Amid a shortage of skills and growing safety legislation in the African mining industry, Fuchs Lubricants is making moves to answer another issue – loss of maintenance capacity at ground level.
Renowned as the largest independent manufacturer for lubricants in the world, Fuchs is no stranger to the mining sector. It supplies a wide range of heavy-duty solutions like extreme pressure (EP) gear oil, high viscosity index (VI) hydraulic oil and multiple grease options for the industry.
However, mining manager for the South African division of Fuchs Lubricants, Dave Gons, commented that even using premium lubricants and equipment, maintenance success relies on correct application. He added that when teams know how to use solutions effectively, reliability and performance become visible.
At the recent African mining conference, Mining Indaba 2026, Fuchs highlighted how it combined specialist onsite support and industry knowledge with services featuring condition-based lubrication to great effect. Some of the positive outcomes listed included enhanced safety performance and improved equipment dependability that could help steady operational performance in African mining, which is increasingly suffering from a skills shortage.
The current skillset shortfall covers engineers, maintenance specialists and fitters, leading to rising costs for mining firms, while workplace turnover and safety compliance issues are impacting their uptime.
At the event, Fuchs showcased several solutions to address the problems. These included contamination control frameworks and standardised lubrication schedules, bespoke lubrication systems that promote safety and reliability, root-cause analysis services that explore failures related to lubrication, preventative maintenance strategies and practical coaching and support with oil analysis and lubricant condition monitoring.
