Sinokubonga Nkala
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
BULAWAYO-based and recent National University of Science and Technology (Nust) chemical engineering graduate, Miss Kudzai Maphosa (24) has made waves in the mining sector by winning the Young Innovator in Mining Award at the recent Young Chrome Miners Indaba.
The prestigious event, hosted by the Young Miners Foundation (YMF), took place on 6 December in Mvurwi, Mashonaland Central Province, coinciding with the foundation’s 14th anniversary celebrations and Awards of Excellence Ceremony.
Among a competitive field of over 29 short-listed individuals from across the country, Miss Maphosa stood out for her ground-breaking innovation: a locally produced electrode paste designed for smelting in the ferrochrome industry.
Her work directly addresses critical challenges faced in the mining sector, showcasing the potential of young innovators to drive meaningful change.
She bagged the Presidential Innovator of the Year Award in September this year at the 2024 Presidential Innovation Fair.
Following the Presidential Award, a local mining organisation pledged to work with her and she has set the goal on mass production.
Commenting on the recent award, she said: “It is an honour to be once again recognised to be among the best. This encourages me to keep pushing to reach greater heights in innovation and discovery. As a female innovator, being acknowledged breaks all barriers of limitations for me.”
Miss Maphosa said it also encourages her not to look down on herself because as a woman she praises herself for being able to think out the box.
She said her innovation looks into introducing a new product into the manufacturing sector while upgrading the smelting technologies.
“According to other researchers, some of the raw materials in our country were considered unsuitable for making the electrode paste. Most of the raw materials for making the electrode paste are exported without processing and the electrode paste is imported back by our local mines at a more expensive price.
“The innovation was to use what we have locally while improving the quality of the local raw materials to meet the standard of the required petroleum raw materials. By using waste material the electrode paste is produced at a cheaper price while reducing the carbon footprint,” she said.
Miss Maphosa said there was value addition for waste while maximising on locally available raw materials, a development which meant her innovation was critical to import substitution in line with Heritage-Based Education 5.0.
The country’s mining sector imports the electrode paste used in the smelting of metallurgic products.
Meanwhile, YMF chief executive officer (CEO), Mr Payne Kupfuwa said chrome miners have resolved to formalise their operations and sustainably conduct business.
“Most miners here in Mvurwi were clashing with the law enforcement agencies such as Environmental Management Agency (EMA) over conducting their operations in a not sustainable way. The Indaba sought to encourage young miners to formalise, professionalise and regularise their mining operations so that they become relevant in the sector’s value chain,” he said.
