Focused on high-value platinum group metals and strategic metals with long-term demand, Wesizwe Platinum Limited is making waves and setting benchmarks in the ever-critical mining industry. Benjamin Naledi Sekano, Executive Head Operations, tells us more about the company’s development and plans for a successful future.
PGM HORIZONS
Embarking upon a mission to grow into a significant multi-commodity mining company that focuses on strategic metals with sound fundamentals for sustainable demand, Wesizwe Platinum Limited (Wesizwe) is a proud leader in the globally demanding mining sector.
Situated as a public company incorporated in South Africa (SA), with its shares listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Wesizwe intends to enter into platinum group metals (PGMs) mining within the country as the launch pad for growing into a company that sets industry standards for sustainable mining practices.
The company focuses on high-value PGMs and strategic metals that will meet long-term demand and enable it to turn into a sustainable mid-tier mining house. Wesizwe’s anchor project is the Bakubung Platinum Mine (Bakubung), which has an expected life of mine of 30 years.
Benjamin Naledi Sekano, Executive Head Operations, is at the helm of the company’s ambitious goals for a long-term mining future.
Having grown up in the shadow of Royal Bafokeng Platinum Limited – now named Impala Bafokeng – Sekano wasn’t initially enticed by the idea of working in the industry.
“I thought I wanted to be a chemical engineer, until I was in high school and went on a tour of a base metals refinery and struggled to breathe. We eventually went underground at the Boschfontein Mine shaft, which was owned by Anglo American Platinum at the time, and it immediately felt like home; I just fell in love with mining and never looked back,” he introduces.
After graduating with a degree in mining, Sekano went to work for Anglo American Platinum – now Valterra Platinum – the world’s largest primary producer of platinum. After working his way through the ranks at the Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine, he was transferred to the town of Rustenburg to obtain hands-on experience in vertical shafts and other mining methods.
“It’s been a great career so far, and I’m still loving it. There’s never a dull moment in what we do – every day presents a new challenge,” he details.
MAXIMISING VALUE
What serves to differentiate Wesizwe from other mining organisations is its focus on company culture and work towards constant improvement for those who dedicate themselves to its success day in, day out.
“As you develop in this industry, you realise it’s not just about the technical aspects – it’s actually more about the people,” insights Sekano.
“By ensuring the people, teams, and systems are happy and in place respectively, the job takes off.”
This emphasis on people-centric culture is relatively new, with Sekano citing the appointment of Cynthia Carroll as CEO of Anglo American in 2007 as the trigger for this updated mindset. Now, one life lost is considered one too many, and safety is front and centre, transforming the industry for the better.
Ultimately, Wesizwe puts its people and safety first, ensuring long-term success.
“It’s my job to instil a culture where people always return to their families after a day at work. We are actively transforming the culture here at Wesizwe; it’s not easy and takes a lot of doing, but we are working to make it sustainable for the long term,” emphasises Sekano.
Assisting in this company culture metamorphosis is Wesizwe’s shareholder Jinchuan Group Co., Ltd. (Jinchuan) – the world’s third-largest cobalt and nickel manufacturer, Asia’s largest platinum manufacturer, and China’s third-largest copper producer.
Wesizwe utilises Jinchuan’s vast mining experience and expertise, including the provision of specialist support from its China operations.
“I’m proud to have a majority shareholder that is fully behind us to make sure our Bakubung project will succeed. We have had some bumps along the way, but Jinchuan is determined to see this project through and has been pushing us to get the right people on board and carry us forward,” asserts Sekano.
“We are actively transforming the culture here at Wesizwe; it’s not easy and takes a lot of doing, but we are working to make it sustainable for the long term”
Benjamin Naledi Sekano, Executive Head Operations, Wesizwe Platinum Limited
ADDRESSING LONG-TERM DEMAND
With the vision to grow into a significant multi-commodity mining company focusing on strategic metals with sound fundamentals for sustainable demand, Wesizwe’s first step is to complete the construction of the Bakubung mine and generate PGMs.
“We have made good strides. Last year, we declared our intent to operate the concentrator plant by 2025; we hit this milestone and are now seeing the fruits of our labour,” details Sekano.
“We still have a lot of infrastructure to install before the mine can reach one million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).”
The mine is approximately 40 kilometres northwest of Rustenburg and falls within the jurisdiction of the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality. It consists of a single underground operation accessed through a twin vertical shaft system and six-metre diameter raise bore ventilation holes.
All development activities are completed by trackless mechanised mining equipment, and the initial stope production activities will be a mixture of hybrid and bord-and-pillar mining methods.
Bakubung is currently in the final stages of capital infrastructure development for a 1 Mtpa mine, with the target of reaching full production of 83 kilotonnes per month (ktpm) in 2026.
“The moment we reach completion, our vision of delivering quality metal and being a major player in this space will be met,” prides Sekano.
“We are motivated to build this mine, make sure it succeeds, and develop our company. Jinchuan is behind us to ensure we achieve our goals.”
Recently, there has been a big drive towards pure electric vehicles (EVs); however, this trend did not manifest as intended, and the need for PGMs is still extremely prevalent, making fresh ore crucial in major industries across the globe.
Specifically, metals such as platinum are necessary for hybrid vehicles, which are continuing to increase in popularity. Wesizwe is here to support market demands for PGMs and fill in the gaps where supply is waning.
“The more we advance as a species, the more metal we need. We either mine it or grow it – those are the two ways in which you’ll get raw material,” insights Sekano.
“We live in a world where adverse events are inevitable, and we are not immune. It’s not about how we fall, but how we get up, and that’s what we’re doing now – getting ourselves back on our feet, dusting ourselves off, and pushing forward”
Benjamin Naledi Sekano, Executive Head Operations, Wesizwe Platinum Limited
SETTING SUSTAINABLE BENCHMARKS
As Wesizwe looks towards the future of the ever-critical mining sector and its role as an industry stalwart, the company’s most important priority is to complete the Bakubung mine.
Notably, Wesizwe’s immediate focus is on its orebody development and outstanding infrastructure, which are the building blocks of finishing production. Once completed, the company will ascertain how to make Bakubung sustainable for the next 50 years, as the ore body is bountiful.
For Wesizwe, it’s not a one-day game; ensuring the settings in the plant are correct means it will take time to get it fully up and running.
“We have to figure it out as we go. You’ll find some things work and some don’t before getting it all stabilised, and that’s what we’re focusing on,” highlights Sekano.
“We live in a world where adverse events are inevitable, and we are not immune. It’s not about how we fall, but how we get up, and that’s what we’re doing now – getting ourselves back on our feet, dusting ourselves off, and pushing forward.”
Planned mining operations for Bakubung include the extraction of both the Merensky reef and Upper Group 2 (UG2) Chromitite layer. The hoisting capacity of the main shaft is 250 ktpm of reef and 15 ktpm of waste. Mining operations will be facilitated through the use of both mechanised and hybrid mining methods.
“I want to see this place succeed and prove we can build this mine, and that’s what we’re doing,” passionately concludes Sekano.
