After a turbulent period marked by a protracted economic slowdown and a lack of meaningful investment in infrastructure development, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African construction industry is showing signs of recovery. This was the overarching message from the IQSA conference, held in Durban from 11-12 April 2024.
Sustained by government’s renewed focus on infrastructure spending, particularly by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL), the construction industry has seen a bit of road project activity in recent times. To provide context, SANRAL announced a R28-billion injection into the construction industry for the first half of 2024.
The announcement came after SANRAL closed 77 tenders worth R6,43-billion in December 2023. At the start of this year, SANRAL CEO Reginald Demana noted that the agency was on a mission to accelerate work in the construction industry early in the first half of 2024 with at least another 70 tenders in the first two months of the year.
The optimism in the sector was apparent at this year’s IQSA conference. Firstly, the number of delegates was a little higher than at the previous show. Secondly, several exhibitors who spoke to Quarrying Africa expressed satisfaction with the type of enquiries at this year’s show.
Upbeat mood
Casper Booyse, regional sales manager at Astec Industries Africa Middle East, noted an upbeat mood at the show. “We have definitely experienced a positive sentiment at this year’s show compared to the previous one. We had some good enquiries this year, with customers exhibiting some positivity,” said Booyse. “To a great extent, the enquiries were about sand-washing plants and concrete batching plants.”
The same sentiment was echoed by Johan Goosen, regional MD – Africa Middle East at Astec Industries, who noted a degree of positivity due to improved project rollout, particularly in the road sector. However, said Goosen, the project rollout is more regional than national, with provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape enjoying the lion’s share of the ongoing infrastructure projects.
In KwaZulu-Natal, there have been several noteworthy construction developments in recent months. For example, the N2 and N3 upgrades, which form part of the national government’s key Strategic Integrated Projects (SIP2), are ongoing. Another significant project is the construction of the Cato Ridge Logistics Hub, a multi-billion-rand initiative aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation in the region. The hub is expected to provide state-of-the-art logistics facilities to support the transportation and distribution of goods in and around KwaZulu-Natal. In the Western Cape, SANRAL’s upgrades to the N2 are well underway.
“Quarry operators in the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape are seemingly busy on the back of several major projects in these provinces. There are definitely pockets of opportunity in these regions, and we hope that this will extend to other areas such as Gauteng,” says Goosen.
“Despite this, we do not believe the improved business activity has translated into capital sales for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Astec. However, the existing equipment is now being utilised, and provision of aftermarket support to our customers is important now more than ever to ensure that these machines are kept running to meet project demands,” adds Goosen.
Measure to action
Glen Webster, operations director at Loadtech, noted a growing interest in technology, especially now that mines and quarries are under pressure to improve productivity and efficiency in their operations. In today’s operating environment, he said, the importance of measuring cannot be emphasised enough.
Loutjie van der Merwe, Loadrite divisional manager at Loadtech, noted an increasing demand for advanced technology integration such as cloud connectivity to enable real-time data monitoring and analysis. In addition, there is also a growing emphasis on accuracy and precision in load-weighing systems to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
In line with these trends, Van der Merwe believes that the new L5000 SmartWeigh system from Loadrite, with its Wi-Fi readiness and touchscreen interface, will revolutionise the industry by providing more convenience, accuracy and efficiency in weighing operations. The system’s wireless connectivity enables seamless data transfer and real-time monitoring. The touchscreen interface offers intuitive and user-friendly navigation, enhancing ease of use for operators.
Overall, the L5000 SmartWeigh system is poised to streamline weighing processes, improve productivity and provide valuable insights for better decision-making in various industries. Its cutting-edge features, Van der Merwe adds, have the potential to change the way weighing systems are used and perceived, making Loadrite a frontrunner in the market.
First time
For the first time, Multotec exhibited at the IQSA conference this year. Pieter Uys, business development manager – Multotec, expressed satisfaction with the level of interactions with the industry. “We met both existing and potential customers at the show. We cast particular spotlight on our polyurethane and rubber screening media. I believe that there is a lot of scope for improvement in the choice of screen media in the quarrying industry,” said Uys.
Available in a wide range of apertures for various applications, Multotec’s rubber screening panels are ideal for primary applications with high impact areas and abrasion. “Our rubber panels are highly impact-resistant and have a long lifespan, thus ensuring optimal total cost of ownership for customers,” said Uys.
Multotec also offers a wide range of polyurethane panels. These are ideally suited for dewatering applications such as sand processing. The screens are expertly manufactured with self-relieving apertures, resulting in the unrestricted downward movement of any sized particle – reducing pegging and blinding.
“One of the products that has really done well in the quarrying industry is our polyurethane side tension mat. One of the key advantages is that there is no need for any structural change on customers’ vibrating equipment. The solution fastens and tensions the same way as woven wire mesh, but the advantage of the polyurethane side tension is that one gets a longer lifespan. One of our major quarrying customers has seen 12 times more lifespan out of our polyurethane side tension mat compared to the woven wire mesh they had before,” said Uys.
Upward trajectory
Terex Mineral Processing jointly exhibited with its South African dealer, ELB Equipment. Speaking to Quarrying Africa, Willem du Plooy, regional business development manager – Africa at Terex MPS, was happy with the overall mood at the show. “It has been a while since we last had the type of engagements we had this year at the IQSA conference. The industry is seemingly on an upward trajectory, as showcased by the solid interest in our plants,” said Du Plooy.
As part of its continuous rollout of new products in the market, Terex MPS had a special focus on its new WC1150S, a cone crusher and screen on one wheeled chassis. The WC1150S cone-screen plant is a high-performance, medium-sized wheeled crushing and screening system. At the heart of the plant is the 225-kW Terex TC1150 cone crusher and a 6’ x 20’ triple-deck screen. A level sensor over the cone crusher regulates the feed to ensure the chamber is continually choke-fed, thus ensuring maximum production and liner life, as well as optimal product shape. The large onboard triple-deck screen allows for the production of sized products from a single plant.
“We have already commissioned four of the new WC1150S units in Africa to date. We look forward to delivering another unit in South Africa during the third quarter of this year,” said Du Plooy. “The WC1150S is mainly suited for the quarrying industry, especially for single size material such as road base. It is also adaptable to the mining sector, if need be. We find that our wheeled jaws are popular in the mining sector because they are fully electrically driven and tend to be more reliable than their hydraulic counterparts.”
Load weighing to the fore
Dynamic Weigh Systems (DWS) used the show to display a range of its VEI load weighing systems. Having distributed these systems for the past 14 years, Ivan van Heerden, MD of DWS, said the brand had over time gained significant market share in the local market and had probably become the number two player in the load weighing system market in South Africa.
“We had a good show this year. In fact, this is always a good show because it is targeted and you get to meet most of the role players in the South African quarrying sector in one place. This year we had a lot of interest in our products. It was also great to see some of our existing clients who have been running some of our systems for more than 12 years and counting. The mood in the construction and aggregates industry at large is much more positive this year,” said Van Heerden.
DWS saw much interest in its wheel loader scales, which is its core business. “A major talking point is that we offer almost the same technology, with the same operating system and head units, all the way from the face to the load-out section. This allows for ease of training on the system across dump truck operators, excavator operators and front-end loader operators,” concluded Van Heerden.
