SRK Consulting launches first office in Zambia and 10th in Africa
SRK Consulting, a global advisory firm in the mining sector, has launched a new office in Kitwe, its 10th in Africa.
The launch of an operation in Zambia positions the firm to support the country’s growing mining sector. “The opportunities for growth in Zambia are significant,” said Des Mossop, partner at SRK Consulting. “With a revised mining cadastre in place, and the fact that more than half of the country’s surface remains unexplored, Zambia is an attractive investment destination for exploration and mining companies.”
Mossop added that SRK Consulting has a long history of consulting in Zambia and believes that the timing is ideal to establish a stronger, more visible in-country presence.
One of the key areas earmarked for growth is copper production – the Zambian government has announced that it aims to increase refined copper production from 900,000 tonnes to three million tonnes per annum by 2032. Other projects on Zambia’s agenda include exploration projects in gold, iron ore, lithium, nickel and cobalt.
“Our new base is close to Zambia’s centre of copper mining, and also in close proximity to operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [where the firm has a base in Lubumbashi],” said Able Tunono, who has been appointed as head of the Kitwe office. “Establishing an SRK Consulting office here in Kitwe enables us to work more closely with our clients and respond more effectively to their needs.”
Services
SRK Consulting supports its clients in mining with technical advisory services across the full mining lifecycle. These include geology and resource estimation, mining engineering, due diligence, geotechnics and tailings dams management, water and environmental services, ESG, disaster risk management, mine closure, and civil engineering.
The consulting firm also supports compliance auditing, which are critical factors for companies planning to list on stock exchanges, as well as for those that comply with the Copper Mark and other global standards such as Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM).
Its expertise beyond the mining sector – in water, energy and infrastructure – means that SRK Consulting can offer a multidisciplinary service to its clients. Offerings include renewable energy development, geotechnical investigations, site assessments, and technical reviews – all of which help optimise design, manage risk, and reduce project costs.
“One of the significant risks faced by new mining operations is geotechnical risks that may increase project initiation costs for heavy infrastructure and tailings dams,” said Paul Aucamp, partner at SRK Consulting.
“Water is also both a danger and necessity for mining operations; our civils teams provide expertise in surface and underground water management, pumping, disaster management relating to flood and storm water risks, and the provision of water for mine operations.”
Formed in Johannesburg in 1974, SRK Consulting employs more than 1,800 staff internationally in over 40 offices in 20 countries on 6 continents.
