Wet processing equipment manufacturer CDE Global will continue to work with its customers to enhance the return on their investment and, in so doing, gain significant competitive advantage, while reducing environmental impacts.

The company’s commitment to developing business in Africa was signalled when it established its CDE South Africa office and appointed Nicolan Govender as business manager for the region in July 2015.

Govender says the move by CDE Global was a strategic one. “We see huge potential in Southern Africa and, as many of our customers prefer to deal direct, we can now partner with them to offer bespoke services and ensure our modular equipment is tailored to each customer’s needs.”

Africa has high demand for infrastructure and CDE’s sand washing solutions are suitable for the quarrying and aggregate sectors supplying large construction and infrastructure projects.

Further, by using CDE equipment, the environmental benefits are significant – most notably, up to 90% of the water is recycled. “Customers have yet to realise how they can not only reduce water consumption – something that is increasingly important when having to reapply for water licences – but also that the end product, because it is washed effectively, is superior,” adds Govender.

With its global headquarters in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, CDE Global has the world’s largest campus dedicated to the wet processing of materials in the sand and aggregates, mining, waste recycling, industrial sands and environmental sectors.

“There is nothing available on the market that compares with CDE sand-washing equipment and we are now in a unique position to educate the market here and help customers to realise how they can improve their business performance,” says Govender.

Working with the engineering team in Northern Ireland, he has, for example, recently sold plant to a Free State-based mining operation, where the customer will use a new water treatment cleaning plant for chrome, gold and diamonds.

The plant uses the CDE Aquacycle system, which incorporates the manufacturer’s flagship and patented Evowash system to ensure that water is stored in a tank and discharged as sludge instead of the archaic, past practice of waste burying. “This is one of the many new deals we have sealed in the past year, proving that being on the ground is essential to partnering with our customers and understanding their needs. Our after-sales support is also critical to this industry and I am proud to be working with a company that understands how to do business professionally at every stage of the development and installation.”

Govender believes there is great potential not only in developing specific market sectors, such as quarries and mines but also, importantly, in providing technology and equipment that can effectively tackle and reduce environmental problems that these industries create and which they need to address urgently.

Another critical issue for the concrete industry particularly, he says, is producing a consistent, high-quality product. “Our solution – which begins in the quarry – ensures this need not be an in issue in the future.”

“As CDE does not really have a direct competitor in Africa on the ground, we are very excited about our prospects,” concludes Govender.