Limpopo Business 2017-18 edition
A unique guide to business and investment in Limpopo. Limpopo Business 2017/18 is the ninth edition of this highly successful publication that has, since its launch in 2007, established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the Limpopo Province. This edition of Limpopo Business is officially endorsed by the Office of the Premier of Limpopo. This book contains detailed insights into the plans of the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and the recently launched bus rapid transport system for the provincial capital, Leeto la Polokwane, together with a comprehensive register of all provincial government and municipal contact details. Investment news related to mining, telecommunications and tourism is carried in overviews of all the main economic sectors. To complement the extensive distribution of the print edition of the magazine, the publication is also available online at www.limpopobusiness.co.za.
A unique guide to business and investment in Limpopo.
Limpopo Business 2017/18 is the ninth edition of this highly successful publication that has, since its launch in 2007, established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the Limpopo Province. This edition of Limpopo Business is officially endorsed by the Office of the Premier of Limpopo.
This book contains detailed insights into the plans of the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and the recently launched bus rapid transport system for the provincial capital, Leeto la Polokwane, together with a comprehensive register of all provincial government and municipal contact details. Investment news related to mining, telecommunications and tourism is carried in overviews of all the main economic sectors.
To complement the extensive distribution of the print edition of the magazine, the publication is also available online at www.limpopobusiness.co.za.
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INTERVIEW<br />
New shaft sinking<br />
method prioritises<br />
safety<br />
Head of De Beers Venetia Underground Project,<br />
Christoff Kühn, reports on progress in one of<br />
<strong>Limpopo</strong>’s biggest projects.<br />
Christoff Kühn<br />
BIOGRAPHY<br />
Christoffel Kühn has Master's<br />
degrees in mechanical engineering<br />
and project management<br />
from the universities of<br />
Potchefstroom and Pretoria<br />
which he has put into practice<br />
in Southern Africa, South<br />
America and Australia. Starting<br />
as an engineer on a gold mine,<br />
he has since delivered several<br />
capital projects in the mining industry.<br />
His experience includes<br />
engineering and project management,<br />
project development<br />
and techno-economic evaluation.<br />
Kühn’s previous post<br />
was head of the project management<br />
support and review<br />
department at Anglo American.<br />
What is the scope of De Beers’ investment into the<br />
Venetia Underground Project?<br />
We committed US$2-billion in replacing the open mine with a new<br />
underground mine. This will approximately double the life of the<br />
mine to the middle of the 2040s.<br />
When do you expect to start producing diamonds?<br />
We start intersecting the kimberlite orebodies in the 2020s. The first<br />
significant production will be in 2021, on a smaller component of<br />
the mine. The open pit will halt all operation in 2023 and from then<br />
on, the underground will become the main source. The open pit is<br />
currently mining three distinct kimberlite pipes. The underground<br />
mine will mine two of those.<br />
How many jobs have been created?<br />
We have about 750 people on the project. At our peak, the numbers<br />
will increase to about 2 000 to 2 500 people – these will decrease as<br />
the project execution comes to an end.<br />
The underground mine will not significantly change the number<br />
of De Beers’ employees on the mine, although there might be different<br />
contractors that are required on the underground operation<br />
from those we used on the open pit because of the changed nature<br />
of the mining.<br />
We forecast that we will stay at similar employment levels as before.<br />
We currently have approximately 1 350 employees, excluding contractors.<br />
The situation with contractors is very dynamic, and changes<br />
as workload alters. It is not consistent work over the life of the mine.<br />
Are local businesses involved?<br />
Some portions of the project are unique, and require established<br />
experienced contractors to deliver. We have gone on a campaign<br />
to try to build to establish as many local SMMEs as possible. There<br />
are a few success stories, such as our partnership with a company<br />
LIMPOPO BUSINESS <strong>2017</strong>/<strong>18</strong><br />
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