Modern Mining

some interesting developments in the future,” says Van Heerden. He says anthracite is a very interesting business space at the moment. Its demand has increased massively in the past few years. Apart from demand from construction, infrastructure and industrial sec- tors, there has been rapid growth in demand for anthracite coal from steel manufacturers. Steel manufacturers are resorting to anthracite coal at the expense of coke, mainly because of its similar carbon content and low price that results in economical steel production. In terms of revenue growth, Transparency Market Research predicts that the global mined anthracite coal market will be valued at US$68,8-billion by the end of 2027. The figure is substantially higher than the US$58-billion the market earned in 2018. The growth rate is pro- jected to be nearly 2% over the projected period from 2019-2027. Afrimat is also eying another business which is currently in distress. “That’s completely a new min- eral for us and will be an interesting addition to our industrial minerals business. We hope to make an announcement in due course,” says Van Heerden. Elsewhere, Afrimat is looking at an opportunity to acquire additional iron ore assets in Northern Cape. This will significantly increase the company’s

capacity in the iron ore business, allowing Afrimat to be a serious junior miner in South Africa. Looking ahead, Van Heerden is very optimistic. “Opportunity tends to come at the most unforeseen times. Ideally, if I can have it my way, I would like to see all the three business units within Afrimat become equally important. We are looking for good opportunities to expand our business across all the three segments,” concludes Van Heerden. 

Demaneng currently produces just under 900 t per annum.

February 2020  MODERN MINING  21