. It is often described as reminding us that ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’.

Right: A view of the new roller cutting section.

Below: New assembly section at Brelko’s manufacturing facility.

8  MODERN MINING  December 2023