Skilfully combining deep local expertise with international best practice, Corica Mining Services is helping to define the next chapter of mining in Africa. We speak to Managing Director, Abdoulaye Diallo, and Chief Business Development and Technical Officer, Sam Myers, about the company’s journey and its integrated approach to contract mining.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, GLOBAL STANDARDS
Within the vast African mining sector, Corica Mining Services (Corica) is an African-owned mining services company that began life in 2002 as SFTP, moving its first tonne of African soil that same year.
“Looking back on such a humble beginning for the company, at that time our fleet comprised a single excavator and truck. However, within a few years we had won our first major open-pit mining contract, and we have not looked back since,” introduces Abdoulaye Diallo, Managing Director.
As the business matured and its scope expanded, SFTP rebranded to Corica in 2021. The new identity was chosen to reflect an African-owned company with a clear sense of purpose and a strong connection to the communities around its mine sites.
“Corica represents the heart of Africa, and our way of contract mining is about more than machines – it’s about bringing people together. Nothing is impossible when people come together to deliver,” he notes.
Today, the business has evolved into a full-service mining services company, meeting the requirements of some of the sector’s largest players with an ever-expanding team of more than 4,000 employees.
“We are with you for the long haul, from the moment you start exploration through to the moment the last tonne of ore is processed and the land is returned to its natural state.”
Corica prefers a collaborative approach that puts long-term client relationships first. The team works closely with each partner to understand the resource, context, and priorities, then helps shape a strategy and operating model that best fits those needs.
With this shared plan in place, Corica brings its people, expertise, equipment, standards, and the local community together to help extract the most value for all stakeholders.
For over 20 years, Diallo has used his clear vision and leadership as a source of inspiration for his whole team, guiding Corica into the successful mining services company it is today.
ONE PARTNER, ONE INTEGRATED MINING SOLUTION
Corica encompasses three core divisions – mining services, underground, and SFTP Civils, supported by an integrated logistics and supply chain arm.
The company’s mining services strand involves extensive open-pit solutions, including exploration, grade control and production drilling, production blasting, load and haul, and plant ore feed services, all of which support operational excellence and responsible resource management.
Its underground division delivers comprehensive underground mining solutions, providing specialised machinery and a skilled hybrid workforce of local and expatriate staff to ensure safe and efficient operations tailored to specific project needs.
“Elsewhere, our civil engineering and construction division provides a wide range of services, including bulk earthworks, site preparation, road and bridge construction and maintenance, major concrete works, rail construction, dams, pipelines, and the supply of quarry materials,” Diallo explains.
This part of the business caters to the mining industry as well as to oil and gas, government infrastructure, and building and manufacturing clients.
Alongside the three main operating divisions, Corica has also built a strong logistics and supply chain capability, which has been instrumental in supporting its projects across the continent.
“Our integrated procurement and logistics teams operate very much like an extension to our in-house supply chain for our clients, which is critical in Africa where availability, lead times, and service can make or break a plan,” says Sam Myers, Chief Business Development and Technical Officer.
“Our partners increasingly need integrated solutions, not isolated work packages. Our projects can run from initial bulk earthworks and site preparation, through open-pit, and then into underground and mine closure and rehabilitation. Corica has the experience and capacity to support that full lifecycle, which reduces handover risk and keeps accountability with one team,” he adds.
“We deliver skilled personnel, foster strong local partnerships, and deploy an extensive fleet, all whilst adhering to international standards. Our tried and tested approach helps us deliver successful and sustainable mining operations across Africa,” Diallo outlines.
“Corica represents the heart of Africa, and our way of contract mining is about more than machines – it’s about bringing people together”
Abdoulaye Diallo, Managing Director, Corica Mining Services
QUALITY, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENT LEADERSHIP
Corica’s operating model is underpinned by a triple-certified integrated management system (IMS) that has been validated by the British Standards Institution (BSI).
The group maintains certification to ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety management across its operations.
Together, these standards give clients confidence that Corica’s systems are aligned with global best practices and applied consistently from site to site.
“Our recent ISO certifications reflect the backbone of how we work every day,” explains Diallo.
“For Corica, quality, health, safety, and environmental (QHSE) stewardship are not separate topics – they sit at the centre of every planning meeting, every prestart, and every decision we make on site.”
The Corica IMS brings QHSE requirements into a single framework built around the ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ cycle. Policies and objectives flow into structured planning tools, risk and opportunity registers, and clear safe work procedures such as job hazard analyses.
Performance is tracked through audits, inspections, and management reviews, with lessons learnt fed back into training and updated standards. Leadership visibility, worker participation, and systematic auditing are all core features of the system.
In practice, this means hazards are identified earlier, risks are managed in a more disciplined way, and issues are closed out instead of being carried over from shift to shift.
Corica’s ‘Nine Pillars of Safety’ programme reinforces this framework on the ground, empowering every employee to speak up, stop unsafe work, and contribute ideas for improvement.
“Major mining companies expect both local understanding and global standards,” adds Myers.
“The combination of a triple-certified IMS, strong field leadership, and engaged local teams gives our clients confidence that we can meet their governance and reporting expectations whilst still moving dirt and rock efficiently.”
GOING UNDERGROUND
Having identified the growing role of underground mining in Africa, Corica continues to service its current and future partners with flexible solutions in this field.
“In order to meet the challenge of the often harsh and complex environment of underground mining, we leverage world-class equipment and experienced personnel,” Diallo expands.
“Whilst our focus will continue to be on hiring African first, we understand that access to experienced local skills will not always be possible, and in these cases, we mobilise expert expatriate labour to manage, supervise, train, and operate as required,” he explains.
Corica knows that establishing an underground mining project on a solid foundation is critical.
“Our project start-up and portal construction services are designed to ensure operations begin strongly and safely. We know what great looks like, and we ensure our projects are established to deliver from day one.”
As such, the company handles everything from highwall ground support to infrastructure set-up and portal construction, with a clear focus on safety, efficiency, and long-term success.
“Underground is where our ‘Local Knowledge, Global Standards’ approach really comes into its own,” says Myers.
“We bring in targeted expertise where needed, then build local teams and systems around that so quality is trained into habit.”
“We are with you for the long haul, from the moment you start exploration through to the moment the last tonne of ore is processed and the land is returned to its natural state”
Abdoulaye Diallo, Managing Director, Corica Mining Services
TRUST AND ENGAGEMENT
One thing that has remained constant over the past two decades is Corica’s commitment to creating a better future for African communities.
Through its mantra of combining local knowledge and global standards, and as a business that is invested in uplifting the areas in which it works, the company understands the importance of respecting cultural differences and building trust with each community.
“We have developed a sensibility to help understand the differences in culture, tradition, and ways of doing things between different ethnic groups, which is particularly vital in West Africa, for example.
“Through continuous engagement, we bring everyone together,” Diallo affirms.
By prioritising local employment and offering upskilling and training, the company ensures that people are equipped with the skills needed to participate in the mining industry.
“Many may be completely new to the mining environment at first, so it is crucial that we quickly bring them up to global standards for safety and environmental awareness,” he explains.
When it comes to environmental impact, Corica holds itself to the same high standards as its clients.
“We conduct environmental assessments before any project and focus early on habitat restoration and reforestation. Wherever possible, we begin these initiatives whilst operations are ongoing, not just at the end of the lifecycle,” Diallo muses.
“Ultimately, we can only be successful on a long-term basis by embracing our roots and values and operating in a way that strengthens the communities around us.”
DOING MORE FOR AFRICA
Corica has developed a strong logistics and supply chain capability, which has been instrumental in navigating the challenges that come with building a mining industry in West Africa.
“Dating back to the early 2000s, we have helped pioneer what has been done in this part of the world in an often-challenging environment,” Diallo recalls.
“The majority of our success on site starts with the people involved. It is never easy to find people in senior leadership positions who understand the job, scope of work, urgency, clients, and the relationships that need to be nurtured to develop the business,” he adds.
With a strong focus on regional HR support systems, Corica prioritises the hiring of local people from surrounding communities before integrating them into its operations.
“We ensure that young people are at the core of what we do, whilst also employing through the generations where needed.”
There is an equally strong focus on investing back into communities, as Corica strives to do more for Africa and its people, not just for individual projects.
“For me, responsible mining is first and foremost about bringing people together and creating value for both the local area and our stakeholders. We see ourselves as a bridge between our clients and the local community,” Diallo asserts.
“The bonds we build between our partners, people, and communities enable us to bring everyone together and take on both the operational and social licensing risks of our projects,” he emphasises
“Anyone can lease machines, but what really determines success in Africa is whether you can put the right people, systems, and logistics around those machines and sustain them over years of operation in a tough environment,” adds Myers.
“Anyone can lease machines, but what really determines success in Africa is whether you can put the right people, systems, and logistics around those machines and sustain them over years of operation in a tough environment”
Sam Myers, Chief Business Development and Technical Officer, Corica Mining Services
EXPANSION ACROSS THE CONTINENT
As a company that is always looking to capitalise on new opportunities, improve how it manages its client base, and maintain strong relationships, Corica has expanded its geographic footprint across West Africa to include flagship projects in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal.
In recent years, the company has also turned its attention south, securing its first project in Namibia.
“During the last 18 months, we have successfully expanded our business into Namibia, representing a proud milestone for the company as part of our overarching growth strategy,” Diallo says.
“With a foot in the door, our focus now is on sustainable execution. There are a lot of opportunities for us to continue developing our business and supporting our partners, and considered expansion beyond the borders of West Africa makes a lot of sense,” he reflects.
Despite encountering significant challenges in both Mali and Burkina Faso, which have led to a dip in international investment in recent years, Corica continues to pursue opportunities there and in bordering countries, ensuring alignment with local content requirements and long-term partnerships.
Many of Corica’s direct competitors are reluctant to operate in Mali and Burkina Faso, and this presents Corica with both a responsibility and an opportunity, both of which the company intends to capitalise on.
“We have a strong track record of delivering for blue-chip mining companies from around the world, but we are also prepared to work with governments and private enterprises where we are confident we can operate safely and responsibly,” Diallo notes.
“The expansion into Namibia is not about growth for its own sake,” Myers adds.
“It is about applying our local knowledge and global standards in new jurisdictions, with the same discipline on safety, productivity, and community inclusiveness. We are very selective about when it comes to potential projects and clients and focus only on those opportunities we believe we can genuinely add value,” he concludes.
Looking ahead, Corica plans to support growth in Southern Africa with capabilities and cashflow generated in the region, creating a more balanced platform for organic expansion across the continent.
