How were you able to maintain business continuity and adapt to new working conditions amid the pandemic?

With the onset of the pandemic, Fraser Alexander immediately implemented crisis management protocols. We tried to simplify our approach into two primary responses – the health of our people was our highest priority, with business continuity being second. We only had a few days to demobilize all our people and move operations to their homes. We put in significant effort to ensure we follow the proper protocols and procedures in line with the South African disaster management act, our own and our clients' best practices, and guidance from the Minerals Council. We weathered the storm very well due to the extraordinary strengths of our team.

Can you elaborate on Fraser Alexander's smart solutions for the mining industry and the demand trends you are witnessing in the market?

One way we are spearheading our innovative solutions is through the increased use of digital/IoT devices on sites to supply information into our risk management tools and the digitization of our risk management tool itself. We have also digitized our safety system and are changing some of our key activities from manual to remote so that operators can still have control, but in a more secure environment up to 5 km away. The principal advantages of our digital and automation initiatives are safety and productivity. Fraser Alexander is a global pioneer in the technological advancement of tailings management tools.

Can you elaborate on Fraser Alexander's digital tailings risk management system and how it monitors operational risk?

Fraser Alexander is the largest outsourced tailings contractor worldwide and specializes in both tailings deposition and tailings reclamation for reprocessing. We are continually looking for new and better ways to manage complex risks and have therefore developed a world-class digital risk-monitoring system called Technical and Operational Risk Assessment System (TORAS).

The digital system helps to ensure there is an independent overview of operations and gives clients additional assurance over their tailings operations. One of the most significant ESG risks is the potential failure of tailings facilities. Our proprietary digital monitoring system and holistic approach put us at the forefront of tailings risk management. Managing tailings is becoming more critical, especially regarding the upward trend in global tailings dam failures since 1990, with five to six occurring annually.

We believe that tailings dams are not to be designed, constructed and then left alone. They are dynamic systems that need constant monitoring, management and attention.

The growing availability and implementation of new technologies in the mining industry have far-reaching benefits that can be used to everyone's advantage. Fraser Alexander is investing heavily in the technological space to ensure significant benefits for improved and safer management of tailings operations.

One way to ensure increased safety is to deposit tailings materials drier than how they are currently being deposited. We are collaborating with a customer on an R&D project, developing a solution to introduce the element of dryer tailings interbedded with wet tailings as we deposit them to increase the safety of tailings dams significantly. Dry depositing, unfortunately, comes at a higher cost. We are lucky in Southern Africa that we have a stable seismic environment that is generally dry and quite flat-lying, which lends itself to depositing tailings in a way that might be too risky in other environments. The high cost and less risky environment are why the dry depositing of tailings is not widespread in the Southern African mining industry, even though it contributes to ESG as it has a much lower environmental footprint.

What is the current state of the South African mining sector, and what challenges and opportunities do you see in the industry?

Fundamentally the South African mining industry is struggling, especially in the gold space. One must look for opportunities to grow in a shrinking market. We see more technology, automation, and digitization implemented in surface (tailings dams and other discard) and underground mining, and a number of our businesses are in an excellent position to assist in the electrification transition. The South African market has declined in some instances, but there are still opportunities to grow, especially with the increased commodity prices. Increased commodity prices, together with a weak Rand, have significantly improved the fortunes of South African miners.