Mining

The driving force behind safe,
higher payloads.

Unitrans stands at the forefront of providing comprehensive on- and off-site services, alongside expert bulk material management for clients throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. We present a complete suite of offerings linked to opencast contract mining – encompassing every stage from the excavation site to the port, and even reaching global markets.

Our expertise currently spans across multiple commodities, including the extraction of limestone aggregates, copper, mineral sand, salt, platinum, kimberlite, chrome and Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC) commodities. Our commitment is centered on furnishing our clients with solutions that are not only efficient and safe but also capable of handling high payloads. This approach is designed to optimise production workflows and achieve cost savings.

At Unitrans, we take pride in our innovative strategies that have been instrumental in enhancing payload capacities, minimising the need for extensive fleets, reducing environmental impact, and elevating safety protocols.

Our End-to-End Supply Chain Solutions Include:

Technology & Supply Chain Solutions

Unitrans embraces advanced technology to streamline mining logistics, using real-time tracking, predictive analytics, and automation to optimise efficiency and safety. Our innovative supply chain solutions ensure swift, secure, and visible movement of resources, tailored to the mining sector’s demands. By harnessing technology, we help mining operations across Africa achieve sustainable growth.

Risk & Safety Management

Strategic & Tactical Planning

Data Analytics & Business Intelligence

Supply Chain Optimisation

End-to-End
Solutions

Freight Forwarding
& Clearing

On- and Off-site Services

Unitrans provides seamless on- and off-mine services, ensuring the efficient transport of materials and equipment while maintaining strict safety standards. Our tailored solutions integrate with mining operations, optimising each step for reliability and cost-effectiveness.

Clearing & Stripping
Drilling & Blasting
Crushing & Screening
Load & Haul
Haul Road Maintenance
Stockpile Management
Pit De-watering
Inbound & Outbound Logistics
Rehabilitation
Personnel Transport
Mining Explosives Transportation

Why partner with Unitrans for your mining supply chain needs?

Unitrans distinguishes itself with a comprehensive SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality) approach, consistently exceeding industry standards and earning numerous awards, underscoring our unwavering commitment to safety and excellence.

Through innovation, continuous improvement, and optimisation, Unitrans has established itself as the pioneer and leader in road train operations across Africa, enhancing load capacity and reducing mining logistics costs for our customers.

Unrestricted in kit application, Unitrans ensures the safe, swift, and secure transport of large volumes, supported by robust security systems and stringent compliance protocols.

With over 35 years of experience in the mining sector across more than 10 countries, Unitrans offers a deep understanding of the industry, delivering safe, reliable, and cost-effective transport solutions, even in the most remote locations.

Our state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence and advanced technology systems drive continuous improvement, risk mitigation, and enhanced safety for our customers’ operations.

Case Studies & News

  • News

How Unitrans Manages the Complexities of Bulk Material Handling

Unitrans is a leading provider of logistics and transportation services…
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  • News

More Than 60 Years Of Unitrans’ Commitment To Sub-Saharan Logistics

Unitrans’s rich history outlines its enduring commitment towards supporting the…
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About

Unitrans Trust Centre

KAP Investor Centre

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Risk and Safety Management

Safety is paramount and stands as our hallmark of excellence. Our dedication to safety, environmental stewardship, and operational excellence solidifies our status as a reliable ally in the mining sector. We boast an illustrious history of adhering to the Safety, Health, Environmental, and Quality standards of our clients, earning us a distinguished, award-winning reputation. Safety is the cornerstone of every operation at Unitrans.

We are well versed with all necessary procedures and processes to guarantee adherence to any requirement.

Unitrans upholds these core convictions:

  • Incidents can be prevented.
  • We are committed to ongoing enhancement.
  • Our SHEQ culture is integral to our corporate ethos, shaping the mindset and conduct of individuals concerning safety, service quality, performance, and the welfare of our workforce and the environment.
  • We aim for “Zero Harm” to individuals and the environment, taking responsibility for our deeds, providing necessary resources, and ensuring continual leadership engagement.
  • We acknowledge that our ability to satisfy customers and remain competitive hinges on the quality of our services.
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Strategic & Tactical Planning

Unitrans offers strategic and tactical planning services tailored to the mining industry, empowering clients to optimise operations with precision and foresight. From on-site logistics to long-term supply chain and network strategies, we provide solutions that drive efficiency, reduce costs, and mitigate risk, ensuring seamless integration across the entire mining value chain.

Data Analytics &
Business Intelligence

Unitrans harnesses the power of data analytics and optimisation to transform mining operations through advanced insights to help identify inefficiencies, streamline processes, and make informed decisions that enhance productivity and reduce costs. Our data-driven approach ensures that every aspect of the mining supply chain operates efficiently, driving long-term success.

Supply Chain Optimisation

Unitrans focuses on optimising the entire supply chain for the mining sector, ensuring seamless, efficient, and reliable operations from start to finish. By refining logistics, improving payload efficiency, and reducing downtime, we help mining companies boost productivity and lower costs. Our customised solutions are designed to meet the unique demands of the industry and our mine customer, ensuring that every step of the supply chain contributes to sustainable growth and operational excellence.

End-to-End Solutions

Unitrans provides fully integrated end-to-end solutions for the mining sector, handling everything from extraction to delivery to global markets. Our tailored approach ensures that each stage is optimised to meet the unique needs of the operation, driving efficiency, reducing costs, and improving overall performance. By managing the entire process, we enable our mining partners to focus on their core activities, while we ensure the smooth execution of logistics.

Freight Forwarding
and Clearing

Whether machinery, raw materials or finished product. Our global network of reputable agents and carriers ensures efficient movement of cargo to and from international destinations. Whether it’s door-to-door air or sea freight, we provide cost-effective, customised solutions that fit your import or export requirements.

Our comprehensive range of ancillary services includes warehousing and secure transportation. From imports and exports to specialised projects, we handle the entire supply chain.

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Clearing and Stripping

At Unitrans, we specialise in preparing sites for mining operations to commence. From pit area preparation to the removal of overburden, every step is handled with precision, protecting valuable ore while making it accessible.

Our team excavates benches to safely expose multiple mining layers, and we manage the transport of excess material to waste dumps with a focus on environmental care.

With Unitrans, you can trust that your mining operations will be ready to start on schedule, with reduced risks of delays or complications – keeping your project on track while prioritising sustainability.

Drilling and Blasting

We offer a fully managed drilling and blasting solution for opencast mining, ensuring precision and safety at every stage. By partnering with drilling and blasting experts, we take full accountability for the entire process, giving mine managers a single, reliable point of contact for all operational needs.

Our advanced drilling rigs, equipped with laser levelling instruments, ensure precision drilling and level quarry floors.

In our turnkey “Rock on Ground” service, we provide drilling, blasting, and secondary breaking for a fixed rate per cubic meter. This service includes laser profiling, vibration analysis, electronic initiation, and more, all tailored for maximum efficiency and safety. Every aspect is executed by certified professionals, reinforcing our commitment to excellence and operational precision in the mining industry.

-_Curshing and screening

Crushing and Screening

We provide a customised crushing and screening service, transforming raw materials like rocks and ore into perfectly sized outputs to meet your specifications. Through a series of crushers and screens, we reduce large materials and separate them into specific grades, ensuring the final product aligns with your operational needs.

Load & Haul

Load and haul services are essential to efficient opencast mining operations. Our offering includes the loading and hauling of ore and waste, feeding processing plants, and rehandling products from stockpiles. We focus on efficiency, safety, and precision, ensuring the optimal loader-truck combinations for effective load and haul cycles.

Our primary loading equipment ranges from 20 to 110 tons, carefully selected based on project location, operating conditions, and scope of work. Our trailers are custom designed to meet specific mine requirements, and we ensure compatibility between the loading tools and fleet capacities, minimising waiting and queuing.

Our hauling equipment includes:

  • Articulated Dump Trucks: 30t – 60t
  • Off-Highway Rigid Dump Trucks: 40t – 90t
  • Road Trains: Up to 130t

As pioneers of road trains in Africa, Unitrans remains the largest operator of road trains and Performance-Based Standards (PBS) in the region, with a focus on innovation, service excellence, environmental responsibility, and safety.

Whether it’s short-distance hauling using ADTs or rigid dump trucks, or long-distance hauling with road trains, Unitrans brings extensive knowledge, experience, and a proven track record to every operation.

Haul Road Maintenance

We provide and operate equipment for road grading, dust control, and ongoing road maintenance throughout the life of the mine. Our services include dust suppression solutions to minimise dust and erosion on haul roads and other critical areas within the mine. Properly maintained haul roads ensure safe and efficient truck operations, while also reducing emissions and operating costs.

Stockpile Management

Our stockpile management services are tailored for the mining industry, ensuring that both product and waste stockpiles are developed and maintained with the utmost efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Our services encompass the strategic configuration and placement of stockpiles to optimise space and accessibility. The quality control chain of activities within our stockpile management is meticulously designed to enhance product quality while maximising operational efficiencies.

We understand that effective stockpile management is a multifaceted endeavour, involving the careful balance of resource utilisation, environmental stewardship, and operational performance. Our protocols for safely storing materials are aligned with industry best practices, ensuring that every stockpile is managed with safety as a priority.

Through precise measurement and monitoring of stockpile size and geometry, we adjust dimensions to maintain stability and minimise environmental impact.

Pit De-watering

We utilise advanced pumping systems to effectively remove water from the lowest levels of open-pit mines. This approach is highly efficient for managing surface water and controlling shallow groundwater, ensuring both operational safety and continuity.

Inbound and Outbound Logistics

We specialise in the transportation of dry bulk products using pressurised tankers, as well as the mechanised and non-mechanised transport of bagged products. Additionally, we handle the transportation of aggregate and raw bulk materials in side-tipper combinations.

Where feasible, we utilise Performance-Based Standards (PBS) and road train vehicles to optimise cost efficiency and minimise environmental impact.

Rehabilitation

Mine rehabilitation services are essential to restoring post-mining landscapes and minimising the environmental impact of mining operations. These services include soil stabilisation, water management, re-vegetation, and the restoration of wildlife habitats. By following strict standards and utilising innovative techniques, Unitrans mitigates the adverse effects of mining while promoting sustainable land use post-mining that delivers lasting benefits for local communities and ecosystems.

Personnel Transport

We offer dependable, punctual, and safe personnel transportation services specifically designed for the mining industry. Our services cover transportation for mining employees to and from the mine, as well as within the site. Our specialised fleet, including the new Quantum 4×4, is built to navigate challenging terrains, ensuring your employees arrive safely and on time.

Our highly trained drivers operate a well-maintained fleet, with technicians accredited by major OEMs conducting in-warranty maintenance to maintain top vehicle performance and safety standards. Employee safety is our top priority, supported by safety audits, dash cams, tracking systems, driver behaviour monitoring, and route inspections. This ensures miners are punctual for key operational transitions, such as cage transport.

We collaborate closely with mine management to establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), ensuring efficient and smooth operations.

Mining explosives transportation

We offer comprehensive and competitive solutions to help our customers transport mining explosives. Whether you’re a manufacturer or an end user, our Chief Inspector of Explosives-approved fleet ensures safety and compliance.

Unitrans has played a leading role in the explosives and mining industry for decades, continually upholding the highest standards as NIXT members. Our flexible fleet solutions provide optimal payload capacity for varying order quantities and can efficiently transport packed Class 1 explosives, bulk bags, emulsions, and prill. Our specialised vehicles include enclosed box body fleet (LDVs, 8–32 tons), emulsion tankers, dry bulk tankers, auger (RRS) tankers, and flatbed vehicles offering our customers diverse transport options to choose from.

At Unitrans safety is not only a concern, but also our utmost priority which is why we employ advanced technologies such as DriverCam (in-vehicle monitoring), DriveAlert (fatigue monitoring), and 24/7 control tower vehicle oversight. Our dedication to safety is backed by our commitment to efficiency and reliability which is reflected in our Delivery-On-Time-in-Full (OTIF) percentage that not only meets but exceeds industry norms.