Imerys in South Africa
Our South African operations serve customers in 23 countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia with a broad portfolio of high-performance mineral-based solutions, including andalusite, bentonite, calcium aluminate binders, specialty clays, and zeolite - key raw materials for the refractories, construction, advanced ceramics, investment casting, and other industrial and consumer markets. Operated by Imerys Refractory Minerals (Pty) Ltd, our South African activities are further supported by a major logistics platform at Durban Port, enabling efficient distribution to both regional and international customers.
Key figures
Andalusite for refractories and foundry applications
Imerys extracts and processes andalusite in Thabazimbi and Burgersfort, Limpopo, to supply high‑alumina raw materials for shaped and unshaped refractories. Our South African andalusite grades provide excellent thermal shock resistance and creep performance for iron & steel, cement, foundry, non‑ferrous metallurgy and advanced ceramics applications.
Our andalusite sites include:
- Rhino Mine (near Thabazimbi, Limpopo): open-pit andalusite mine and processing plant, employing around 208 people.
- Annesley Mine (near Burgersfort, Limpopo): open‑pit andalusite mine and processing plant, employing 132 people.
- Apiesdoring (Burgersfort, Limpopo): processing plant and warehousing hub, employing 28 people.
Our South African andalusite grades are prized for the production of refractory products requiring high-alumina content. In the investment casting market, they are essential ingredients for sand moulds and cores used in iron and steel casting.
Benchmark brands include our Damrec™, Purusite™, Randalusite™ and Durandal™ products.
Calcium aluminate binders for refractories and construction
Imerys produces high-purity calcium aluminate binders at its Richards Bay facility in KwaZulu‑Natal. These high-performance, highly consistent materials are designed for use in refractories, cement, and construction chemicals.
Key brands include our world-renowned Secar®, Fondag®, Sewpercoat®, Ternal® and LEAP® for refractories, construction chemicals, high-performance cement, and other industrial applications requiring fast setting and high-temperature resistance.
The Richards Bay site employs 25 people.
Ceramic clay and black flint for refractories, ceramics and OPC
Our Cyferfontein operation near Modimolle, north of Pretoria, produces selected high-purity, high-performance specialty clays that provide valuable alumino-silicate content for refractory bricks, mortars, castables, and advanced ceramics. The site is recognized as one of South Africa’s premium clay deposits and employs 17 people.
Our Limpopo Refmin black flints are key ingredients in chamotte production, and used in the cement industry as alumina correctives to improve early strength development of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC).
Bentonite and zeolite for industry, infrastructure and consumer goods
Our sodium bentonite and zeolite deposit in the Western Cape supplies high-quality raw materials for industrial, civil engineering, environmental and consumer applications.
Our bentonite and zeolite sites include:
- Cape Bentonite Mine (Heidelberg, Western Cape) mine and processing plant, employing 61 people, producing both bentonite and zeolite.
- Olifantsfontein (Pretoria, Gauteng) processing plant, employing 20 people.
Our South African bentonites are valued for their consistency and high swelling capacity and consistency. They are ideal for:
- Foundry - green sand systems, investment casting molds and cores, iron ore pelletizing
- Civil engineering and infrastructure - slurry walls, drilling fluids, tunnelling
- Environmental containment - geosynthetic clay liners for landfills and tailings dams
- Water treatment - flotation, filtration and sedimentation efficiency
- Paper production - retention, dewatering, stickies control and water loop treatment
- Animal feed - additives and processing aids
- Pet litter
Our zeolites offer a high surface area, high ion-exchange and adsorption capacity making them ideal for use in a wide range of end applications including:
- Water treatment
- Agriculture - horticulture and floriculture
- Aquaculture - fish and shrimp farming
- Catalysis - petrochemical and automotive
- Gas separation
- Construction - cement, concrete admixtures
- Cat litter - deodoriser
Related brochures and technical documents available on our Document Finder
As a trusted partner, we are highly committed to better supporting our customers and their evolving needs. We are also immensely proud of the efforts and measures we are implementing to sustainably improve our operations - and support our communities - despite the challenging social and economic environment.
Related documents
Fonducrete®* – an engineered calcium aluminate cement – is reducing costly maintenance and repair work in sugar mills.
Imerys has received a sustainability award from Saint-Gobain UK, recognizing its work to help customers reduce the carbon footprint of construction materials through innovation, technical expertise and collaboration.
As Imerys West Thurrock marks its centenary, the site continues to deliver high-performance calcium aluminate solutions that help customers meet demanding construction, infrastructure and industrial challenges.
Imerys has completed the acquisition of Great Lakes Minerals (GLM), a U.S.-based processor of specialty minerals serving the refractory and abrasives industry, strengthening its presence and mineral solutions offering in North America.