Bulwark has been operating within Zimbabwe for over 60 years. It primarily operates as a dedicated and contracted managed logistics service, specialising in bulk haulage, people transport, earth moving equipment and general mining freight transportation.
The mining sector in Zimbabwe contributes about 12 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, with close to 40 different minerals being mined. It is a diverse industry encompassing both small and medium operations that mine some of the world’s most important minerals these include gold, chromite, asbestos and coal, along with numerous base metals like copper, nickel and iron ore. Zimbabwe also mines lithium, chrysotile asbestos and vermiculite. However, gold remains Zimbabwe’s chief export product and accounts for over a billion dollars.
About 90 per cent of the gold deposits found in Zimbabwe are associated with greenstone belts, these are some of the richest belts in the world. Further deposits of gold have been found in the Limpopo Mobile Belt situated in the south of Zimbabwe and in the Proterozoic Piriwiri rocks which can be found in the North Western part of the country. It is estimated that around 50 per cent of Zimbabwe's annual gold production of approximately 33 tonnes comes from artisanal miners.
Ndumiso Mpofu, Operations Manager, Unifreight Africa Limited, says “Mining in Zimbabwe is typically located in more remote areas making inbound and outbound logistics vital for successful operations. Bulwark offers operators the opportunity to outsource their logistics requirements, where a dedicated fleet is managed on behalf of the operator on a contract basis. Bulwark can assist with many aspects of mining logistics, but the greatest advantage of using Bulwark services is that every facet of the transportation required is managed through Bulwark, including, repairs and maintenance, drivers, fleet and equipment and their replacement and logistics schedules. This gives the mining operators the opportunity to focus all their energy on mining, leaving the heavy lifting and fleet management to the experts at Bulwark.
Bulwark can offer the following transport services to the mining sector; the all-important people transport, with distances between material extraction and the current mining sites and processing operations constantly moving and growing, ensuring staff are able to get to and from these places safely and on time is paramount to keeping the mine operational and on schedule. Bulwark has decades of experience in managing the busing of mining staff between their areas of residence and the mine in specified shifts.
Bulwark will also provide the heavy haulage vehicles, the tipper trucks and tankers required for the transportation of mining ore. It can also supply the required earth moving equipment dependant on the operation and assist with the logistics and transportation of the general mine supplies that are required, moving these items from source to the mine site on a regular basis.
“Transportation and logistics can hinder or help mining operations and this comes down to their management. The Bulwark team has extensive experience in not only providing the right equipment but the expert personnel to operate the vehicles and equipment used. Mining is a big business, this investment should include using partners who will work with you to increase production and efficiencies. Bulwark is definitely the company to talk to”, says Rob Kuipers, Chief Executive Officer of Unifreight Africa Limited.
Mining in Zimbabwe is an industry that will continue to grow, it makes sense to work with Bulwark, a company that has a proven record and history in the business of transportation and logistics.
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