Appointment Announcement

Rosond MD Ricardo Ribeiro appointed to the board of WiMBIZ,SA

Managing Director of drilling technology solutions provider Rosond of Midrand, has been appointed to the board of WiMBIZ,SA. This is a non-profit organisation (NPO) established to create a platform for businesswomen, women entrepreneurs, and professional women to speak in one voice and access opportunities in the mining sector in a coordinated manner.

The NPO’s mission is to amplify the voice of African businesswomen, women entrepreneurs, and professional women in the mining sector, and create sustainable and profitable women-owned businesses to reduce poverty, inequality, and unemployment in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Vision 2030.

Under Ricardo’s leadership, Rosond secured a R2 billion, five-year contract to supply Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore with 28 state-of-the-art drill rigs as it modernises its geoscience operations at the Kolomela and Sishen mines in the Northern Cape.

Developed in partnership with Comacchio of Italy, Rosond’s drill rigs automate most of the arduous and dangerous manual tasks such as handling drill rods. This has paved the way for various female drill-rig team members to be trained at Kumba, setting a benchmark for diversity and inclusivity in the mining industry, a traditionally male-dominated environment.

“Innovation and creativity, along with a strong focus on the future as opposed to the past, are key to how I approach situations and problems. This has fuelled my interest in the role that women play in the mining sector, allowing Rosond to create significant opportunities for women’s increased involvement through original and creative application of new technology in machinery,” says Ricardo.

In his current position as Managing Director, he is spearheading the company’s expansion into Southern Africa, overseeing a digitalisation drive at the company to pioneer the next generation of highly automated and data driven drill rigs.