In a bid to solidify its position as a leading explosives manufacturer in Zimbabwe, Intrachem Private Limited is implementing a multifaceted strategy aimed at enhancing product safety, quality, customer satisfaction, and industry sustainability.
Last Month, Mining Zimbabwe went on a technical visit to the Intrachem Private Limited explosives manufacturing plant to gain an insight into how the company manufactures explosives and have a glimpse of the company’s plans for growth in Zimbabwe. This publication realised that Intrachem at full capacity has the ability to manufacture explosives enough for the whole national mining industry.
According to Intrachem Managing Director, Darryn Brider, Intrachem’s holistic approach to explosives manufacturing encompasses a commitment to safety, quality, innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility. By prioritizing safety, customer satisfaction, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance, the company is poised to emerge as Zimbabwe’s premier explosives manufacturer, driving industry advancement and prosperity for all stakeholders.
The company’s Operations Manager, Engineer Walter Madzimure, said Intrachem is focused on several key areas to achieve its goal as the biggest and most reliable explosives manufacturer in Zimbabwe, among them production of quality products, customer satisfaction and technical support.
Production of Quality Products
According to Engineer Madzimure at the heart of Intrachem’s mission is the improvement of the world we live through the safe and responsible use of explosives. This is supported by a strong commitment to providing high-quality explosives and related products to its customers to ensure safety and efficiency. Through stringent quality control measures and adherence to international standards, the company ensures that its products meet the highest industry benchmarks for safety and efficiency.
Customer Satisfaction
“As Intrachem, we prioritize customer satisfaction which is one of our core values. Our commitment to ensuring that customers are satisfied lies in delivering high-quality and safe products to all our customers. We not only offer and supply products but also focus on value addition at customer sites through various projects we execute time and again. We continuously enhance the value our customers receive by leveraging different technologies and innovations at our disposal,” Engineer Madzimure said.
Value Addition and New Technology
The company’s Managing Director said “Intrachem continuously seeks to add value to its offerings by leveraging the latest technological advancements. Our robust team providing on-call and on-site technical support, as well as our multiple blasting support innovations enhance the value proposition for our customers, empowering them to achieve optimal results in their blasting operations, delivering quantifiable value benefits to the customer.”
“Then we have reliable equipment that’s fitted with up-to-date technology, assuring our customers of product volume accountability, charging time efficiency and quality control. So, I would want to say we are one of the best in Southern Africa in terms of the technology that we have at our disposal to help us attain the requisite levels of quality,” Darryn said.
One-Stop Shop
Intrachem’s Operations Manager, Engineer Madzimure, speaking on the Sidelines of Mining Zimbabwe technical visit to the Intrachem explosives plant, said, “By recognizing the importance of convenience for its customers, Intrachem operates as a comprehensive one-stop shop for all explosive products and blasting solutions. By offering a diverse and complete range of products and services, the company eliminates the need for customers to source from multiple suppliers, streamlining their procurement processes and improving logistics costs.”
“At Intrachem, our commitment to excellence extends beyond merely supplying explosive products. We’ve strategically positioned ourselves as a comprehensive one-stop shop for our valued customers for all explosives and explosive-related products. Imagine a place where convenience meets quality and safety —a hub where explosive solutions are tailored to fit every blasting requirement. Our offerings span the spectrum, from small-scale applications to large-scale charging and blasting projects including for sensitive blasting operations. By choosing us, customers not only save time and effort but also benefit from the highest quality products, cost-effective solutions, seamless communication, and lightning-fast service. We’re not just suppliers; we’re partners in progress, ensuring that blasting success is always well within reach of the Zimbabwean market,” he said.
Fair Pricing
According to Engineer Madzimure, the company remains committed to maintaining fair and competitive pricing across its product portfolio. While offering discounts for larger volume consumers, the company ensures that all pricing structures are transparent and equitable, fostering long-term relationships with its clientele.
” Our pricing is not only competitive but is also fair and transparent. While we provide discounts for larger volume consumers of explosives, it is our commitment to offer competitive prices across the board. Furthermore, we believe in honest pricing, ensuring that our customers receive value for their investment. Whether you’re a small-scale operation or a major player in the industry, our pricing philosophy remains consistent: affordability without compromising safety or quality,” he said.
Offer Technical Support
As part of its customer retention strategy, Intrachem provides robust technical support to assist clients in optimizing their blasting operations. With reliable equipment equipped with cutting-edge technology, the company ensures that customers receive comprehensive assistance throughout their engagement.
“I’ve spoken of technical support, which we provide to customers as part of our customer service. Our dedicated and highly trained technical team is available around the clock to assist with any queries, troubleshooting issues and to simply ensure seamless operations. Whether it’s optimizing blasting techniques, addressing safety concerns or fine-tuning equipment, we are committed to enhancing our customers’ experience and project efficiency. We believe that robust technical support assures quality, but also strengthens our partnerships with clients, making us their trusted ally in the explosive industry.,” Madzimure said.
Safety and sustainability
According to Intrachem’s Managing Director, in terms of safety and sustainability, the company is producing only the highest quality products and maintains high safety standards to ensure safety in application.
“With our company values emphasizing safety as our first priority, Intrachem produces only the highest quality products and maintains high safety standards to ensure safety in application. This value applies not only to our own team, but to every stakeholder involved at any point in any of our products’ life cycles, it is our goal to ensure firstly ‘zero harm’, but also to ensure that every member of our wider industry family involved in the use of our products returns home to their families each day, unharmed. Achieving this value on a daily basis ensures not only the sustainability of Intrachem, but aides the sustainability of all customer projects we’re involved in.”
Environmental Friendliness
Intrachem upholds a steadfast commitment to environmental sustainability throughout its operations. Embracing the principle of “cradle to the grave,” the company ensures responsible manufacturing and usage of explosives, minimizing environmental impact and adhering to regulatory standards.
“In terms of environmental friendliness, we adhere to well-established standards that meet and often exceed international norms for explosives manufacturing and application. These standards are subject to annual audits, and we meticulously track the usage of our product from dispatch to consumption, following the ‘Cradle to Grave’ principle to ensure that we do not harm the environment.”
“In the event of spills, which may happen, we have established procedures and response strategies to maintain environmental cleanliness, in any areas where our product is used, we’ve implemented measures to prevent our explosives from contaminating the environment outside of prescribed regulation,” Madzimure said.
Growth Strategy
While already a dominant player in small-scale mining and large open-pit mining, Intrachem’s growth strategy includes penetrating additional markets, such as the underground platinum mining industry, through targeted expansion efforts and strategic partnerships. By leveraging its technological capabilities and industry expertise, the company aims to capitalize on new opportunities for growth and diversification.
“Regarding growth, we are actively exploring opportunities to penetrate the platinum mining industry. We’re currently devising various strategies to facilitate our entry into the underground mining sector, where we know, we are well-equipped to provide world-class service. Additionally, we’re closely monitoring developments in the mining sector, seeking growth opportunities. In support of our growth strategy, we have ensured that we have adequate state-of-the-art equipment and robust technology to assist our existing customers and any potential projects seeking Intrachem’s services,” Engineer Madzimure said.
Women Empowerment
Intrachem champions women’s empowerment through its inclusive employment practices, with around 50% of its detonator plant employees being women. By fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce, the company not only drives social impact but also harnesses the full potential of its talent pool. “We have deliberately employed quite a number of women as part of the empowerment drive to empower women in the industry, with around 50% of the detonator assembly plant team being women,” the company said, adding, “Our goal is not just the inclusion of women into our industry, but we aim to continuously develop them to grow within our business and the industry as a whole, an industry traditionally monopolised by men.”
Measures to Ensure Explosives Are Not in the Wrong Hands
To prevent the misuse of its products, Intrachem strictly adheres to the regulatory requirements outlined in the Explosives Act and explosives regulations. By selling only to permitted and licensed buyers, the company mitigates the risk of unauthorized access to its explosives, thereby safeguarding both public safety and regulatory compliance.
“We stand guided by the laws of the land. We follow the requirements of the Explosives Act and the explosives regulations, which govern how we are supposed to handle explosives. And, of course, the law requires us that we sell to permitted or licensed buyers. And this is what guides us mainly. We don’t sell explosives to people who do not have the requisite requirements of the law. All our explosives are sold to people who meet the legal requirements,” Madzimure said.
About Intrachem
Intrachem Private Limited (‘’Intrachem”) is a Zimbabwean registered company, operating since 1990. Its primary business is the supply of explosives, explosives accessories, and process chemicals for the mining, quarrying and manufacturing industries.
Intrachem offers quality products at competitive prices, and guarantees timely delivery; thanks to a wide branch network around Zimbabwe, and excellent logistics arrangements around the globe.
Intrachem sources quality products from world-renowned manufacturers within, and outside Africa.
Intrachem is registered with key regulatory bodies in Zimbabwe, such as The Environmental Management Agency, Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe, The National Social Security Authority, as a licensed supplier of explosives and chemicals. Preferential agreements with clearing agents and shipping companies are in place, and this results in smooth logistics.
Contact Intrachem
Phone: +263 242 496857/498917
Email: [email protected]
Address: 2 Ridgeway South
(Corner Ridgeway and Enterprise Roads)
P.O Box HG 185
Highlands
Harare, Zimbabwe
