Alfred H Knight has opened a new metals and minerals laboratory in Maputo, Mozambique, providing local sample preparation and analytical testing for iron ore, chrome ore and other key commodities moving through southern Africa’s export corridors. The facility brings independent assay capability closer to mine sites and ports on the Indian Ocean, reducing turnaround times compared with sending samples to overseas labs. For operators, nearer real-time grade control and shipment certification should tighten quality assurance on bulk cargoes and support contract compliance.

Cementation Africa has completed Thungela Resources’ Zibulo North Shaft decline under demanding underground conditions, using a continuous miner for a critical phase of advance rather than conventional drill-and-blast. Project Manager Peter Mazibuko credits the team’s underground coal expertise and close collaboration with the client for enabling safe deployment of the continuous miner in a constrained decline environment. For mine developers, the project signals growing confidence in mechanised decline development to accelerate schedules where geology and layout permit.

First Quantum Minerals has secured a patent and trademark for Quantum Electra-Haul, its proprietary trolley-assist haulage system, formalising the technology it has been rolling out across its global copper operations. The system integrates overhead electric trolley lines with large diesel-electric haul trucks, allowing trucks to draw grid power on uphill hauls and cut diesel burn and emissions on high-intensity ramps. For mine planners and electrical engineers, the move signals continued large-scale investment in trolley-ready pit designs, high-voltage reticulation, and compatible truck fleets.