Weba Chute Systems, a South African original equipment manufacturer specialising in custom-engineered chute systems, was honoured at the Exporter of the Year Awards hosted by the South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC) on 21 November 2023. This event recognised the significant contributions of industry players, highlighting 18 companies that exported over R8.4 billion to 67 countries last year.

The companies were evaluated based on several criteria, including marketing strategy, export turnover, local content, and participation in export promotion activities. The process involved strict confidentiality and expert judgment, including site visits to finalists' premises.

Weba Chute Systems, celebrating its 40th year of operation in 2024, has established itself as a leader in transfer point design and manufacture, boasting over 5000 chutes successfully operating worldwide. The company's focus on quality has been a cornerstone of its success, leading to its recognition as the Allied Services Exporter of the Year 2023 for companies with a turnover between R100 million and R150 million a year.

Commenting on the significance of the award, Ted Cruickshank, Africa Business Development Manager, says that this accolade underlines Weba Chute Systems' significant role in the industry and its contribution to South African exports.

“The award acknowledges the continued demand worldwide for our custom engineered transfer point solutions. We have a solid pipeline of projects including platinum prospects in Zimbabwe and a busy copper landscape in the DRC, and just as importantly we are seeing exciting growth in a number of overseas markets,” he says.

The company is looking forward to a major project in the US in 2024, where it expects to supply a large package of about 50 chutes. In Turkey, a gold mine expansion will take up to eight of its custom engineered chutes. Cruikshank says the company continues to be approached by new customers – recently in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan – who have transfer chute challenges and have seen or heard about the company’s specialised solutions.