About us

BME, together with Protea Mining Chemicals, forms the mining division within the Omnia Group. The Omnia Group is a JSE-listed diversified provider of specialised chemical products and services used in the mining, agriculture and chemicals sectors.

History

Omnia has been in business for 70 years and has its head office in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Group’s operations extend across Africa, Australasia and Brazil. Omnia differentiates itself from commodity chemical providers by adding value at every stage of the supply and service chain through technological innovation and by deploying our intellectual capital.

HIstory BME

Driving blasting technology for Africa and beyond

Formed in 1984 on the strength of a new cold emulsion technology that has since become an industry standard. BME now offers cutting-edge products and services at every stage in the explosives supply chain. We are today a leading manufacturer and supplier in Africa of explosives, related accessories and blasting services to the mining, quarrying and construction industries.

We work wherever our customers take us. Our footprint covers 17 African counties including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, DRC, Sierra Leone, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal. BME also has legal entities in Indonesia and Australia and continues to expand.

Secure supply lines and safety first

As a division of the JSE-listed Omnia Group, BME has leveraged considerable investment in our manufacturing base, including:

Two nitric acid plants - the newest in Africa
Nitrophos Plant, CN
Ammonium nitrate facility ANS and ANCN solution
Two central emulsion plants
Two automated AXXIS electronic detonator plants
A cartridge explosive facility
Non-electrics assembly plant
MMU manufacturing and assembly
Remote emulsion plants

Our expertise and experience of working in Africa allows us to rapidly supply and commission emulsion plants at any location. With the production infrastructure and supply network that we have developed over the past three decades, our clients are assured of seamless service. We also enforce a best practice environment that prioritises health and safety for all stakeholders.

From bulk emulsions, plants and trucks – to software and initiating systems.

BME’s main product ranges include:

INNOVEX 100 Gassed
Bulk emulsions
Innopak
Packaged explosives
Initiating System Viperdet SD
Initiating systems

We provide a wide range of technical services from routine blast monitoring using modern equipment and software to advanced consultancy and optimisation projects. Our leading design software, including BLASTMAP, and our AXXIS Digital Initiation System provide the advantage in achieving cost saving initiatives in blasting. The aim is more wealth for you through improved efficiencies from blasting optimally.

Examples are:

  • Reduced ore dilution and finer fragmentation for increased mineral recovery and higher plant throughput rates.
  • Improved wall quality and potentially steeper walls for reduced waste mining and longer life of mine.
  • Up to 25% higher rates of ore exposure using effective timing designs and accurate AXXIS electronic detonators.
  • Single-pass multiple seam mining using advanced timing designs and AXXIS electronic detonators.

Our main services include:

Muck pile profiling
Fly rock control
Blast software
Fragmentation analysis
Down-the-hole full blasting services
Blast consulting, auditing and monitoring
Mine-to-mill
optimisation

Vision and values

Our Vision

Creating customer wealth by leveraging our knowledge.

Our Values

BME is characterised by a strong and distinctive culture. Combining the values of a family business with the virtues and strengths of a professionally managed public company, we operate according to a robust spirit of enterprise underpinned by a reputation for the highest levels of integrity.

Timeline

Business model

Our business model has been tried and tested over many years, and is fine-tuned as our markets and customers evolve. We sustain and grow our business by continuously enhancing the value we offer our local and international customers through product innovation, growing our intellectual capital and working to further raise our already exceptional service levels. A continuous feedback loop with our customers at all points of engagement keeps our business model on track.

BME-Global-Business-Model-LR

A business model for long-term sustainability

BME has a balanced presence in sectors that are essential to the sustainable use of the world’s finite resources, and will play a key role in sustaining Africa’s future development. We will continue to develop and leverage our intellectual property to add focused value to the chemicals, mining and agriculture markets in Africa and abroad.