Werner Duvenhage joined the global miner in 2013 as managing director of Rossing Uranium in Namibia before taking over leadership of RBM in 2018.
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Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) managing director Werner Duvenhage will leave the company at the end of July after more than a decade with mining giant Rio Tinto, marking the end of a leadership tenure defined by operational recovery, community tensions and major strategic milestones.
RBM announced on Tuesday that Duvenhage had decided to pursue an opportunity outside the company after 13 years with Rio Tinto. He is expected to officially leave the organisation on 31 July.
Duvenhage joined the global miner in 2013 as managing director of Rossing Uranium in Namibia before taking over leadership of RBM in 2018.
During his time at the KwaZulu-Natal mineral sands operation, he led the company through one of the most difficult periods in its history, which included security threats, community unrest and operational disruptions that forced the suspension of mining activities at stages.
Under his leadership, RBM focused heavily on rebuilding relationships with surrounding communities and key stakeholders while working to restore operational stability.
The company said Duvenhage had played a central role in creating the conditions that enabled the restart of the Zulti South project earlier this year — a major development that extended the mine’s life to 2050 and secured long-term production continuity.
Rio Tinto chief commercial officer, Bold Baatar, praised Duvenhage’s contribution to both Rio Tinto and RBM.
“Werner has achieved a great deal during his 13 years with Rio Tinto. Most recently, he has been instrumental in guiding RBM through a particularly challenging period with resilience and integrity,” Baatar said.
“He is justifiably held in high esteem by our employees and partners, and his leadership has helped put RBM on a more stable footing for the future.”
RBM is one of the world’s largest producers of mineral sands commodities, including titanium feedstock, zircon and high-purity pig iron, and remains a strategically important operation for Rio Tinto’s global iron and titanium business.
The restart of Zulti South in March was seen as a critical breakthrough for the miner after years of delays and uncertainty surrounding security and social instability in the region.
As part of the leadership transition, Wilhemina Ngcobo, currently RBM’s chief operating officer, will take over as acting managing director from 1 August.
Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for the business as it seeks to maintain operational momentum and strengthen investor and community confidence following the restart of key expansion activities.
BUSINESS REPORT