By Sharyn Macnamara
Mboneni Ntsieni talks to Sharyn Macnamara about her role as senior process engineer at Multotec, her career highlights and looking to the future as a woman in mining.
Mboneni Ntsieni, senior process engineer at Multotec, says “With faith and de\dication,
remarkable things happen.” All images supplied by Multotec,.
Mboneni Ntsieni, was born in Venda, Limpopo, and moved to Johannesburg over a decade ago to pursue her studies in Metallurgical Engineering at Wits University.
Although opportunities were limited in Venda, Ntsieni cherishes a childhood saturated with books and the strong emphasis parents placed on education and the power it has to transform lives. She speaks fondly of the impact her father had on her choices, “My father played a significant role in shaping my mindset and self- belief. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of him with book in hand. He filled our home with volumes of knowledge and graduation photographs, which inspired me to dream big and value learning.”
It was a career guidance event at school that tipped the scales for Ntsieni, “With a knack for maths and analytical concepts, I immediately felt drawn to Metallurgical Engineering. My greatest personal achievement is attaining my degree.”
117HM spirals ready for installation.
Ntsieni describes her journey: “The path hasn’t always been easy, especially as a woman in this STEMI field.” One of the challenges has been working in environments where she has sometimes been the only woman on site, which often led to a sense of isolation and sometimes difficulty in making herself heard. She adds, “Women in mining still have a long way to go in reshaping the industry’s culture and finding ways to navigate and thrive within it.”
Despite these challenges, Ntsieni enthuses, “My journey has been incredibly rewarding.” She emphasises her gratitude for the exposure to knowledge and skills through study and experience. She has a positive attitude, built on strong faith. She says, “Being a woman in a field like mineral processing has made me more resilient and determined. It has shaped my ability to stay focused and to tackle challenges confidently. Committed to proving myself through my expertise and knowledge, I have simply worked harder, demonstrating my technical capabilities.”
Role models have played a pivotal role in shaping her path, she says. “When I started as a junior process engineer, I had the privilege of working with Isabel King. She not only shared her wealth of experience in mineral processing but also instilled in me the importance of key values and skills, such as attention to detail.
These have remained integral to my career. After leaving my first job, I joined another design house and worked closely with Teddy Malunga, a senior process engineer. I owe about 80% of my process engineering design knowledge to him.
Three-Stage 40tph spiral plant for heavy minerals.
Fast forward to today, Ntsieni has almost completed her second degree – a BCOM in economics – and she now works in the Cyclones and Spirals division at Multotec Process Equipment. Her responsibilities mainly lie in assisting engineering design houses in greenfield projects in Africa. She occasionally collaborates directly with mining operations, providing recommendations to clients on equipment sizing, and assisting with commissioning and client training.
At Multotec, Christina Ramotsabi, Pr Tech. Eng. product manager – Spirals, has also had a profound influence on Ntsieni, “Christina has an exceptional belief in people. She is always willing and available to support and push engineers for the best outcomes, with no compromises.”
Ntsieni explains that the company places great emphasis on training and additional knowledge acquisition. “I’ve had the honour and privilege to work with Richard Haydon and Ernst Bekker, product specialists – Cyclones, two of the finest experts in the mineral processing field globally. I have the unique opportunity of attending their training sessions on a weekly basis, and I do not take this opportunity for granted,” Ntsieni elucidates.
A significant accomplishment she is particularly proud of was her involvement in the testing of the feasibility of a pilot plant at a mineral sands deposit in Mozambique last year, with a long- term objective of developing it into a commercial plant. “Our team installed and commissioned three spiral plants which were ramped up to a full total capacity of 120 tonnes per hour (tph) of raw feed in just three weeks, without the prior availability of full mineral specs or samples.
Final product and tailings streams, utilising the 117HM spiral as both rougher
and scavenger.
The pilot plant was made up of desliming and dewatering cyclones, spirals and pumps supplied by Multotec and capable of processing 40tph each. The team initially faced challenges with material variability in particle size distribution and spare part delivery delays due to the remoteness of the project.
Ntsieni noted the importance of proper planning, material testing and client-supplier trust in the commissioning of a successful project. Teamwork, the expertise in Multotec’s knowledge base, its well-respected industry R&D capabilities and reputation as a leading technology supplier all played a role in the success of this particular project.
Ntsieni pointed out that the project highlights the effectiveness of Multotec’s 117HM spiral technology for mineral sands processing and the extraction of minerals like ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, monazite, zircon and others. The industry standard to recover 96-98% of the economic heavy minerals (EHM) during preconcentration has been challenged recently by declining quality of resources.1 Multotec’s 117HM spiral is designed to handle low-grade mineral sands and still recover most of the valuable heavy mineral concentrate. This is aided by extra features such as re-pulpers and splitters installed on the spiral trough. The 117HM can remove up to 90% of the barren waste early in the process, which helps lower transport and processing costs at the Mineral Separation Plant (MSP). Because no chemicals are used in heavy mineral sands separation, the sand tailings are clean and can be directly returned to the excavated area. This minimises open disturbed land, simplifies rehabilitation and supports faster ecosystem recovery.
Looking ahead, Ntsieni’s passion for innovation is almost tangible when she describes her goal to enhance her own technical skills and become an expert in her field. She is inspired by clean energy – a key to global sustainability. “Right now, lithium and other battery minerals are at the top of my reading list. This year, my focus will be to dive into the research on these commodities and explore what more can be done in this space.” Having been a recipient of a bursary herself – she would encourage mining companies to disseminate more bursaries to spark an interest in young women to enter the mining fraternity, offer opportunities and help to chisel the culture of embracing female STEMI talent, so integral to this bright future.
Ntsieni concludes, “With faith and dedication, remarkable things happen.”
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