It’s a rare and welcome headline: a local logistics player not only outperforming on safety but doing so on a global stage. As South Africa battles to uplift operational standards across mining and freight, Unitrans has delivered a standout performance – clinching Rio Tinto’s prestigious Most Outstanding Contractor Partner Safety Award for the second year running. For the thousands of drivers, technicians and logistics workers who pass through mining corridors like Richards Bay, this recognition is more than a trophy. It’s proof that excellence in safety is possible – at scale and under pressure.
Unitrans, having worked with Rio Tinto for over 40 years, beat out some 18 000 contractors across 35 countries to earn top honors in the mining multinational’s RockStars of the Year Safety Awards. The accolade acknowledges not only performance in ensuring the safety of staff and clients while protecting products from theft, but also maturity – specifically, how deeply a culture of safety has taken root.
“I’m exceptionally proud that we have won this award for the second consecutive year and that Rio Tinto’s safety maturity model has been implemented across the operation at Richards Bay Minerals,” says John Kettlewell, Unitrans Mining executive
Real-world safety with global benchmarks
Unitrans’ win rests on rigorous integration of Rio Tinto’s global safety culture across its Richard’s Bay Minerals (RBM) operations. That includes proactive risk management, regular internal audits, detailed reporting and systems for real-time feedback and improvement.
“This remarkable achievement reflects the power of partnership and Unitrans’s dedication to safety excellence. Their journey demonstrates the positive impact of focus, commitment and collaboration, proving that meaningful change is possible when a team unites to prioritise safety,” says Werner Duvenhage, managing director of Rio Tinto Iron Titanium – Africa Operations.
To meet Rio Tinto’s stringent safety standards, Unitrans was required to demonstrate to international auditors that it had fully integrated the miner’s safety culture and practices across all its operations. This included adopting a proactive approach to risk and safety management, such as conducting regular self-assessments. Additionally, Unitrans must provide ongoing progress reports to the management team at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), ensuring transparency and continuous alignment with safety expectations.
Sandile Shange, Unitrans Contract manager, explains: “We follow Rio Tinto’s four-pillar approach – Care, Courage, Curiosity and Collaboration. We start each day with the Care principle through holding two meetings at which employee well-being and the previous day’s experiences are discussed.
“Care shows itself in a culture of being our ‘Brother’s keeper,’ while Courage empowers everyone to speak up about potential hazards – like spotting a new pothole – so that risks can be mitigated.
“Curiosity flourishes in learning and improvement sessions where everyone learns from one another and Collaboration ensures our teams plan and execute together to meet performance targets.”
As part of Unitrans’ commitment to RBM, it has integrated the latest in trusted artificial intelligence solutions to analyse data related to various aspects of safety, such as driver fatigue.
A complete safety strategy also boosts RBM and all Unitrans’ other clients’ growth through more cost-effective and streamlined processes, enabling Unitrans’ customers to improve their profitability through better productivity.
Unitrans CEO Edwin Hewitt concludes: “At the heart of our mission is empowering businesses with supply chain solutions rooted in uncompromising safety. This isn’t just about risk mitigation; it’s a strategic growth accelerator.”
Editor’s comment: Unitrans’ win shows what’s possible when safety becomes more than a compliance consideration – when it settles in and becomes company culture, and a healthy takeaway for every trucker and team member who goes home safe at the end of the shift.