Lucky Kgatle and Quinton van Der Burgh, two prominent South African businessmen and mining magnates, have formed Tlou Commodities under a JV arrangement with the aim to engage and develop local African mining sectors, while helping disadvantaged communities in the country.
The move is the most recent step in Kgatle and van Der Burgh’s joint efforts to build a successful, sustainable coal and metal conglomerate with roots in responsible environmental practices, according to an exclusive disclosure obtained by Billionaires.Africa.
The JV between Kgatle, a leading corporate miner, and van Der Burgh, one of South Africa’s most influential businessmen in the mining sector, is significant, as the two seek to forge strategic partnerships that will help support historically disadvantaged actors in the mining industry.
The partners have already secured R5 billion ($314.2 million) in private equity funding for the JV.
While commenting on the new venture, van Der Burgh said Tlou Commodities has the potential to become an “industry giant in the not-too-distant future, and we are prepared and excited to offer our assistance and provide our resources and expertise for Tlou Commodities to not only reach but to exceed its current potential.”
“We believe that a company is only as good as the person behind it, and we are therefore confident in partnering with Lucky, who not only holds respectable qualifications, but also enjoys a wealth of hands-on experience in the mining sector, having been involved in operational, strategic and leadership roles throughout his notable career,” he added.
Nearly two years ago, van Der Burgh rebranded and consolidated all his mining operations and related services under the banner of Q Global Commodities (Pty) Ltd. (QGC), which has quickly established itself as one of Africa’s largest privately-owned mining portfolios.
QGC has self-sustaining subsidiaries in logistics, beneficiation and plant-hire. It has delivered more than 7 million tonnes of various grades of coal to international and domestic markets.
Kgatle, who recently left Sasol Mining, a successful coal mining company with six mines producing nearly 40 million tonnes of thermal coal per year, has two decades of experience managing large-scale projects in the industry.
The top business executive stated that his partnership with van Der Burgh will be critical to Tlou Commodities’ success, as van Der Burgh has the ability to marshal vast resources based on his mining experience.
