Strong partnerships driving Africa’s mining excellence

Collaboration among key stakeholders in Africa’s mining sector unlocks solutions to pressing challenges, including safety and environmental risks, skills shortages, rising operational costs, and price volatility.

No single entity can address these challenges alone, making strong partnerships essential.

When innovation emerges from such close collaboration, technology can be deployed effectively, ensuring alignment with operational realities and fostering stakeholder trust.

The 2026 Investing in African Mining Indaba, to be held in February in Cape Town, will once again bring together stakeholders from across the continent’s mining value chain to deepen collaboration and build a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous future for African mining.

The event’s focus on partnerships is reflected in its theme, “Stronger Together: Progress Through Partnerships,” which resonates with blasting, explosives, and mining chemicals solutions provider BME’s ethos of partnership-driven innovation.

Through its global partnerships, BME offers mine-to-metals solutions that balance performance with responsibility, delivering on parent company Omnia Holdings’ purpose of “innovating to enhance life, together creating a greener future.”

Seelan Gobalsamy, CEO of Omnia, said the company works closely with stakeholders to advance mining technologies, elevate operational excellence, and build trust with communities.

“Omnia remains committed to combining innovation with responsibility to deliver solutions that perform with excellence and contribute to sustainable mining,” he said.

“In line with this commitment, BME continues to demonstrate a strong track record of delivering safe, innovative, and quality solutions to its customers.”

Ralf Hennecke, Managing Director of BME, highlighted the company’s growth across Africa through strategic partnerships while maintaining a strong base in South Africa.

“The continent provides immense growth potential, mirrored by vibrant exploration activity and a diverse range of minerals, including those crucial to battery performance,” he said. Hennecke added that BME’s tailored solutions have helped reduce operating costs and fostered collaboration with host communities.

Driving green chemistry is also central to BME’s approach. Lefa Masiuana, General Manager of Mining Chemicals at BME, explained that the company works with mines to explore safer, more sustainable chemical use, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.

“For instance, we are helping clients implement chemical circularity by recovering and recycling chemicals, halving reagent demand, and saving on neutralisation costs,” he said. Projects like replacing pyrolusite with hydrogen peroxide in uranium acid leaching circuits demonstrate BME’s commitment to environmentally responsible practices.

BME will showcase its technologies at stand E10 at the Mining Indaba, supported by Omnia colleagues. Hennecke noted that the event is an opportunity to engage with customers and contribute to discussions that elevate the industry.

“Through collaboration, innovation, and trust, we can make African mining safer, more sustainable, and truly competitive,” he said.

Sidebar: Future-fit Mining Solutions

BME will showcase solutions including BLASTMAP™, XPLOSMART™, AXXIS™, and INNOVEX™. BLASTMAP™ provides 3D blast design software for faster cycles, safer operations, and better environmental compliance. XPLOSMART™ integrates AI-driven image processing for precision blasting. AXXIS™ electronic initiation systems deliver sub-millisecond blast timing for uniform fragmentation, while INNOVEX™ dual-salt emulsions optimise breakage, haulage, and crusher throughput.