PUMPS & VALVES
KSB Imvubu pump in final production.
KSB launches revolutionary Imvubu wastewater pump Named after the Imvubu, which is the Zulu word for hippopotamus, the name carries a double meaning referring to its distinctive top-mounted lifting “ears” that mimic its profile in water, while its massive free-pass mouth and formidable strength mirrors the exceptional solids handling ability that swallows-up oversized waste and attests to the toughness and power of its design. K SB Pumps and Valves product manager for wastewater, Hugo du Plessis, says the KSB Imvubu is the result of years of development which measured the strengths and limitations of
We also listened to the market where customers told us exactly where the problems lie in terms of pump clogging, difficult seal replacement, thin casings that wear quickly and designs that simply do not stand up to raw, unscreened sewage. This culminated in the development of the KSB Imvubu pump which is our answer to the market’s needs. It is proudly designed and manufactured in South Africa and takes the best global technology and optimises it for African conditions,” says du Plessis. He explains that the KSB Imvubu pump was developed using advanced CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) modelling and efficiency redesigns of the impeller, volute and hydraulic passageways. The result is significantly improved pumping performance, now reaching more than 65% hydraulic efficiency, which places it well
ahead of competitor self- priming pumps currently
earlier self-priming pumps used in municipal wastewater networks across Southern Africa. During this time KSB Pumps and Valves' engineering team worked closely with municipalities and industry operators to understand the realities they face daily including clogging, solids carry-over, complex maintenance, pump failures in remote areas and the need for equipment that is easy to service in places where skills are often scarce, and uptime is critical to prevent spills. “We live in South Africa and can see the challenges of dealing with sewerage and wastewater.
This culminated in the development of the KSB Imvubu pump which is our answer to the market’s needs. It is proudly designed and manufactured in South Africa and takes the best global technology and optimises it for African conditions.
in service. Critically, the pump achieves a 77.3 mm free-pass solids handling capability exceeding the global
raw sewage benchmark of 76 mm. In real-world operation, that 1.3 mm can be the difference between uninterrupted pumping and a costly blockage. “The free pass is what sets us
46 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | DECEMBER 2025 - JANUARY 2026
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