What have been the main highlights for BME in the past year? 

A key highlight has been the success of our growth path, which is well on track in three main streams: Organic growth in South Africa; growing opportunities around Africa; and growth abroad in markets like Canada, Australia and Indonesia. 

In South Africa, our customers are demonstrating growth despite some slowing in national mining statistics. We continue to be active throughout Africa and are pursuing exciting prospects. In the Southern African Development Community there is something of a revitalization in mining, with added opportunities emerging in battery minerals and uranium.

We have achieved considerable traction on the global stage, where we are becoming established in the Canadian market, being mobilized on-site for our first surface mining project. In line with our execution plans, our electronic detonator plant has been commissioned in Sudbury. A non-electric detonator assembly plant is also being completed. Sales have been ramping up considerably over the past quarter, and underground trials continue to be conducted at various locations. 

Our joint venture in Indonesia has begun delivering business through several projects ceded to us through the agreement. In Australia, we are moving from a purely trading business towards building infrastructure and capability in the east and west of the country. We have trialed our electronic systems with Tier 1 mining customers with great success. 

Finally, from a services perspective, demand is increasing quite significantly around Africa. Mines are relying on service providers like BME to not only deliver security of supply and quality product, but also to train and upskill mine staff. There is a widespread shortage of skills at mine level, and we help address this with ongoing knowledge transfer. 

Can you expand on the AXXIS Range, and how this offering contributes to improving underground safety at mining sites? 

AXXIS Titanium™, the latest generation of the BME’s popular AXXIS™ electronic detonation system, has introduced a dual level of safety. With the Swiss-designed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip in the BME detonators, the system allows for inherently safe logging and testing. The unique use of dual capacitors and dual voltage means that users can conduct low voltage logging to avoid any chance of detonation. The system also has more internal safety gates against stray current and lightning.

Blasts are initiated by a robust, encrypted blast command – ensuring that detonators all receive their respective commands and fire as planned. The detonator only reacts if it receives the correct, encrypted firing sequence from the blasting equipment. Intensive tests in conjunction with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) showed that BME detonators can withstand a significant electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) without any impact on their timing.

How does BME factor sustainability and ESG to develop advanced blasting solutions? 

BME supports the strong sustainability drive in mining by helping customers achieve energy efficiency through optimal fragmentation of blasted material. BME are leaders in safety with zero recordable case rates (RCR) .

What are the main challenges and opportunities when operating in West Africa?

Areas of West Africa remain volatile, so we operate in the region with caution and an ongoing focus on safety. We prioritize the quality of our team of local and international experts, who ensure that supply security is maintained despite the various challenges. This market is important to BME, and we look forward to the region expanding beyond traditional commodities like gold and into the immense potential of minerals like iron ore. We also appreciate the commonality of customers between West Africa and countries such as Canada and Australia where our recognized performance on one site helps us build important relationships in other jurisdictions.

Being present in 17 African countries, how does BME plan to keep growing in Africa? 

While South Africa is a strong base for BME, we regard Africa as our home territory and have extensive experience in operating all over the continent. We have strategically targeted the regions in which to make our investments, and continue to build steadily from this base. We apply the highest standards of safety and quality wherever we work, and have always ensured customers of supply security even across national borders. The confidence that this gives the market will underpin our continued growth in Africa, and as we identify the next countries into which we will expand. There are still vast opportunities for us on this continent.