MINING CONTRACTORS
World’s deepest raise-bored shaft at its Zondereinde mine in the Bushveld Complex.
Redpath Mining South Africa delivers on key platinum project By Nelendhre Moodley In mid-July, South African platinum group metals producer, Northam Platinum Holdings, celebrated the opening of the world’s deepest raise-bored shaft at its Zondereinde mine in the Bushveld Complex. The milestone project was delivered with the support of Redpath Mining South Africa, whose more than 60 years of experience in providing mining services, played a key role in its successful execution, Sudesh Deonarain, General Manager at Redpath Mining tells Modern Mining .
T he underground mining contractor recently completed work for Northam Platinum’s Zondereinde Western Expansion Project which entailed equipping No. 3 Men and Material Shaft to a depth of 1430 m. The company is also busy with Northam Platinum Zondereinde 3 Shaft underground infrastructure development and construction project, which has a three-year duration. Northam Platinum operates three wholly owned mines— Zondereinde, Booysendal, and Eland—located in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. Northam also operates a metallurgical complex at Zondereinde, comprising a smelter and base metal removal facilities. “Redpath has executed work at Northam’s Zondereinde mine since the late 90s in our previous regime as Sumit mining. The long-standing partnership is testament to the collaborated nature in which work has been executed. Apart from the Number 3 Men and Material shaft, Redpath has executed work including box- front construction, trackless decline development, conventional development as well as secondary support work,” explains Deonarain.
The No. 3 Men and Material shaft serves as a core component of the Western extension project at the Zondereinde platinum mine, extending the life of mine (LoM) by 40 years. It is designed specifically for personnel, materials, and service conveyance. “Northam Platinum’s Zondereinde operation is one of the world’s deepest platinum mines. As such, it requires employees to travel significant distances underground to reach the production face. Access to the current workings via the No. 1 and No. 2 shafts often involves commutes of up to three kilometres, resulting in lengthy travel times. The new shaft significantly reduces the time required to reach the working area, thereby enhancing productivity and operational efficiency. It also forms part of the mine’s long-term development strategy of extending the life of the operation while supporting continued employment and sustained economic benefits for surrounding communities.” According to Deonarain, Redpath Mining South Africa completed its component of the Northam Men and Material shaft project in June 2026. The Northam development project meanwhile is ongoing and includes four work packages:
28 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | SEPTEMBER 2026
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