adminBusiness Reporter
LOCAL firm, Baldmin Projects, has clinched a deal in the Democratic Republic of Congo to supply material for the construction of warehouses, as the company expands its footprint in the region.
Baldmin Projects, a division of Baldmin Holdings, has been awarded two multimillion-dollar tenders to manufacture materials for building warehouses for Lulu KCC Mine, a division of Glencore.
Glencore is a Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company with headquarters in Baar, Switzerland.
The supply of consumables for six months under the first phase of the agreement will be extended by another 12 months in the second phase.
This comes as Baldmin Projects was recently contracted to supply materials for the construction of gold processing plants for Urumaya, a Bulawayo-based company, which is part of the LOC group of companies.
Manufacturing of the materials for the contracted projects is underway and deliveries will be made soon.
Baldmin has offices and workshops in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Lubumbashi, in the DRC.
Baldmin Holdings founder and managing director Costar Takawira Mangwende said he was excited at the pace the company was growing, including into the region.
“We are delighted that the organisation is growing from strength to strength after facing challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic which disrupted businesses all over the world.
“Our vision is to become the most preferred supplier of mining and engineering equipment, spares etcetera in the region.
“We want to grow our business locally and in the SADC region as we seek to bring back the much-needed foreign currency in the country, hence creating more employment opportunities,” Engineer Takawira said.
Baldmin has manufactured materials for construction of processing plants at platinum producer Unki and gold producers Metallon and Sabi, which operates as Chandiwana Mines, among others.
“We are getting a lot of inquiries from the DRC, but our biggest challenge is funding; most banks are hesitant to offer project funding even in South Africa, but we are managing and working with our clients on how best to deliver on the projects,” Eng Takawira said.
The Zimbabwean company is also into procurement, and supplies various tailor-made products to the mining industry.
At its Benoni workshop in South Africa, Baldmin Projects refurbishes gearboxes, crushers, mills, and mining equipment for mining companies that cannot afford new equipment.
“Baldmin saves small-scale miners all the way to commercial mining and no one is too small or too big for us.
“Our engineers are also on standby to assist our clients after sales and are always ready to help when required,” he said.
Eng Takawira believes the continent of Africa like Zimbabwe needs to take the initiative to develop it.
“I am a firm believer of Zimbabwe and we as the citizens of the region can make it better by bringing back all the experience and knowledge we have gained abroad,” Eng Takawira said.
Online Reporter