Transporting oversized SAG mill components from Germany to Africa

The challenge

DSV was tasked with transporting four oversized Semi-Autogenous Grinding (SAG) mill components from Germany to South Africa, for final delivery to a mine in Africa. The components presented a significant transport challenge, each measuring 14 metres long, 5.8 metres wide, and 3 metres high, with a combined weight exceeding 365 tons.

The SAG mill is a massive industrial machine used in mining to crush and grind raw rock into fine particles and will support Africa’s mining sector by enabling increased operational capacity, productivity, and long-term production capabilities.
 

The solution

DSV's team in South Africa managed the end-to-end, multi-modal mining logistics operation (using barge, ocean and specialised road freight), and had to overcome many challenges moving the oversized mining equipment across Africa to a landlocked destination. They included:

• Global coordination: Transporting SAG mill components internationally required close collaboration between DSV teams in South Africa and Germany. Multi-modal mining logistics involves moving heavy equipment through a continuous chain using at least two different modes of transport, and this integrated, "door-to-door" approach lowers costs, optimises cargo handling, and reduces overall environmental impact.
• Operational oversight: A South African project manager supervised loading and handling from the factory in Germany through to the staging warehouse in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.
• Stakeholder management: The oversized cargo management required extensive coordination with government agencies and logistics stakeholders across Germany and Africa to navigate customs and transit requirements.

Planning and safety coordination

The cross-border mining logistics project required comprehensive preparation and risk management procedures, including detailed Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) documentation for health and safety.

A pre-shipment survey was conducted at the factory of origin to identify any equipment or loading constraints, while cargo inspections verified dimensions, centres of gravity, and lifting points before transport commenced.

Additional measures included:

• Continuous project management and reporting throughout the transport chain
• Deployment of safety personnel and signalmen during lifting operations
• Coordination with crane suppliers, terminal operators, and barge operators
• Cargo marking, labelling, and identification prior to loading
• Customs and clearance coordination and documentation management for domestic and cross-border movement
• DSV coordinated activities at Durban Port with vessel owners, terminal operators, and transport contractors to facilitate the transfer of the cargo directly onto specialised trailers
• The components were then transported by road to a warehouse facility in Vanderbijlpark for interim storage until the African mine site is ready to receive the equipment, with onward transport to site expected next year (2027)

Special considerations

To ensure cargo integrity throughout the journey, DSV fitted the shipment with advanced tracking technology capable of providing live location monitoring as well as temperature and shock measurements during transit.

Project milestones

The operation, excluding the temporary warehousing in Vanderbijlpark, will take around 203 days to complete:

Results

The operation is a tribute to DSV’s expertise in transporting out-of-gauge mining equipment and ensures the safe delivery of critical infrastructure required to enhance mining operational capacity, productivity, and long-term production capabilities.

Future focus

DSV continues to strengthen its long-standing commitment to Africa's mining sector, leveraging its specialised expertise in complex project transport and logistics to support the region's growing mining needs.