MINING TECHNOLOGY
Cementation Africa: Poised for growth By Nelendhre Moodley
Driven by soaring demand for critical minerals, leading underground mining contractor Cementation Africa is experiencing exceptionally high levels of activity, with several tenders currently in the market.
T he intense demand for commodities is being fuelled by a combination of global economic growth, technological advancement, geopolitical tensions and ongoing supply- chain constraints. According to New Business Director Graham Chamberlain, elevated commodity prices are prompting mining companies to reassess projects that were previously considered uneconomic, with miners seeking to update project economics and refresh case studies in support of project advancement and investment decisions. “One of the most significant shifts in the market is the growing economic viability of secondary minerals. As prices for primary commodities rise, many by-products and previously marginal mineral deposits are becoming commercially attractive. Moreover, as the copper market continues to strengthen, it creates opportunities not only for copper producers but also for associated industries facing supply shortages. One example is sulphuric and hydrofluoric acid, critical reagents in copper processing. This has increased demand for related minerals such as fluorspar, which is used in acid production, metallurgical processes and the
manufacture of electronic components, including semiconductor chips,” explains Chamberlain. Rise in brownfields projects across Africa According to Chamberlain, many mineral deposits mined over the past few decades—particularly across Africa—were developed as open-cast operations. As these mines are now reaching maturity, the trend is transition to underground operations. “We are seeing this trend throughout Botswana, Namibia, and other SADC countries. As open-cast mines mature, operators need to access deeper ore bodies, which requires underground development. This is an area where we have considerable experience, having successfully transformed several open-cast operations by developing access from the pit highwalls into underground mining environments, and establishing fully operational underground mines beneath existing pits.” Chamberlain says Cementation Africa is currently tendering for work in Ghana and undertaking a similar project in South Africa, where it is developing access from the highwall to a platinum deposit at Tharisa Mine.
Graham Chamberlain, New Business Director at Cementation Africa.
20 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | SEPTEMBER 2026
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