SASOL DYNO NOBEL: Shaping Safe Blasting
By delivering safe, quality, reliable, and responsible products – manufactured locally – Sasol Dyno Nobel is an enabler of industry across southern Africa. CEO Charl Norden tells Enterprise Africa that the company continues to grow, and he is excited about how much more can be achieved.
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Exclusive Interview with Charl Norden, CEO
South Africa’s mining industry stands at a point of transition. After years of constrained investment, logistical bottlenecks, and regulatory uncertainty, the sector is being asked to deliver more — higher productivity, better safety outcomes, and stronger social performance — often with fewer margins for error. As the Minerals Council has noted, mining remains a cornerstone of the South African economy, but its future competitiveness will depend increasingly on reliability across the value chain, from orebody to export terminal.
Few parts of that value chain are as fundamental, or as unforgiving, as blasting. Drill-and-blast remains the starting point for most forms of mining in South Africa, particularly in deep-level gold and platinum operations where precision, timing, and safety are non-negotiable. Without reliable initiation systems, mining simply does not happen. It is within this critical, tightly regulated space that Sasol Dyno Nobel has built its position as one of the region’s most important manufacturers of industrial explosive accessories.
Established as a joint venture between Sasol and global explosives specialist Dyno Nobel, the company operates at scale from its South African manufacturing base, supplying products that are used across southern Africa and beyond. The business sits behind the scenes of the mining industry, but its role is central to keeping operations running safely and predictably.
“Sasol Dyno Nobel is a 50/50 JV between Sasol and Dyno Nobel. Sasol operates the company on behalf of the shareholders. Sasol Dyno Nobel has around 800 permanent employees but adding in long-term service providers, we have around 1000 people onsite. The entity was established in the late 80s and existed under various names, but the JV in its current form has existed since 2005,” explains CEO Charl Norden.
SPECIALIST SUPPLIER
From its inception, the company has focused on manufacturing rather than downstream blasting services, positioning itself as a specialist supplier of initiation systems and accessories. All components that must perform with absolute consistency in some of the most demanding operating environments in the world.
“We manufacture, store, market, and sell industrial explosive accessories. That includes booster products (a secondary explosive enhancement products), shock tube initiation products (detonators), and explosive cord. Our trade names are Primadet®, Primacord®, and Trojan™ Boosters,” Norden says.
Over the past decade, Sasol Dyno Nobel has grown steadily, supported by long-term demand from the mining sector and by its ability to maintain high manufacturing and safety standards in a highly regulated industry.
“We are a multibillion Rand business and we have seen steady growth of around 10-12% in the past 10 years. Currently, we are one of the largest industrial explosives experts in South Africa, and across the product ranges we play in, we are one of only two entities that manufacture these products in southern Africa.”
That scale is important for both the company itself and its customers, many of which are nationally significant. In a sector where supply interruptions can bring mining operations to a halt, security of supply is as critical as product quality. Sasol Dyno Nobel’s manufacturing footprint and integration into upstream value chains provide a level of resilience that many customers depend on.
“We have scale, and that brings security of supply,” says Norden. “We are one of the largest manufacturing facilities of this type of product anywhere in the world. We are also integrated into upstream value chains. We import a number of elements, but we manufacture a number of things in-country on our site, that we put together, adding value, before delivering.”
At the core of the company’s value proposition is technology. Sasol Dyno Nobel licenses Dyno Nobel’s initiation technology, which underpins its product ranges and differentiates its offering in a competitive market. In blasting, the margin for error is zero.
“We are licensing Dyno Nobel technology. In our opinion, the technology that Dyno Nobel has is the best in the market. It is a very good product in terms of safety, reliability, and timing,” Norden reiterates. “With explosives you need initiation exactly when you expect, always. If you don’t want initiation, it should never initiate. That is why safety, reliability, and timing is so important.”
This focus on reliability is reinforced by the company’s joint-venture structure, which combines Sasol’s local operational depth with Dyno Nobel’s global explosives expertise.
“Sasol holds a strong brand in South Africa, and that means we have access to great people and great management systems, culture, and values. Dyno Nobel also has a very strong ethic, and is one of the top explosives companies in the world. In South Africa, we benefit from both the scale and expertise of Sasol with its local knowledge, as well as the global scale and technical knowledge from Dyno Nobel.”
Rather than competing with its customers, Sasol Dyno Nobel operates as a supplier to explosives companies across the region, selling complete products or components through established channels. This model supports a competitive and diversified downstream market while allowing the company to focus on what it does best: safe, high-quality manufacturing.
“Our model is one where we operate almost as a wholesaler. We have very competent partners, and strong channels to market. We sell products, whether complete or components, to all explosives companies in southern Africa. Those companies will then service the end user,” says Norden.
Operational excellence is another pillar of the business. Manufacturing explosives accessories requires rigorous process control, continuous improvement, and constant attention to risk. Internally, the company has invested heavily in operational efficiency programmes to remain competitive in a cost-sensitive market.
“Because we are in operations and manufacturing, we always need to have an internal and external view. Internally, we have instituted operational excellence programs based on Lean Six Sigma methodologies. That has given us good traction and we are now ready for the next phase.”
That next phase may include further investment in South African manufacturing capacity. As mining activity expands across Africa and global supply chains remain volatile, the case for localised production is strengthening.
“I believe there is an opportunity to grow the South African manufacturing base across these types of products, and we are ideally suited for that. We can provide for the rest of Africa and beyond, and we are seriously considering significant capital expenditure to enhance our manufacturing capabilities to be able to make more here,” Norden confirms.
SAFETY FIRST
For Sasol Dyno Nobel, safety is not a marketing tool but a foundational pillar. The hazardous nature of the products involved means that process safety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance dominate every operational discussion.
“South Africa can be a challenging but exciting business environment to work in. Because of what we make and the type of operation we are, the first priority will always be the health, safety, and environmental challenge. We have a stellar record in this regard, but it will always remain the first priority. No discussion starts unless it is around safety, specifically process safety.”
The company’s importance to the mining sector has been formally recognised and certified, reflecting the critical role it plays in enabling mining operations, particularly in underground environments.
“Many people are employed by gold and platinum miners, mainly underground, and if you cannot drill and blast then you cannot mine. If you don’t have detonators and explosives, then you cannot blast. We are a critical enabler of that industry, and we have attained National Key Point (NKP) status recognising how important we are in the product we make and the scale of product we provide,” Norden details.
Beyond the fence line, Sasol Dyno Nobel’s responsibilities extend into the communities in which it operates. Community investment, environmental care, and long-term social impact form part of the company’s operating mandate.
“We must also ask questions about how we look after the people around us. Are we worthy custodians of the space we work in in terms of water, waste, and air? Are we putting back benefits to the local community in terms of job creation and economic development? That is a very worthwhile challenge. Through the Sasol Support Foundations, we are spending a lot of time on schools and health to enable people to better themselves, having a multigenerational impact in the way we support,” Norden explains.
GLOBAL NETWORKS
Operating in the explosives sector also demands strict control over supply chains. Sasol Dyno Nobel sources specialised inputs globally, while maintaining rigorous ethical and regulatory oversight.
“Because of the nature of our business, there is a lot of control, and you cannot have those who are not certified and responsible playing in this space,” Norden says, noting that the company’s products are technically complex and require carefully vetted suppliers.
“We import from India, China, Vietnam, USA, and Europe to ensure we have the best raw materials.”
Ethics and compliance are non-negotiable, particularly given the sensitive nature of explosives-related products.
“Entities that operate from a jurisdiction that we cannot trade with, or those which cannot prove track record of ethics, we will simply not engage. Our parent companies are listed entities and that means we have additional requirements and obligations – we complete full due diligence before we even discuss relationships.”
FUTURE FOCUS
As South African mining enters a new phase — shaped by deeper orebodies, rising mechanisation, and renewed focus on safety and productivity — the role of reliable upstream suppliers will only grow. Sasol Dyno Nobel’s strategy is built around supporting that transition through ethical manufacturing, technological reliability, and strong partnerships.
“Looking at our vision and mission statement, we want to be a world class explosives entity, situated in Africa, operating in an ethical, responsible, and reliable way, that sells great products to our partners. We enable industrial activities for the benefit of the communities in which they operate. We are always keen to speak to customers, suppliers, and competitors about doing good for the industry,” Norden concludes.