Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Monday - Friday 9am-12pm / 2pm-6pm GMT + 1 All financial news and data tailored to specific country editions said; Against the backdrop of an uncertain global macro environment our strategic focus on operational excellence and cost optimisation is even more relevant The successful reconfiguration of our business in 2024 significantly improved our resilience in a tougher operating environment we have continued to unlock value through our high-quality iron ore products achieving an average realised price 11% above benchmark prices Our commitment to operational excellence is demonstrated by production of 9.0 million tonnes (Mt) The 5% uplift in Transnet’s rail performance which supported a 6% increase in sales volumes we are maintaining our production and sales guidance of 35 – 37 million wet metric tonnes (wmt) and our C1 unit cost guidance of ~US$39 per tonne Protecting the safety and wellbeing of our workforce and communities where our mines operate is our first value Our total recordable injury frequency rate (TRIFR) of 0.92 increased as a result of low energy incidents (slips We are actively addressing this through an integrated set of safety initiatives Notably Sishen has now achieved nine years and Kolomela more than two years of fatality free production The ultra-high-dense-medium-separation technology project at Sishen that will treble the proportion of premium grade iron ore products Conversion of the first coarse module is underway and the engineering design and fabrication are progressing ahead of plans Kumba continues to work closely with Transnet and the Ore User’s Forum (OUF) to prioritise the maintenance related to the independent technical assessment we are also working through the Department of Transport’s request for information which will be followed by the request for proposals later in the year 400 subscribers and receive our weekly eNewsletter Please check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription (Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon has launched the construction of a new domestic gas filling center in Kumba marks the fifth such facility developed by the Hydrocarbons Price Stabilization Fund (CSPH) The groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 29 led by Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana This new site follows similar projects in Maroua where construction began just one week earlier The Kumba facility will have a filling and storage capacity of 200 cubic meters it will make it easier for households in the Southwest Region to access domestic gas—also known as LPG—which has seen rising demand across Cameroon household use of domestic gas is growing by about 13% every year consumers in the Southwest have had to rely on supply from Douala often paying more due to transportation costs the expansion of filling centers—whether by CSPH or private players like Bocom and Green Oil—is also helping tackle environmental issues These facilities offer an alternative to firewood and charcoal which many households still use for cooking Charcoal is a booming industry in Cameroon according to the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife But this comes at a heavy cost to the environment Nonprofits and environmental groups have warned about the link between charcoal production and rising rates of deforestation and desertification Kribi Bitumen Plant Set to Start Construction in 2025 with Government Backing CEMAC Bond Market Hits CFA 8.45 Trillion in March 2025, Interest Rates Drop Cameroon’s Timber Output Projected to Rise in 2025 Despite Higher Export Taxes Central Africa Stock Exchange Sees 98% Drop in Trading Value in Q1 2025 Every week the economy and investment news from Cameroon Mboa Paris Trains 30 Young Cameroonians to Boost Tech and Entrepreneurship Cameroon Audit Targets Former Officials for Mismanagement in Agricultural Project Camwater Seeks Global Bids to Launch Bottled Water Lines in Five Cities Bafoussam Workshop Highlights Benefits of Cameroon-EU Trade Agreement Cameroon Could Reach 350,100 Tons of Cotton in 2025 (Beac) Paul Biya Appoints Johnny Razack as Chair of Cameroon’s National Investment Company Cameroon Refuses Work Visa Renewal for Casino and Super U Boss Over Toxic Workplace Claims Cameroon Joins Global Charter to Fight Illegal Fishing If you feel this is an error, please submit a support request Anglo American Plc’s South African iron ore unit said the country’s new government is committed to grappling with logistics bottlenecks that are limiting exports while acknowledging the problem could take several years to resolve “One thing I have learnt about the new government is that they are open to collaboration,” Kumba Iron Ore Ltd chief executive officer Mpumi Zikalala told reporters on Tuesday The firm last year announced it would slow production at its mines blaming constraints on the state rail and port infrastructure used to transport the steelmaking material The African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority two months ago and has formed a coalition with rival parties including the pro-business Democratic Alliance which won the second-most seats in the election President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that economic growth is the administration’s overriding priority Zikalala isn’t expecting a “full turnaround” of the infrastructure run by state-owned Transnet SOC Ltd An independent review of the entire Transnet network should be completed during this quarter Kumba moves iron ore along a 535-mile (861-kilometer) railway to a port north of Cape Town Kumba said profit in the first half of the year fell 26% to 7.1 billion rand ($389 million) due to lower iron ore prices and sales volumes It has 8.2 million tons of iron ore stockpiled with 90% stored at the mine sites – representing a rise of 1.1 million tons in the past six months This is “higher than we would ideally like,” Zikalala said The Anglo subsidiary was already working with the previous administration on ways to improve the crucial infrastructure While the immediate ambition is to collaborate with the authorities to prevent further deterioration of Transnet’s performance the company ultimately would like to see the port and rail assets concessioned to new operators The firm wants “policy reform to enable greater private sector participation,” Zikalala said and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Gruyere gold mine joint venture partners Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources reach agreement on a friendly deal to consolidate ownership. The initiative will be delivered through the regional joint venture established by Fleet Space Technologies and Tahreez. The US central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady in this meeting. Romania has major reserves of rare earths, gold and copper, which have attracted interest from Canadian and American firms. The investment at the Sishen mine aims to enhance iron ore quality and extend the mine's life South Africa’s Kumba Iron Ore has approved investment of R7.6bn ($428m) in ultra-high-dense-media-separation (UHDMS) technology at its Sishen mine The move aims to boost the quality of iron ore produced and extend the mine’s operational life The investment is in addition to the R3.6bn previously approved in 2021 The UHDMS project will transform the current dense-media-separation (DMS) plant at Sishen using specialised ferrosilicon for processing a broader range of iron ore grades and densities Kumba expects the UHDMS technology to increase the premium iron ore volume to around 55% of Sishen mine’s output the mine produces iron ore with an average iron content of approximately 64% and maintains a lump-to-fine ratio of 70:30 Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis not only is the quality of the iron ore expected to improve but the waste stripping ratio will also be reduced leading to a decrease in mining costs and a potential extension of the mine’s life up to 2044 The implementation of the UHDMS technology will be carried out in a modular fashion with the majority of coarse and fines modules undergoing conversion The project is set to begin in November 2024 with the main integration occurring in 2026 and the plant reaching full capacity by the end of 2028 unaffected modules and the jig plant will continue operations supplemented by finished product stock to maintain production levels Kumba CEO Mpumi Zikalala said: “Through utilising UHDMS processing technology we can treble the proportion of premium iron ore product from our world-class Sishen mine Premium iron ore is increasingly highly valued by our customers because it reduces carbon emissions from the steelmaking process and so plays a key role in green steel production “This supports higher margins and a compelling return on investment as well as creating a new pathway to extend Sishen’s life to 2044 the Ore User’s Forum and government through the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC) to improve the logistics performance.” Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network MM MPA MID IMPA Ph.D. Program Executive Education Full-time Faculty Retired Faculty Adjunct Faculty Post-Doctoral Fellows Faculty Recruitment Research Centers Message from the Dean Overview School Culture Management Team School Academic Committee School Degree Sub-Committee Organizational Structure Administration Team Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan and Former Ambassador to China visited the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University (hereinafter referred to as "Tsinghua SPPM") and delivered a keynote lecture titled "South Sudan-China Relations and Prospectives of the Current and Future Cooperation" to faculty Kumba had previously studied in the International Master of Public Administration (IMPA) program at Tsinghua SPPM from 2010 to 2011 Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and over 30 Chinese and international students and alumni attended the event Zhu Xufeng delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the School He first expressed his congratulations on Mr Kumba's new appointment as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan and extended a warm welcome to his visit once again Kumba's tenure as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of South Sudan to China he had played a significant role in fostering the strategic partnership and friendly exchanges between China and South Sudan as well as promoting cooperation in education and other fields between the two countries Kumba had also studied in the International Master of Public Administration (IMPA) program at Tsinghua SPPM from 2010 to 2011 As an outstanding alumnus of the IMPA program Kumba's achievements and hoped that with his continued support and promotion the friendly relations between the two countries would reach a new level Deputy Minister Kumba expressed sincere gratitude to the School and its faculty members and offered expectations to the students attending the lecture He encouraged them to cherish their valuable learning opportunities continue to take pride in being a SPPMer after graduation and strengthen their communication and connections with the School Deputy Minister Kumba delivered a keynote lecture titled "South Sudan-China Relations and Prospectives of the Current and Future Cooperation" He introduced the basic situation of the Republic of South Sudan in terms of its national history as well as cultural and health exchanges between South Sudan and China since South Sudan's independence as the world's second-largest economy and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council plays a crucial and positive role in the stable development and national prosperity of South Sudan as a key strategic partner Deputy Minister Kumba provided valuable insights on deepening the bilateral relationship and promoting in-depth cooperation in various fields Deputy Minister Kumba engaged in an in-depth exchange with the audience responding to questions raised by both Chinese and international students one by one The atmosphere of the interaction was warm and friendly The Educational Attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in China and staff from the International Cooperation and Office of Tsinghua SPPM attended the event you can come face-to-face with Chimpanzees and Gorillas Learn about their behavior and the challenges they face in the wild during your walkthrough of the Myombe Reserve.  Iron Gwazi Iron Gwazi combines wood and steel in its coaster design to plummet riders from a peak of 206 feet at speeds up to 76 miles per hour This is the best place in the park to take your little ones With kid-friendly activities and attractions Sesame Street Safari of Fun delivers on every level.  Air GroverAir Grover is the perfect starter coaster for the youngin’ in your family Riders must be at least 38” to ride.  Elmo’s Treehouse TrekKids of all ages can play in the treeline in Sesame Street Safari of Fun Infants must be accompanied by someone 14 or older Elmo’s SafariJoin in on a sweet carousel ride with Elmo and his friends but infants must be accompanied by someone 14 or older.  Rosita’s Djembe Fly AwayA small carousel swing this ride is perfect for little ones to tackle on their own The Count’s Zambezi RallyThe Count’s Zambezi Rally is the perfect race track for your little ones Big Bird’s Whirly BirdieThose under 56” can hop on Big Bird’s Whirly Birdie and ride around in a bucket seat Snuffy’s Elephant RompHop on an elephant to go up and down on Snuffy’s Elephant Romp Children must be between 36” – 56” to ride unaccompanied Children under 36” must be accompanied by someone 14 years of age or older.  Zoe-Patra and the Hippos of the NileThe Hippos of the Nile is a short and sweet water ride it’s the perfect starter for your little one to see if they are ready for some bigger stuff Children must be between 36” and 56” to ride.  Bert & Ernie’s Watering HoleBring a change of clothes this splash pad is the perfect place to spend your afternoon at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.  Telly’s Jungle JamA smaller playground area little ones can enjoy Telly’s Jungle Jam without any age or height restrictions Cookie Monster Canopy CrawlClimb through tunnels and traverse rope bridges in Cookie Monster’s Canopy Crawl and adults must be accompanied by a child.  Cookie Monster Cloud BounceThis giant bouncing area is completely covered and shaded – and when we say it is a giant bouncing pad Children must be under 56” to play in the bounce area but sharing a name with the famous river in the Fertile Crescent Forward and backward motion (and twisting loops) provides one of the more unique experiences at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.  Stanley Falls Flume Stanley Falls Flume is a log flume ride that’s perfect for guests looking to have a little fun without having to embark on a big thrill ride.  SheiKraThis is the floorless coaster famous for its 90-degree drop from 200 feet up Skyride This cable car lift ride is a classic ride vehicle and a great way for the whole family to see the park With loading and off-loading between Egypt and Stanleyville this is also a good way to get across the park and rest your legs Wild Oasis – Opening Spring 2025Experience the adrenaline rush of a newly reimagined drop tower with cutting-edge digital and sound effects splash around in an interactive water-play area Congo River RapidsA classic raft river adventure Congo River Rapids is the best way to cool off in the middle of the day at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.  KumbaOne of the top-rated coasters in the world Kumba puts guests through a diving loop that gives a feeling of complete weightlessness for 3 seconds.  Falcon’s FuryMark it as the scariest ride in the park slowly – up 335 feet before they are pivoted to be face-down Phoenix Rising Hop on this family-friendly suspended coaster that’ll have you reaching speeds of up to 44 miles per hour while covering a distance of 1,831 feet Phoenix Rising will be the first Busch Gardens Tampa Bay coaster to feature onboard audio that will have you riding to a one-of-a-kind soundtrack Serengeti Flyer Soar above the Serengeti Plain with each swing of Busch Garden’s Tampa Bay’s newest attraction You’ll reach speeds of 68 miles per hour and experience multiple negative-G moments as you reach a maximum height of 135 feet Serengeti PlainThe Serengeti Plain houses a number of animals for guests to see while on their train tour and gazelles are all some of the animals that call Busch Gardens home and guests must purchase tickets and make reservations online Ticket prices range from $39.99 – $69.99.  Montu Named after an Egyptian God with a hawk’s head this coaster reaches heights of 150 feet and speeds of 60 mph Cobra’s CurseIf you’re looking for a ride you won’t forget – this is the one Cobra’s Curse is both thrilling and enthralling.  With loading and off-loading between Egypt and Congo Cheetah HuntThe longest coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Cheetah Hunt boasts 3 launches to mimic the speeds and energy of a cheetah on the hunt.  Serengeti Express (in addition to stations in Congo and Stanleyville)Nairobi is a quaint section of the park that houses the Myombe reserve  The Serengeti Express has a station here in addition to having stations in Congo and Stanleyville Orlando Informer has been the leading resource helping guests plan the perfect visit to Universal Orlando Orlando Informer was created thirteen years ago with one simple concept: you deserve to save time and money on your vacation to Orlando Our team is thrilled to offer you theme park tickets that save you time and money We’re thankful you’re here and cannot wait to assist you Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Frequently-asked questions the Northern Cape-based subsidiary of Anglo American is calling for private sector involvement in the management of the crucial 861km rail line linking its Sishen mine to the Saldanha port currently operated by state-owned Transnet including derailments and financial constraints which have severely impacted the miner’s ability to export iron ore Similar challenges have affected other bulk commodity exporters in the Northern Cape contributing to overall disruptions in South Africa’s mining logistics has emphasised the need for a dedicated operator to take over the line saying that concessioning it to a private player could significantly improve operations This follows Transnet’s move in December to open its rail network to third-party investment an attempt to reverse declining freight volumes previous attempts at private-sector collaboration such as the 2023 agreement with Traxtion Sheltam raising questions about the feasibility of such partnerships The challenges with rail capacity have had a direct financial impact on Kumba forcing the company to scale down production as stockpiles swelled to 7.5 million metric tons last year The iron ore giant reported a sharp 45% drop in annual earnings with headline earnings falling to R12.5 billion in 2024 from R22.7 billion the previous year Reuters reported that despite the decline in profitability Kumba’s board approved a total dividend payout of R38.67 per share representing 100% of its headline earnings – a decision described by CFO Bothwell Mazarura as a reflection of strong cash generation despite operational challenges While the rail line’s future remains uncertain private sector investment could be a game-changer for Kumba and South Africa’s broader mining logistics network Improved rail efficiency would not only support mining exports but could also bolster investor confidence in the region’s infrastructure and economic potential * This article incorporates information from a Reuters report The Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) said it is disturbed by viral social media posts and articles published by some media houses alleging that a statue of a woman erected on its premises that fell and broke is that of Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba the statue of a woman perceived to be Speaker Kumba which was erected in April during the reopening of the TNLA after recess collapsed and some media houses ran stories about and posted pictures of the collapsed statue on their social media handles Addressing a press conference after a meeting on Saturday the TNLA’s Chairperson of the Specialized Committee on Information denied that the statue is the likeness of Speaker Kumba and demanded that the media houses that alleged so must apologize “The statute does not belong to and is not of the Right Honorable Speaker nor did she authorize the making of this statute in parliament You will recall that our side hall adjacent to the main building was constructed and was officially inaugurated by President Salva Kiir and on that day there was an artist who thought of beautification of the compound and around the new hall which was to be inaugurated,” he explained the artist decided to make a statute as a sample of a hardworking woman in the Republic of South Sudan but not the Right Honorable Speaker That was what the artist did and placed near the new hall which was constructed later.” Mori added: “The leadership of parliament is however dismayed by the story made up by Eye Radio one of their staff came into parliament without even taking permission Nobody is identified to have done it and maybe it was a car which was reversing and knocked it down.” He said Eye Radio went and wrote a false story associating the statue with the speaker and that the House demanded an official apology Mori warned journalists covering the parliament against taking pictures outside the plenary “You will recall that in our previous conferences we said all journalists when they are coming to the parliament should carry their identity cards to prove that they have been licensed to cover events in parliament,” he stated photographs to be taken in the parliament are only within the plenary no journalist is authorized to come and start taking photos within the compound of the parliament without authorization but still Eye Radio went ahead to do that.” Mori warned that in the event Eye Radio does not apologize No Justice in Military Tribunal Proceedings (Nairobi) – A military tribunal in Cameroon has sentenced four people to death in a trial marked by procedural irregularities The attack killed seven children and injured at least 13 others on trial before the Buea military court since December 2020 It sentenced four other defendants to five months in jail and a fine of 50,000 CFA (US $89) for allegedly failing to report receipt of a threat from separatist fighters In addition to the use of a military tribunal to try civilians the trial was marred by serious procedural irregularities such as violating the rights of the accused to challenge the evidence against them and to present evidence in their own defense “Victims of the Kumba massacre have a right to expect an effective investigation, and for those responsible to be brought to justice in a fair trial,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch Cameroonian authorities seem to have railroaded people into a sham trial before a military tribunal capped with the imposition of the death penalty which is unlawful under international human rights law.” On October 24, 2020, gunmen stormed Mother Francisca Bilingual Academy a private school in Kumba’s Fiango neighborhood No one claimed responsibility for the killings but the government blamed armed separatists who have called for a boycott of education in the Anglophone regions since 2017.  Defense lawyers described to Human Rights Watch the multiple procedural irregularities at the trial including the inherent lack of independence and fairness of the process that civilians face before a military tribunal The defense was not allowed to cross examine witnesses; the proceedings were not translated from English or French into the pidgin English spoken by most of the defendants; the accused were arbitrarily detained; and the use of the death sentence is of concern “The entire trial was predicated upon circumstantial evidence as opposed to real evidence the prosecution brought no witness we could ask questions,” Atoh Walter Chemi Defense lawyers said that the prosecution presented all its evidence in written statements without calling any witnesses to be questioned on their statements. Section 336 of Cameroon’s criminal procedural code allows written testimony if a witness cannot appear in court Such exceptions should be rare and limited to occasions in which it is not possible to produce the witness Such evidence should also require corroboration To base a conviction solely or predominantly on the untested hearsay testimony of absent witnesses violates fair trial standards Among the defendants were four teachers of the Mother Francisca Academy, the principal of the school, and the owner of the school and her husband. On the day of the attack, Chamberlin Ntou'ou Ndong, the government’s senior divisional officer for the Meme division, an administrative area that includes Kumba, ordered the police to detain the owner of the school her husband and two teachers at the Kumba police station to “ensure their safety,” citing potential risks of reprisals by the community But victims’ family members and Kumba residents told Human Rights Watch that it was unlikely that anyone would want to harm them “These teachers should have been brought into the trial as witnesses not as accused persons,” said Ikose Daniel Etongwe killed another separatist fighter known as “Above the law,” who was also allegedly involved in the Kumba school killings Defense lawyers said the prosecution didn’t inform them about these killing nor was this evidence mentioned in the preliminary investigations During the trial no reference was made to these military operations no connection was established between the alleged fighters killed and the defendants and the defense did not have an opportunity to raise any questions about those killed Defense lawyers said that one of the four people sentenced to death admitted that he was a former separatist fighter Defense lawyers also said that the 12 accused were initially held without charge for more than 30 days at the police station and the gendarmerie brigade in Buea which violates both international law and the Cameroonian criminal procedure code defense lawyers notified the court of their intention to appeal but were required to pay 200,000 CFA (USD 352) the amount of the fines also levied by the military court on the four defendants the secretary of the Buea military court informed the defense lawyers about the conditions of appeal which include an additional payment of 420,000 CFA (USD 739) a clear barrier to appeal in a death penalty procedure which received no media attention before the verdict was pronounced on September 7 Defense lawyers said all 12 defendants had to present their cases in one day during a “marathon hearing” in July 2021 have previously documented military trial proceedings in Cameroon marred by serious substantive and procedural defects in which the presumption of innocence and the independence of proceedings are all seriously undermined it can only be imposed in the most limited of circumstances for the most serious cases and when fair trial standards have been observed to the highest standards so that the person’s criminal responsibility is proved beyond a reasonable doubt The committee has noted that trials in which the accused has been unable to question relevant witnesses or where there is lack of an effective right of appeal are not fair trials and make any imposition of the death sentence arbitrary and a violation The committee also emphasized that imposition of the death penalty by a military court on civilians violates the right to life Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime “The military court should never have handled this case involving civilians and it seems to have made little effort to ensure basic respect for human rights standards,” Allegrozzi said “If the authorities intend to deliver justice for this heinous crime against children they need to bring a credible case before civilian courts and hold those responsible to account according to international fair trial standards.” Lead Waste Mining and Children’s Right to a Healthy Environment in Kabwe Kenya’s Suppression of the 2023 Anti-Government Protests Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808 World’s fifth-largest iron ore producer uses Oracle Aconex to improve capital project management The mining industry anticipates exciting times ahead as companies not only grow and improve their operations but expand their traditional project portfolios to include initiatives around decarbonization Kumba Iron Ore ranks as the fifth largest iron-ore producer in the world and the largest in Africa Kumba is a division of multinational mining company Anglo American The company is firmly committed to reimagining the mining industry to improve people’s lives through an innovative approach to sustainable mining practices That approach is considered the blueprint for the future of Kumba’s business Kumba is committed to making a real difference for everyone whose lives they touch and mining the materials that make modern life possible in ways that are safer high-value investments with long permitting cycles and stringent safety Building a mine can cost billions of dollars with implications on how the project needs to be handed over from the project phase to the operations phase Given that mining projects exist in extremely remote locations and typically are tied to commodity cycles and markets And there is no single project delivery method that everybody uses Mining projects typically use geographically dispersed project teams and it’s clear that project team members and organizations at different locations need to work together to deliver that project International consultancy EY indicated that capital productivity in the mining sector is a big problem with 64% of projects either running late or over budget and an average cost overrun at about 39% The same study indicated that miners improving their capital productivity will be better positioned to navigate ongoing uncertainty and drive better project outcomes EY indicated that mining companies investing in the implementation of enhanced project management capabilities could reap benefits between of up to 30% of project capital value Deon Stassen is manager for project controls at Kumba Iron Ore His role encompasses the establishment and management of project controls and project delivery standards especially as it pertains to the functions of planning and scheduling project administration and document management as well as project change control and WBS development we've certainly experienced some benefits since deploying Oracle Aconex in the form of transparency of our project management and control processes throughout the project execution lifecycle,” Stassen says “We have better visibility of our process performance across our delivery effort which then allows us to identify and eliminate superfluous activity and excessive delays in the review and approval cycles.” This level of visibility allows Kumba to identify and adjust not only a specific process but also behavior within the project teams that could hamper or even jeopardize on-time delivery “We could identify and eliminate delays typically experienced in payment processing and approvals to ensure that our contractors and suppliers are paid on time improving our cycle turnaround times by between 20 to 30% or even more depending on how manual and paper-dependent the process was to begin with,” Stassen says “Most projects in our case typically experienced quite a delay between contractual communication and the physical transactions materializing in the forms of claims or invoices given our level of visibility of these direct communication processes between ourselves and the other contracting parties in Oracle Aconex these events could directly translate into more timely cost forecasting leading to better decision-making at a tactical project management level.” easy access to information is helping Kumba with business improvement processes With a pipeline of projects generating massive amounts of documentation and contractual communication it can be difficult to control and manage it all with the current systems used across the industry Digital transformation is bringing capital projects into the modern information management era as the role of document controllers and the document control function related to capital projects evolves “Kumba has witnessed a change in the document management and control function since establishing a common data environment,” Stassen says most projects would experience the document control function as a sort of post office intermediary between originators and recipients of documentation This approach would see a lot of emphasis placed on document number creation and content quality in a smaller pool-based approach where the recipient would request certain documents or content from originators via document control we see the originators and recipients are directly connected as the business process is intended to be with a document control function placing a lot more emphasis on the monitoring of timely transmission of content and content document processing integrity across the common data environment to not jeopardize our data integrity,” he says Project team members are empowered to initiate and track their own review and approval cycles without the effect of bottlenecking and document control Their ability to delegate or even relieve individuals within a functional governing process occurs seamlessly without affecting their ability to consistently apply governance due to the workflow templates “We foresee that this approach will help tremendously in shortening the project handover and archiving processes once we have to turn over to our operations,” he says With a unique security model, Oracle Aconex, which is part of the Oracle Smart Construction Platform promotes end user trust and ensures data ownership is retained by the participants of the common data environment As part of its digital transformation drive Kumba invited its project supply chain to participate in the process with great success “Most projects in our case typically experienced quite a delay between contractual communication and the physical transactions materializing in the forms of claims or invoices,” Stassen says leading to better decision-making at a tactical project management level and even more so in the case of multiple projects forming part of a portfolio.” Process compliance and transactional transparency happens quickly they can detect potential claims before they occur without experiencing days or weeks going by before the official documentation reaches an inbox Given that Kumba established standard processes within the common data environment their typical month-end processing effort within project controls is significantly reduced Reporting is automated and it reads directly from their common data environment which cannot be manipulated prior to publishing and our month-end close and reporting cycle normally doesn't exceed one or two days from month end Our control team members don't have to work excessive hours or overtime in order to achieve reporting deadlines,” Stassen says “We've also experienced many instances where some of our projects could make good tactical decisions within a few hours as the relevant cost and general information were already available.” It’s an exciting digital transformation journey ahead for Kumba It's also a frontier that very few in South Africa have yet to embark we will continue to align and integrate our capital project delivery environment with our FutureSmart Mining™ approach which is our blueprint for the future of our business,” Stassen says “It’s a future that enables innovative thinking while shaping our industry to make it safer and more efficient and better harmonized with the needs of our communities and society.” Rick Bell is a senior content marketing manager Aconex Construction Management from Oracle the class of 2024 has achieved the highest national matric pass rate in South African history The milestone was accomplished by 615 429 learners who passed their National Senior Certificate of which 47.8% of the candidates produced Bachelor passes Recognising the feat achieved by the class of 2024, Kumba Iron Ore has contributed R1 million to the Top 20 learners who produced the best academic results in the Northern Cape Each of the twenty students will receive R50,000 to use towards their tertiary studies Providing detail on Kumba’s financial package to the learners Northern Cape Hub Corporate Affairs Manager at Kumba Iron Ore – Adriana Slambert outlines the importance of supporting education in the province “The role that education plays regarding the development of young people is key to unlocking their potential Seeing the Northern Cape matric pass rate climb from 75.8% in 2023 to 84.2% in 2024 is a testament to the dedication required to achieve academic excellence by both the learners and the Department of Basic Education As an organisation that values the importance of education this contribution reflects Anglo American’s Sustainable Mine Plan which focuses on education as one of its strategic pillars and a vehicle needed to building thriving communities Through our various education initiatives in the form of incentives schemes Professional in Training programs and infrastructure development we will continue to personify our Purpose of reimagining mining to improve people’s lives.” In addition to the contribution made to the Northern Cape Top20 through the Anglo American South Africa (AASA) Education Program Kumba Iron Ore has invested over R140million to bolster education in its host communities over the last 3 years Responding to Kumba Iron Ore’s contribution to local education Northern Cape MEC for Education – Abraham Vosloo shares the value of partnering with Kumba Iron Ore “Kumba has a track record of being committed to changing the social conditions of our people education is one but one sector that they focus on We have the opportunity to engage with Kumba’s executive team throughout the year and align on priorities as we serve the same communities We appreciate Kumba Iron Ore’s donation to the students and their commitment to education”