Strata’s Strong Presence In The Northern Cape

Located in Gauteng, the Western Cape and Northern Cape, Strata is well-positioned to supply their customers with their services across the country.

Chrisna Basson, Managing Director, explained that Strata focuses on localisation in order to provide optimal mining solutions: “We aim to build a local presence and from a Group perspective, we’ve targeted specific regions. It’s logical for us to be positioned in the Northern Cape and to explore opportunities there.”

Having placed the right people, systems and support to enhance their service offering, Strata’s performance relies on their efficient teams. Some of the crucial on-site teams in the Northern Cape include the operations and technical departments.

Operations Manager, Leon Veenstra, handles on-site operations and prioritises communication with customers. Strata maintains open and honest communication with customers to preserve healthy working relationships.

From a technical standpoint, Callie Els, Technical Manager, expressed that his priority is the regular upkeep of the plant. Without proper planning, maintenance and inspections, one can’t make accurate projections to get the best out of the equipment.

“We sell hours on our machines and it’s my team’s responsibility to ensure availability of the plant. That means having the right people on site. We communicate with the operational team to make sure that all maintenance is done outside of critical production,” Callie explained.

Providing a quick turnaround requires maintaining relationships with local suppliers and service providers in order to ensure minimal operational disruption. Regarding their presence in the Northern Cape, Leon voiced that Strata has found success in the small mining town Kathu.

“We thought we would have a hard time promoting ourselves, but Callie and I know a lot of local people and this helped to put our name out there and to be seen. Having sound relationships with the locals makes a tremendous difference,” said Leon.

Despite their recent structural shifts in becoming part of the Izintaba Group of Companies, Strata was fortunate to have built strong foundations with customers before the transition took place.

“The shifts gave the opportunity for new beginnings, but we didn’t have to build up the customer base from scratch,” Leon said. “We can go that extra mile for our customers – we’re always up for a challenge.”

Undoubtedly, Strata’s customer base remains satisfied with their professional operations and superb standards.

“When we approached our customers about the transition, most opted to continue working with Strata, not necessarily because of our brand name but due to long-standing relationships we had already formed,” said Callie.