A R1.6-billion contract from mining giant Kumba Iron Ore was just reward for Kabelo Andreas who used his pension fund to set up his business called AND310 Mining Services in 2017.
The 39-year-old from Kuruman in Northern Cape left his high-paying job as a plant manager at Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining to start AND310 Mining Services, a company based in Mothibistad in Northern Cape.
The company led a joint venture to secure a lucrative contract from Kumba’s Kolonela Mine in Postmasburg. The focus was on contract mining, which includes drilling, load and haul, ore, and waste management.
The other companies in the joint venture are Peo Entle Investment and Andisa and Mantshla. The four companies formed Mapeo-Andi, an abbreviation of the four incorporated companies, with Andreas as CEO of the joint venture.
Andreas said he started his company using his pension fund. He admits it was not a walk in the park to reach for stardom.
“I started working at De Beers, then went to BHP Billion’s Hotazel Manganese Mines, and later I worked at BHP Energy Coal SA, with my last job at Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining. Having acquired skills and knowledge, I started my company, but it was not easy to get things going.
“I struggled for two years of the business, as I had to lease tipper trucks when I got civil and construction projects. I managed to buy my own Caterpillar 773 D haul truck without any funding from any bank, then more trucks followed as the business grew.”
Like most entrepreneurs, Andreas’s business journey was not an easy one. He said the business started booming in 2019.
“We support SMMEs in host communities, both mining and non-mining, through our enterprise development programmes. By assisting small businesses in the areas we operate, We gain access to markets and funding.
“Our vision to build thriving communities is based on our belief that by creating meaningful entrepreneurial and employment opportunities through our supply chain, we will help more people, communities, and regions to build sustainable livelihoods,” he said.
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