Johannesburg - Two respected South African mining aficionados have joined forces with the incorporation of their newest joint venture, Tlou Commodities, to engage and grow the local mining sector during what is certainly a volatile time in the world.
This announcement highlights the latest endeavour of mining stalwarts Lucky Kgatle and Quinton van der Burgh in their joint pursuit to create a successful, sustainable coal and metal conglomerate with roots in responsible environmental practices and the advancement of the previously disadvantaged.
Kgatle has 20 years’ proven experience under his belt, having managed large projects, the latest of which is Sasol Mining’s ambitious business transformation programme. Kgatle, just recently, ended his tenure as senior vice president of Sasol Mining, a successful coal mining company that controls six mines that collectively produce close to 40 million tons of thermal coal per annum as feedstock supply to JSE-listed petrochemicals company Sasol Limited and to the export market. Throughout his career, Kgatle has been driven by a passion for innovation and business improvement and has succeeded in building strong, sustainable partnerships with key players in the mining industry.
Kgatle can analyse and approach complex challenges from numerous avenues and offer solutions specific to each relevant business sector in a manner only possible for someone with his experience. He is confident in walking this road with van der Burgh, the man at the helm of Q Global Commodities (Pty) Ltd (“QGC”), who has become, through his plethora of initiatives and ventures, a mining magnate in his own right, able to muster immense resources based on his achievements in the industry.
During the past 17 years in which van der Burgh has operated in the mining sector, his expertise has extended and compounded to contain vast insight into even the minutiae of the mining process in addition to the geological and legal aspects that come along with it. Through his portfolio of subsidiaries, he has successfully embarked on over forty projects, including the fulfilment of numerous mining rights, and has overseen the movement of over eighty million tons of coal through his numerous links in the supply chain, from extraction to the delivery at sidings.
In 2020, van der Burgh re-branded and consolidated all his mining operations and related services under the banner of QGC, which has quickly established itself as one of Africa’s largest privately-owned mining portfolios, boasting self-sustaining subsidiaries in logistics, beneficiation, and plant-hire. In the past financial year, QGC delivered more than seven million tons of various grades of coal to the international and domestic markets.
Van der Burgh has an eye on expanding the South African mining industry with strategic partnerships focused on historically disadvantaged aspirants in the mining sector. He is striving to bring further substance to the concept of Black Economic Empowerment.
“With access to market-leading resources, Tlou Commodities’ projects are designed not only with mining in mind but also with the intention and ability to market and to sell our products, both domestically and internationally.”
This distinctive joint venture between a corporate miner like Kgatle and van der Burgh, one of the most successful businessmen in the private mining sector, is a major consideration for the local industry.
“Lucky and I believe that Tlou Commodities has the potential to become an industry giant in the not-too-distant future and are prepared and excited to offer our assistance and provide our resources and expertise for Tlou Commodities to not only reach but to exceed its current potential,” explains van der Burgh.
He adds: “We believe that a company is only as good as the person behind it, and we are therefore confident in partnering with Lucky, who not only holds respectable qualifications but also enjoys a wealth of hands-on experience in the mining sector, having been involved in operational, strategic and leadership roles throughout his notable career.”
In launching this venture, the company has already secured access to a private equity fund to the value of R5 billion, and QGC is looking to have a positive influence on the effects that the Covid-19 has had on the country.
He explains: “I revel in philanthropy and the work undertaken through my charity organisation, The Quinton van der Burgh Foundation. Lucky and I look forward to steering the philanthropic efforts of the organisations to benefit communities around our assets, surpassing present industry norms.”
Tlou Commodities places great emphasis on the principle of environmental sustainability, aiming to remain consistent in the stabilisation and restoration of all disturbed areas as soon as practicably possible to ensure the beneficial use of the mined areas for generations to come.
“Until the objective of exclusively renewable energy is realized in South Africa, we are committed to the diligent and responsible extraction and processing of our products, always having a healthy appetite for new technologies and processes aimed at reducing any adverse environmental impact and waste,” says Kgatle, who he is excited to embark on this adventure with Tlou Commodities and QGC.
With the technical and financial support of QGC and its affiliates, coupled with Kgatle’s extensive experience and network, Tlou Commodities is poised to become the true example of a black-owned mining start-up growing into an independent, proudly South African behemoth.
“Tlou Commodities and QGC, together, look forward to this relationship moving from strength to strength, applying their respective resources and expertise at every step of the journey to ensure its success,” says van der Burgh.