“With local content legislation becoming a national priority, competition for local talent is increasingly fierce.”
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Can you elaborate on the application support offered by Panafrican Equipment and the type of solutions offered?
Panafrican Equipment has built technological tools for asset strategy, maintenance strategy, and inventory planning. While other products exist to support large international players, our solutions are designed for our market and customer base to help accelerate their growth. For example, we will run several simulation models for a mining customer to identify the best mix of machines that will balance capital costs, productivity, fuel burn, and total cost of ownership (TCO). Once the fleets are deployed, our teams will work with our customers on continuous improvement programs and even fly drones over the mine sites and map out and monitor the units in operation. We look at everything from fragmentation and operator performance to bucket fill factors and bench heights to haul road grades and bottlenecks, among others. That data is then used to work with our customers on improving productivity through a variety of methods including operator training.
We have also developed an inventory planning tool for our customers that works alongside the life-cycle cost analysis (LCA) and maintenance regimes we prepare in conjunction with their strategy. We also use this and historical data to look at condition monitoring on the machines to help extend component life, and we use that maintenance plan to track and manage inventory.
What are some recent projects Panafrican Equipment has engaged with?
At the moment, we are working at the Baomahun project in Sierra Leone with both the developer (FG Gold) and contractor (Dig IG). We have also secured work for the Kurmuk gold project in Ethiopia, developed by Allied Gold with Mota-Engil as the contractor. In Ghana, Panafrican Equipment has supported expansions of existing projects and had some recent breakthroughs with customers who were not necessarily Komatsu-oriented. It is exciting times for our industries and markets, and we see a strong future for our core countries.
Access to financing is often a barrier, especially for local SMEs. What mechanisms does Panafrican Equipment offer?
About 12 years ago, we started our own finance company, and although we did not have the type of balance sheet to support multi-million-ounce developments like Baomahun or Kurmuk, it supported local contractors in places like Ghana and Tanzania, almost like an incubator. Deal sizes ranged between US$1 million and US$5 million. Once these show good performance, we can bring Komatsu Finance to the table, who creatively work hand in hand with us to support our customers growth. We also work with third-party providers like Lionette Capital on customer asset-finance structures.
What are some key priorities for Panafrican Equipment going forward?
While many of the countries we operate in need infrastructure investment, their fiscal limitations often slow development. Locally funded projects can be difficult to execute, as governments may not have the financial capacity to move forward quickly, while projects backed by foreign direct investment (FDI) often come with their own equipment and personnel, limiting opportunities for local suppliers. Our goal is to engage with these foreign entities and identify ways to integrate into their supply chains.
Another big focus for us is finding, training, retaining, and developing talent in our markets. We have invested in bespoke training programs, including a new training academy in Ghana. With local content legislation becoming a national priority, competition for local talent is increasingly fierce.
We will continue developing tools to support our customers with their operations like we did with inventory planning and life-cycle costs. Our team in Dubai is continually developing digital technologies for our customers.
Lastly, we will continue building our partnership model. We have a seven-pillar strategy toward being a trusted partner, but much of it boils down to listening—listening to the markets to understand what is happening in our territories, whether it’s government directives, commodity prices, or election cycles. Most importantly, listening to the customers to understand their projects and their needs, and how we can help them succeed, especially through difficult times. Listening and understanding is the central theme and the starting point to our growth story. We feel strongly about partnering and not just selling.
Can you elaborate on the application support offered by Panafrican Equipment and the type of solutions offered?
Panafrican Equipment has built technological tools for asset strategy, maintenance strategy, and inventory planning. While other products exist to support large international players, our solutions are designed for our market and customer base to help accelerate their growth. For example, we will run several simulation models for a mining customer to identify the best mix of machines that will balance capital costs, productivity, fuel burn, and total cost of ownership (TCO). Once the fleets are deployed, our teams will work with our customers on continuous improvement programs and even fly drones over the mine sites and map out and monitor the units in operation. We look at everything from fragmentation and operator performance to bucket fill factors and bench heights to haul road grades and bottlenecks, among others. That data is then used to work with our customers on improving productivity through a variety of methods including operator training.
We have also developed an inventory planning tool for our customers that works alongside the life-cycle cost analysis (LCA) and maintenance regimes we prepare in conjunction with their strategy. We also use this and historical data to look at condition monitoring on the machines to help extend component life, and we use that maintenance plan to track and manage inventory.
What are some recent projects Panafrican Equipment has engaged with?
At the moment, we are working at the Baomahun project in Sierra Leone with both the developer (FG Gold) and contractor (Dig IG). We have also secured work for the Kurmuk gold project in Ethiopia, developed by Allied Gold with Mota-Engil as the contractor. In Ghana, Panafrican Equipment has supported expansions of existing projects and had some recent breakthroughs with customers who were not necessarily Komatsu-oriented. It is exciting times for our industries and markets, and we see a strong future for our core countries.
Access to financing is often a barrier, especially for local SMEs. What mechanisms does Panafrican Equipment offer?
About 12 years ago, we started our own finance company, and although we did not have the type of balance sheet to support multi-million-ounce developments like Baomahun or Kurmuk, it supported local contractors in places like Ghana and Tanzania, almost like an incubator. Deal sizes ranged between US$1 million and US$5 million. Once these show good performance, we can bring Komatsu Finance to the table, who creatively work hand in hand with us to support our customers growth. We also work with third-party providers like Lionette Capital on customer asset-finance structures.
What are some key priorities for Panafrican Equipment going forward?
While many of the countries we operate in need infrastructure investment, their fiscal limitations often slow development. Locally funded projects can be difficult to execute, as governments may not have the financial capacity to move forward quickly, while projects backed by foreign direct investment (FDI) often come with their own equipment and personnel, limiting opportunities for local suppliers. Our goal is to engage with these foreign entities and identify ways to integrate into their supply chains.
Another big focus for us is finding, training, retaining, and developing talent in our markets. We have invested in bespoke training programs, including a new training academy in Ghana. With local content legislation becoming a national priority, competition for local talent is increasingly fierce.
We will continue developing tools to support our customers with their operations like we did with inventory planning and life-cycle costs. Our team in Dubai is continually developing digital technologies for our customers.
Lastly, we will continue building our partnership model. We have a seven-pillar strategy toward being a trusted partner, but much of it boils down to listening—listening to the markets to understand what is happening in our territories, whether it’s government directives, commodity prices, or election cycles. Most importantly, listening to the customers to understand their projects and their needs, and how we can help them succeed, especially through difficult times. Listening and understanding is the central theme and the starting point to our growth story. We feel strongly about partnering and not just selling.
