WO R L D - C L A S S MINING SERVICES ON AFRICAN SOIL
WO R L D - C L A S S MINING SERVICES ON AFRICAN SOIL
Meeting the dynamic demands of the Ghanaian mining industry, Pamicor Limited provides underground contract mining services, geotechnical works, tailings, and water treatment services to the crucial sector. Kofi Peter Amponsah-Mensah, Chief Opportunities Executive, opens up about the company’s specialist skills Writer: Lauren Kania | Project Manager: Josh Whiteside
2 | Africa Outlook Issue 122
PAMICOR LIMITED MINING
“W
e were founded in 1993 on a simple but, at the time, radical conviction: that Ghanaians could build and run world-class mining services on African soil.” This powerful determination, as voiced by Kofi Peter AmponsahMensah, Chief Opportunities Executive at Pamicor Limited (Pamicor), demonstrates the admirable and steadfast foundation on which the company was built – a determination
which still rings true today. Pamicor is a wholly Ghanaianowned company, fully compliant with Ghana’s local content regulations (L.I. 2431). It is headquartered in Accra, with operations in Ghana and Burkina Faso and a project track record that also extends to Guinea. It began as a pioneer in civil and construction works and has since evolved into a leading Indigenous partner for complex underground mining services. Some of the
company’s clients and partners include AngloGold Ashanti, Asante Gold, Endeavour Mining, Underground Mining Alliance, and Master Drilling. “Our portfolio covers contract mining, raise boring and shaft sinking, production and exploration drilling, geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations, tailings storage facility (TSF) construction and management, water treatment, mining equipment leasing, and labour management,” Africa Outlook Issue 122 | 3
PAMICOR LIMITED MINING
“The challenge is capacity – skills, equipment, capital, and safety systems – and that is where companies like Pamicor must step up. The opportunity is real, but only for those who prepared for it early” – KO F I P E T E R A M P O N SA H - M E N SA H , C H I E F O P P O R T U N I T I E S E X E C U T I V E , PA M I C O R L I M I T E D
expands Amponsah-Mensah. The mining industry is currently going through one of the most exciting periods AmponsahMensah has ever seen in his career – particularly for indigenous operators in Ghana and West Africa. Commodity fundamentals, especially for gold, have given mine owners the confidence to invest in development and expansion, and much of that growth is going underground. At the same time, the policy environment has shifted decisively. “Ghana’s local content regulations and the Minerals Commission’s push for greater Indigenous participation across the value chain mean the question is no longer whether Ghanaians will run mining services, but how well they will run them,” Amponsah-Mensah states. “The challenge is capacity 4 | Africa Outlook Issue 122
– skills, equipment, capital, and safety systems – and that is where companies like Pamicor must step up. The opportunity is real, but only for those who prepared for it early.”
PROVIDING COMPLEX SERVICES Amponsah-Mensah first began his career at the very bottom – at the production face, as a production hand – which fundamentally shaped everything he has experienced since. “I worked my way up through technical operations and management. Along the way, I served as Group Manager for New Business Development and Strategic Planning, where I worked on mergers and acquisitions, and ultimately as General Manager of the Bibiani mine,” he informs. Alongside founding and leading
Pamicor, Amponsah-Mensah is Director of Nsoromma Resources, a Fellow of the West African Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum, and sits on the advisory board of the Accra Mining Network. Additionally, he has previously chaired the management board of CSIR-Water Research Institute and was Director of Asanko Gold. “Over three decades, I have served on boards in mining, education, banking, and research – but I have never lost the perspective of the person at the face,” he cements. Now, at Pamicor, AmponsahMensah uses his vast expertise to assist the company in developing its four main focus areas, namely contract mining, drilling, tailings, and water processing. Specifically, contract mining is the company’s primary service,
HOW DOES PAMICOR BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN GLOBAL ENGINEERING STANDARDS AND LOCAL EXECUTION IN WEST AFRICA? Kofi Peter Amponsah-Mensah, Chief Opportunities Executive: “We combine global technology and standards with local knowledge and people. The majority of our underground fleet is made up of Sandvik’s i-series machines, including tele-remote underground equipment that lets operators work from a safe distance – and, just as importantly, we have the Ghanaian expertise to run them. “Our long-standing technician training partnership with Sandvik means the people operating and maintaining this equipment are trained to OEM standards, which underpins high mechanical availability and safe operation. “In geotechnical investigation, Pamicor acquired a CPTu (piezocone penetration testing) machine with SPTu capability – the first of its kind in Ghana. It gives clients precise, real-time ground data to international standards without having to bring in equipment and specialists from abroad. Our JV with Master Drilling adds world-class raise boring and shaft sinking fleets to that capability. “On standards, we operate to ISO 45001:2018 and work comfortably alongside international engineering consultants – at Houndé, for example, we executed to Knight Piésold;’s design and quality requirements. On the local side, we understand West African terrain, ground conditions, regulations, and communities, and can mobilise safely and quickly with people who live and work in the region. Global methods, local execution – that is the bridge.”
where it manages the full mining cycle for clients. In January 2026, it commenced an underground development mining contract with Asante Gold at Bibiani and took on full development mining of an underground decline for another partner mine. “For drilling, we deliver underground development and long hole production drilling, as well as surface reverse circulation, diamond, and blast hole drilling. Through our strategic joint venture (JV) with Master Drilling, we offer turnkey raise boring and shaft sinking, combining a world-class fleet with full localcontent compliance,” AmponsahMensah explains. Additionally, Pamicor’s tailings service comprises constructing and maintaining compliant TSFs, with Africa Outlook Issue 122 | 5
PAMICOR LIMITED MINING
its Burkina Faso operation having recently handed over a reinforcedconcrete TSF diversion channel at Endeavour Mining’s Houndé gold mine. Furthermore, the company recognises that water management is central to responsible mining. Therefore, it operates a mine-site water treatment plant at AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine, supported by its specialist technology partner PROXA.
LEADING WITH INTENT For Pamicor, what differentiates the company is its discipline and foresight. “Discipline, because in mining, time is money and our clients cannot afford to wait. When a client needs us, we move on schedule safely and with speed,” Amponsah-Mensah emphasises. “On a recent drilling contract, the clients asked for immediate mobilisation, and we had the rig and crew on-site before the definitive contract was even signed – and exceeded the meterage plan in the first days of operation.”
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PAMICOR’S CSR INITIATIVES The company’s support has ranged from water provision to refurbishing school facilities and providing a school canteen for young children. In Burkina Faso, Pamicor recently completed two boreholes in the villages of Dangona, in the Kona department, and Pani, in the Pompoï department, serving communities of 3,600 and 350 people, respectively. Until then, residents had relied on unlined wells, rivers, and a handful of broken-down boreholes for their water. In the village of Somona, in the Bana department, the company supplied 50 school desks and over 300 school bags with stationery kits for pupils. The projects were completed in October 2026 and celebrated by the communities at an inauguration ceremony, where residents pointed to other nearby areas in urgent need of safe water. In Ghana, Pamicor joined Asante Gold Chirano on the ‘My First Day at School’ initiative, distributing school bags, books, and learning materials to new pupils at St. Patrick’s Basic School in Akaaso. The company’s community work was also recognised with a Citation in Honour at the AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine Contractor CSR Excellence Awards in December 2025.
“We were founded in 1993 on a simple but, at the time, radical conviction: that Ghanaians could build and run worldclass mining services on African soil” – KO F I P E T E R A M P O N SA H - M E N SA H , C H I E F O P P O R T U N I T I E S E X E C U T I V E , PA M I C O R L I M I T E D
Engineering Safety. Securing Ground. Sustaining Production. Phone: 0542552019 / 0277565105 | Email Address: cstwire@gmail.com / info@cstafrica.company | www.cstafrica.company
CST LIMITED is a specialist geotechnical and mining services contractor focused on where risk meets rock: Geohazard Management, Slope and Highwall Stabilisation, and Underground Development. Headquartered in Ghana with operational capability across West Africa, we partner with mines, quarries, civil infrastructure developers and energy projects to make unstable ground safe, productive and compliant.
OUR CORE COMPETENCIES 1. Geohazard and Rockfall Hazard Mitigation
2. Slope and Highwall Stabilisation
Uncontrolled rockfall is a threat to life, equipment and licence to operate. CST provides full-cycle mitigation — from hazard mapping and kinematic analysis to engineered installation.
We stabilise what others avoid. For open pits, road cuts, dam abutments and waste dumps, we deliver integrated stabilisation that keeps walls standing and mines moving.
- Rockfall risk assessment, LiDAR and drone slope scanning, trajectory modelling
- Geotechnical investigation and slope stability analysis
- Scaling, trim blasting and loose removal
- Highwall support: soil nails, ground anchors, pattern bolting, cable anchors
- Rockfall barriers, attenuators, drapery systems, draped mesh and hightensile netting
- Shotcrete and fibre-reinforced shotcrete
- Shotcrete, rock bolting, cable lashing, buttressing
- Slope monitoring with prisms, radar and extensometers
- Catchment ditch design, berm management and monitoring instrumentation
Result: steeper, safer, more economical pit designs and reduced geotechnical downtime.
We don’t just install protection. We engineer risk out.
3. Drilling Services — Production, Exploration and Grade Control Precision drilling is production. - Production Drilling: High-efficiency rotary and DTH drilling for blasting, optimised for fragmentation and wall control. - Exploration Drilling: Diamond core and RC drilling for resource definition with strict QA/QC and core recovery. - Grade Control Drilling: Fast, accurate RC drilling to define ore/waste boundaries and maximise mill feed value.
- De-watering and drainage systems
4. Underground Development From first cut to production. - Access Portal Development: Portal establishment, box-cut excavation and support - Production and Excavation: Decline, drive, crosscut and stope development - Support and Reinforcement: Rock bolting (split set, resin, cable), wire mesh, shotcrete, steel sets, lattice girders, and grouting for ground consolidation
Our fleet is maintained for availability, our crews are trained for safety, and our drilling is measured by metres and by accuracy.
We bring surface discipline to underground complexity — ventilation control, ground control management plans, and zero-harm execution.
WHY CST LIMITED?
OUR PROMISE
- Safety First, Always: ISO-aligned SHEQ systems, JSA/TRA for every task, zero-compromise supervision.
At CST LIMITED, we don’t just work on the ground — we secure it.
- Specialist Expertise: Chartered geotechnical engineers, geologists and experienced drill and blast crews — not generalists.
Whether you need to prevent a rockfall, reclaim a failing highwall, drill for ounces or open an underground mine safely, we are the partner that gets in, stabilises, and gets production back.
- Equipment Ready: Purpose-built rigs for highwall, slope and underground work — including limited-access rigs for critical slopes. - Local Knowledge, Global Standard: We understand Birimian geology and tropical weathering, and we work to international codes — Eurocode 7 and 8, Australian and Canadian pit slope guidelines. - Measured Performance: We deliver on metres drilled, square metres stabilized, and days without incident. SATISFIED CLIENTS:
CST LIMITED — Hold the Highwall. Control the Hazard. Advance the Mine.
PAMICOR LIMITED MINING
Foresight means preparing for where the industry is headed, not where it has been. Long before local content became a directive, the company was building the Indigenous capability it now demands. Pamicor formed its JV with Master Drilling to bring raise boring and shaft sinking technology into Ghanaian hands. Additionally, the company partnered with Sandvik to train its technicians. Ultimately, foresight allows Pamicor to be ready; speed lets it deliver. “Together, with 33 years of mining industry experience and a deep understanding of West African ground conditions, our discipline and foresight give us the focus and attention to detail planning to deliver safely; this is what sets Pamicor apart,” prides Amponsah-Mensah. Further cementing the company’s steadfast reputation are several milestones it has recently accomplished. Specifically, it commenced an underground development mining project with Asante Gold at Bibiani – a landmark contract for an Indigenous operator. The company also expanded its drilling footprint with a production drilling contract at a partner mine, showcasing its latest fleet acquisitions and geotechnical capabilities at the Minerals Commission’s Local Content Summit. Additionally, Pamicor is actively building an ultra-modern rock testing laboratory in Kumasi. “When complete, it will be the only ISO-certified laboratory of its kind in Ghana and one of only a few in West Africa. Today, many mines send rock samples abroad for testing, which adds costs and delays to mine design and ground support decisions. The Kumasi laboratory will put that capability on Ghanaian soil, giving mine owners faster, internationally credible results to support safer, better-engineered operations,” Amponsah-Mensah states. 8 | Africa Outlook Issue 122
SURPASSING EXPECTATIONS To meet the sector’s evolving challenges whilst consistently surpassing client expectations, Pamicor prioritises its team’s skill sets. Its technician training programme with Sandvik has developed a cadre of original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-trained Ghanaian technicians,
and the company continuously invests in learning so its people can operate and maintain modern equipment safely. Equally, Pamicor looks beyond its own walls – having invited the Mining Engineering Department of the University of Mines and Technology to collaborate on innovation and help close the gap
PAMICOR LIMITED MINING
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR MISSION OF BUILDING A STRONG INDIGENOUS INTEGRATED MINING, CIVIL, AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES IN AFRICA THAT IS PROFESSIONALLY AND EFFICIENTLY MANAGED?
between academia and industry. This year, Amponsah-Mensah was honoured with the opportunity to chair the AusIMM Tarkwa Student Chapter’s annual conference on building the workforce of the future. “Mindset is also crucial. I want every person at Pamicor to own the outcome – the ‘NET’ mindset of No Excuses and Tomorrow. We give supervisors and crews the authority to solve problems at the face and hold everyone accountable for safety first,” he expands. “Finally, there is care. Fair labour practices, respect, and recognition keep people motivated; when our people feel valued and capable, surpassing client expectations becomes the natural result.” Pamicor’s values are exemplified through its commitment to the communities where it works. It runs corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes in both Ghana and Burkina Faso, with two clear priorities: access to safe water and education. Clean water transforms health and daily life in host communities, and education provides the next generation the opportunity to build careers – including in mining. The company’s support has ranged from water provision to refurbishing school facilities and providing a school canteen for young children. “Mining must leave communities better than it found them,” AmponsahMensah closes emphatically.
Kofi Peter Amponsah-Mensah, Chief Opportunities Executive: “Our mission is to prove that an African company can be a global partner and the collaborative choice – not the local content choice – for complex mining work. ‘Indigenous’ means Ghanaian ownership, Ghanaian leadership, and a workforce developed here. “‘Integrated’ means open to collaboration in the mining space we operate: underground development, drilling, raise boring, civil works, tailings, water, and labour, rather than coordinating multiple contractors. ‘Professionally and efficiently managed’ is the part that earns trust; it means certified safety systems, disciplined planning and cost control, transparent reporting to clients, and strong governance at board level. “It also means managing our people well – we take labour relations, fair agreements, and workforce welfare seriously, because an engaged workforce is a productive and safe one. Ultimately, every successful project we deliver strengthens the case that the value created from Africa’s mineral resources can be retained and multiplied in Africa – in jobs, skills, supply chains, and capital.”
“I would also like to thank our clients and partners – Asante Gold, AngloGold Ashanti, Endeavour Mining, Master Drilling, Sandvik, and Underground Mining Alliance – and above all, our people, who have carried Pamicor for 33 years.”
Tel: 0244357782 | 0552544611 enquiry@pamicor.com
www. pamicor.com Africa Outlook Issue 122 | 9
Tel: 0244357782 | 0552544611 enquiry@pamicor.com www. pamicor.com
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