MATERIALS HANDLING
Titan truck unloader.
Astec Industries tracks new market participation By Nelendhre Moodley Suppliers to the mining industry are increasingly shifting their focus from Southern Africa towards North Africa and the Middle East, where rising investment is creating new opportunities. Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of this trend as it seeks to diversify its economy beyond oil and gas and rapidly expand its mining sector.
investment in new mines and associated infrastructure, creating greater opportunities for growth.” Astec Industries South Africa, which serves markets across Africa and the Middle East, is seeing particularly strong activity in Saudi Arabia, where a growing pipeline of mining and infrastructure projects is driving demand for high- capacity material-handling equipment. “Investors are increasingly looking north, where they see greater opportunities and stronger growth potential. Saudi Arabia is especially exciting, with significant development under way and a growing demand for high-capacity equipment. The region also benefits from a strong South African skills base, with some of our Saudi partners specifically employing South Africans for their mining expertise.” Trends influencing the bulk materials handling sector Booyse highlights the need for increased capacity, preference for mobile equipment, focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and technology integration as the key trends currently influencing the market. “The biggest trend we are seeing across the industry is a growing demand for higher capacity and throughput, with customers increasingly opting for larger equipment to move greater volumes of material in less time. This requirement extends across the entire pit-to-port value chain, from mining and truck or rail loading through to stockpiling, reclaiming and ship loading. Our focus is to align with this demand to help customers
G rowth in some Southern African markets has been constrained by a limited pipeline of large-scale greenfield mining projects compared with opportunities emerging in North Africa and the Middle East. Astec Industries is pivoting its growth strategy towards North and Northeast Africa and the Middle East, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia, Product Sales Manager Casper Booyse tells Modern Mining. Astec Industries designs, engineers and manufactures specialised equipment for infrastructure development and materials handling, built to meet demanding duty requirements. Saudi Arabia has targeted mining as the third pillar of its national
economy under Saudi Vision 2030, with estimated unexploited mineral wealth valued at $2.5 trillion. The country has announced plans to attract around US$100 billion of investment into its mining sector, while streamlining regulations through the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and reducing mining tax rates to 20% to attract global capital. “The mining market in Southern Africa is relatively quiet, particularly when it comes to new projects. Over the past three-to-four years, the pipeline of large-scale new mining developments has become more limited in parts of the region. By contrast, North Africa and the Middle East are seeing substantial
26 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | OCTOBER 2026
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