SA mining supply chain firms struggling but current efforts raise hopes of better fortunes

With the advent of democracy in South Africa, the ease of procurement globally put local manufacturers on “very shaky ground”, as they had to compete internationally almost overnight, while their commensurate market share contracted, Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (Memsa) CEO Ossie Carstens says. This, combined with a lack of growth in the local mining sector over the past 15 years, resulted in the stagnation of the local mining supply chain and manufacturing sectors in South Africa, he states.