Making vehicles for the mines
Recently, at the invite of Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Voice Money embarked on a behind-the-scenes tour of some of the biggest but little-known businesses in Francistown.
The expedition included a trip to a huge warehouse in Somerset West Industrial, home to UV Botswana.
The state-of-the-art facility builds special utility vehicles for the mining industry, with orders coming in from all over the world.
We arrive to find a team of skilled workers in grey overalls putting the final touches to a utility vehicle that costs P6 million!
Intrigued, we sat down with UV Botswana General Manager, Richard Van Malsen, to find out more…
Tell us about UV Botswana?
UV Botswana (Pty) Ltd is a 100 percent Botswana owned company, established in 2005 to design and manufacture robust, reliable, and cost effective underground utility vehicles for the mining and quarrying industry.
Initially, the company produced a low profile 4 tonne range of vehicles [capable of loading 4, 000kg], specifically designed for the low profile mines in the region. This range of vehicles have proven themselves to be the market leader in their class; over the interim years, the company has been able to supply a large population of them to mines throughout the region, principally to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Using our experience gained on the 4 tonne range, UV Botswana has designed and manufactured a larger, 8 tonne range of vehicles, more suited for conventional mining operations. This exciting development has allowed us to expand our export potential to areas outside of the sub–region; to date we have successfully exported to India and Russia.
I’m told the business has evolved quite a bit in the 20 years you’ve been active?
To cater for this expansion, we moved into a new, custom designed 2, 500 square metre factory in 2013. The company has invested in the state-of-the-art computer controlled equipment, which has enabled us to expand our operation in, not only the manufacture of our vehicles, but also has enabled us to diversify into other areas such the manufacture of major component parts for other mining machines such as buckets, drill booms and the like.
We have an extremely skilled committed workforce and we are all extremely proud of what we do at UV. With our experienced in house design team, using the latest computer software, and our modern workshop staffed by committed professionals, we are able to design and build custom vehicles to suit any particular need or requirement.
And all this takes place right here in Francistown?
Yep! We are ideally situated geographically, to service the Southern and Central African region. By setting up in Botswana, the company has reaped the benefits of working with a stable currency, labour force and a Government committed to good governance.
Who are your customers?
All the main mining Groups globally.
Where do you get your parts?
We order them from Germany, USA, Italy, Belgium, Hungary and South Africa.
Who are your competitors and how do you stand out from them?
We compete globally. We make a world class product at a competitive price.
How long does it take to build a car?
Anything from six weeks to six months depending on the complexity of machine and customer requirements. Each vehicle is hand built from scratch.
And how much do they cost?
Variable, dependent on customer requirements. All vehicles are sold in hard currency earning valuable foreign exchange for Botswana.
Are they built on order basis?
Yes, they are order driven.
How many do you sell in a year?
In a year we sell between 30 to 40.
What is so special about UV Botswana’s vehicles?
Our utility vehicles are designed specifically for underground mining and are manufactured to global standards.
Are you a standalone company or are you a sister company with headquarters elsewhere?
We are a standalone company
What is UV Botswana’s approach to sustainability?
We have a large 100KW solar system to supplement our power. Our global partners demand that our manufacturing process adhere to international standards.
Finally, tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
I am from a manufacturing background and have been involved in other factories regionally for over 40 years.
