While having been focused on expanding into the rest of Africa, pumps specialist Integrated Pump Technology knows the importance of prioritising South Africa’s mining sector by delivering reliable application-specific dewatering solutions and after-sales support as market conditions improve, says MD Jordan Marsh.

“A lot of our focus has been on the larger African market for the longest time. But it doesn’t mean that there isn’t opportunity in South Africa. The local mining market is in a good space, and there’s a lot of opportunity now, and it’s important for us to capitalise on that.

“The gold price is dramatically improved. There’s a lot of confidence in that sector and many South African gold mines are coming out of care and maintenance and restarting or ramping up their production. Platinum is also in a good place and as the mining industry looks for further opportunity, it in turn, creates opportunity for pumps suppliers such as us.”

With numerous pump companies operating in the market, especially in South Africa, Marsh says there are many sales representatives vying day-after-day for the business of mines.

“As a company, we work to stay ahead of the curve to compete and exceed the mining industry’s expectations.”

With local mines increasing their production and digging deeper, they face a whole new set of challenges, one of which is the need for more dewatering.

“South African mines are digging deeper and expanding, with shuttered mines being reopened, creating a greater need for pumping solutions. It’s important for companies to be prepared for that increased demand, and Integrated Pump Technology has the resources to meet this demand,” highlights Marsh.

He says the company continues to evolve its offering – looking for new ways to administer its products – whether it be by providing updated panels or creating turnkey solutions for its Godwin units, such as pontoons.

Knowing that it cannot be everywhere, all the time, all at once, Integrated Pump Technology has technically strong distributors and resellers strategically placed in local mining areas, with a sales team on standby, allowing for a faster response to mines’ needs.

Because doing so alone from the company’s Johannesburg base is challenging, having partners and sales representatives in local mining areas helps with the effectiveness of Integrated Pump Technology’s after-sales support, states Marsh.

The company is dedicating time and effort into solidifying and supporting its strategically placed distributor network, which includes major mining areas such as Steelpoort, in Limpopo, and Rustenburg, in the North West.

“We have knowledgeable sales representatives positioned in these areas to work hand in hand with our distributors to fast-track dealings with mines. In the South African market, reliability is key, but so is stock availability.

“We are enhancing our stock holding for the South African market. But with that comes the need for an adequate supply of spare parts and efficient repair facilities to make our after-sales support seamless for mines,” elaborates Marsh, emphasising that reliable after-sales support is critical to securing business in the local market.

Full Service Offering

Integrated Pump Technology offers a full turnkey solution for dewatering, being established in 2014 as the official Grindex submersible pump distributor and later adding the Godwin self-priming diesel-driven pump range to its offering.

“We offer the best of both worlds. If you are unable to use the submersible option somewhere, you have the Godwin diesel unit, and vice versa.

“Predominantly the submersible pumps are used for dewatering underground, as well as for slurry applications in the plant, but they also have a place on opencast mines, where power is available. Where there isn’t power and there’s a need for massive flow and massive head, we have diesel units. By including both ranges in our product portfolio, we really do have a comprehensive offering.”

Marsh says that while Integrated Pump Technology will often go to a mining site and leave without selling a pump, it will be confident in knowing it still managed to find solutions to help the mine resolve existing issues.

“There’s a common trend where an end-user will specify a pump size without considering the finer details of the pump’s capacity and what the application requires. Helping the end-user understand the right pump for the right application is key, because they will lose money if they use the incorrect pump for the wrong application. The pump won’t run efficiently and will quickly deteriorate, increasing downtime owing to more frequent repairs.”