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10
MODERN QUARRYING
July - August 2017
ON THE
COVER
T
he history of Cape Lime
dates back to 1946 when
the first vertical shaft kiln
was commissioned by Cape
Lime Company Ltd on the
farm Langevallei near Robertson in the
Western Cape. Today, Langvlei has three
kilns in operation calcining dolomite,
which is mined and crushed on site. It
also boasts the only pressure hydrator in
South Africa.
The Vredendal operation came into
existence in 1981 when the dolomitic
aggregate operation was expanded to
include the mineral filter plant. Further
expansion included the erection of the
high-grade dolomite blending plant for
the glass industry in 1983 and the pro-
cessing of high-grade limestone in 1993.
A fluid bed calciner was commissioned in
2004, producing quality white lime.
Cape Lime was purchased from pri-
vate owners and the empowerment
group Dormell. “We are pleased to retain
the expertise within the business. The
company is well run and efficient and this
makes integration into the Afrimat group
of companies that much easier,” said
Afrimat CEO Andries van Heerden at the
time of the acquisition.
Terblanche, who says he is part of
the furniture, continues heading up the
operation in his quiet and efficient way.
He joined Cape Lime in 1997 when it was
owned by Trans Hex and says he was there
for the wrapping up the loss-making Trans
Hex lime division.“We tried to salvage the
shaft kiln that had been erected by Trans
Hex and struggled for about 18 months
to get it going but in hindsight it would
never have worked, and the best decision
was to shut down the division and cut
back on our costs.
“I have taken some interesting risks
in my career, coming from De Beers into
the then Trans Hex-owned Cape Lime,
and I remained on when a lot of peo-
ple decided to abandon ship. It was a
long and stressful period during which
we carried out due diligence studies for
several interested parties, but I am glad
I stayed on.”
Cape Lime is known for exceptional
quality mineral products supplied to var-
ious niche markets such as manufactur-
ing industries producing chemicals, filler,
glass, paint and food products. Its prod-
ucts are also used for water purification,
soil treatment, effluent treatment, build-
ing and construction. The mineral deposit
The acquisition of Cape Lime in April 2016, is one of Afrimat’s larger to date.
At the sum of R276-million, this acquisition is another extension of the
group’s diversification strategy aimed at leveraging off its core business, not
only in newmarkets but by also offering new products in existing markets.
Dale Kelly
met up with Cape Lime managing director Gerhard Terblanche
at the company’s Vredendal operation in the Western Cape.
Cape Lime
– more than
The limestone quarry at Cape Lime.