Sallies Industrial Minerals Group has announced that it has recently acquired G & W Mineral Resources. The acquisition is part of Sallies’ focus on continuous improvement and strategy to supply an expanding range of high-quality products.

The Competition Commission approved the proposed transaction whereby Sallies Holdings acquired G & W Mineral Resources, with conditions. Sallies Holdings controls several firms and owns two mining and processing operations for agricultural lime. These mines are located in Zeerust and Ottoshoop in the North-West Province and produce and process dolomitic limestone, fluorspar deposit and aggregates. The mines’ processing facilities are also used to reprocess some agricultural lime used in animal feed products.

Sallies Holdings
With roots in the marketing and distribution of lime and gypsum to the agricultural sector, Sallies Industrial Minerals is today a fully-fledged industrial minerals mining, marketing and distribution business.

Since incorporation, the group has expanded its operations to include several mines and industrial minerals production facilities. In 2015 Sallies Limited, a company with a history in gold and industrial minerals mining dating back to 1903, was acquired, giving birth to Sallies Industrial Minerals.

Image via G & W Mineral Resources

G & W Mineral Resources
G & W Base and Industrial Minerals (PTY) Ltd, T/A G & W Mineral Resources, is a supplier of specialised industrial minerals in South Africa and has been servicing the needs of both local and Sub-Saharan customers for more than 72 years.

G & W Mineral Resources supplies more than 70 different products to a wide range of industries, and exports to Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as marketing a range of specialized industrial minerals and other products that are sourced both locally and internationally. These products are processed at the Wadeville plant and distributed directly to customers.

Matsopa Minerals, a subsidiary of G & W Mineral Resources, is responsible for all mining activities and as such operates 6 mines in South Africa and Mozambique.

Iron foundries
Coal dust supplied by G & W Mineral Resources is used in the casting of medium and large castings in foundries, due to features such as high-volatility, low ash and sulphur content. The company also supplies bentonite MD foundry grade, a product that is used in all types of green sand moulding systems. The high-cation exchange capacity is a benefit to the foundry process.

Industries that the company supplies product to include agricultural, automotive, ceramics and potters, chemical, civil engineering and construction, ferrochrome, food and beverages, iron foundries, manufacturing and refractories.

G & W Minerals Resources was part of the Zimco Group, which also includes Castle Lead Works Zambia Ltd, Sondor Performance Foams (Pty) Ltd and Africa Anodes (Pty) Ltd. The Zimco Group was acquired by Leif 853 in 2023. Leif 853 is jointly controlled by AutoX Proprietary Limited and Trinitas Equity Partners Proprietary Limited. AutoX is controlled by Trinitas Fund General Partner Proprietary Limited in its capacity as a juristic representative of Trinitas Private Equity Proprietary Limited.

Acquisition conditions
To address competition concerns arising, the merging parties have committed to continue to supply other downstream third parties with the required calcitic limestone as was the case before the merger.
To address public interest concerns, the merging parties have agreed to not retrench any employee as a result of the merger.