Modern Quarrying Q3 2020

PLANNING FOR POST- COVID-19

L ike any other sector of the economy, the quarrying industry is facing crippling challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 influenced hard lockdown, dubbed Alert Level 5 of South Africa’s tiered approach to fighting the pandemic, saw the complete shutdown of quarries and the construction industry at large, leaving producers with absolutely no revenue during April. While Alert Level 4 regulations allowed quarries to operate at 50% capacity levels, the construction industry was still completely shut, leaving the quarrying industry in a precarious position. The start of Alert Level 3 in June offered some reprieve for the industry, with operations allowed to operate at 100%, while construction companies were also allowed back on sites. It is also important to note that the crisis came at a time when the industry was already suffering from decreased demand for construction materials, thus worsening an already

Development System (SIDS) to guide the country’s infrastructure development agenda. A total of 276 projects with an investment value of more than R2,3-trillion have been submitted as of June 2020. At the SIDS conference held in June, President Cyril Ramaphosa made promising commitments to prioritise infrastructure development post COVID-19 to support structural transformation, creation of jobs and economic recovery. The symposium notably reflected on a number of projects that have been identified by the National Infrastructure Fund. If this anything to go by, it is important that quarries start planning for a possible surge in demand post-COVID-19. When this pandemic is defeated – not sure when – opportunity might overflow as the government strives to meet its lofty infrastructure goals. I believe that one of the pressing concerns quarries will face at the time will be the increased pressure to rapidly ramp up production, in an effort to recoup lost output. We will be back to basics, and the emphasis will be fixed firmly on output. As you will see in this edition of Modern Quarrying , industry players unanimously believe that the ‘next normal’ technology will have an important role to play in improving productivity and enabling high levels of health and safety. I am of the view that focus, post- COVID-19, should be on the use of technology to improve efficiencies and optimise returns, while making operations more adaptable to market demands. As an industry in South Africa, the quarrying sector has over the years been slow to embrace technology and this has to change.

complicated business environment. While COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the economy, I believe it has served as a wake-up call for the authorities. The government understands that there is an urgent need for targeted infrastructure investment. Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille recently reiterated the need to address a history of massive infrastructure underspending by all spheres of government and state-owned enterprises. She also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic and the downgrading of the economy had worsened the crisis and increased the urgent need for infrastructure investment. There has been a 14,2% contraction in the construction sector, which has been severely impacted by the pandemic and records some of the biggest job losses. To this end, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has developed and will be applying

a new methodology known as the Sustainable Infrastructure

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Modern Quarrying Magazine

Munesu Shoko – Editor quarrying@crown.co.za

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MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 3 - 2020