South African company expresses keen interest to open pioneer mineral processing lab in Zimbabwe

By Wallace Mawire South Africa’s Umzamo Analytical Services (UAS) is to open a pioneer mineral processing laboratory in September 2018, according to Ngonidzashe Mukuwanda, who visited Zimbabwe recently to assess investment opportunities at the Zimbabwe mining investment conference hosted in Harare on 27 to 28 February, 2018. “This will be our pioneer mineral processing laboratory. Pioneer in the sense that the first phase of our lab will be to provide analytical services for chrome processing and coal mines. As we grow we will provide analytical services for platinum, gold, lithium and nickel,” Mukuwanda told African Review. He also added that the main purpose of establishing a mineral processing lab is to offer affordable, efficient, responsive, flexible and uncompromised quality analytical services to the dynamic and rapidly growing mining sector. He said the need for analytical services cannot be over estimated as it will optimise production and sales thereby promoting economical growth and creating employment in the Zimbabwe. It is also added that UAS Zimbabwe is a subsidiary of UAS South Africa and has a recruitment strategy of recruiting locals to assist the government of Zimbabwe in creating employment. It is also reported that apart from analytical services, UAS will also offer a substantive platform to train post graduates in the analytical chemistry field. Mukuwanda added that UAS has sound financial resources and is ready to invest in Zimbabwe.UAS South Africa was established in January 2012 and has been offering quality service to the coal mining sector. Some of the services offered by the company include mechanical sampling, preparation of samples, commissioning and management of coal testing laboratories, plant efficiency testing including moisture in analysis sample, just to mention a few. Mineral testing focuses on minerals such as chrome, iron ore, copper, platinum and gold.