Our Team

Mahene Benzane, a technology enthusiast and visionary, is the Founder and CEO of SmartOps. With a fervent desire to challenge the status quo, Mahene is dedicated to transforming businesses through practical digital solutions. He is deeply committed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and actively participates in the development of various digital technologies that accelerate progress in this regard.

Mahene's expertise extends to a diverse range of industries, including mining, healthcare, and processing operations. Through the strategic use of technology, he spearheads projects aimed at revolutionizing business practices for sustainable improvement and enhanced performance. As the CEO of SmartOps, a 100% Black Youth Owned company headquartered in Centurion, South Africa, Mahene leads a team that offers a comprehensive suite of services, including Management Consulting, Energy Management & Supply, Mining Services, Data Analytics, eHealth Systems, Mineral Processing, and general Digital Transformation services in the mining and other sector.

Additionally, Mahene serves as a board member of Farosian, a global company specializing in Social Media Screening, Social Media Readiness Training, and Policy Design for all industries. Through SmartOps' shareholding in the company, he contributes to Farosian's unique approach of combining artificial and emotional intelligence to provide clients with highly accurate online profile results. By analyzing 2,498 digital and social media data points with the insights of highly qualified experts, Farosian reveals the true essence of individuals, highlighting both their strengths and weaknesses.

Furthermore, Mahene holds the position of Board Trustee for a 100MW Concentrated Solar Power Plant in the Northern Cape, South Africa. This renewable energy plant supplies electricity to the national grid, powering approximately 179,000 homes. He also serves on the Social & Ethics Committee of Kathu Solar Park. Leveraging his extensive experience in the mining, energy, industrial, and municipal sectors, Mahene has provided professional services, technical advice, and innovative products to various organizations.

Through SmartOps, Mahene also collaborated with numerous international and local technology companies. He held the position of Partner and Vice President, overseeing the African region for an Australian-based technology company renowned for its integrated frontline planning and productivity execution technology, particularly within mining and smelting environments.

Mahene's professional journey commenced as a qualified Geologist in the field of Manganese mining after graduating from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a passion for personal growth, he transitioned from geology to pursue a career in mining production and execution, subsequently shifting his focus to business improvement. Throughout his tenure, he has made significant contributions to renowned companies such as BHP Billiton, South32, and Anglo American.

Mahene is characterized by his entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, empathy, and unwavering dedication to making a lasting impact on individuals and communities. His involvement in numerous successful operational projects and initiatives, ranging from productivity enhancement to safety, effectiveness, and efficiency improvements, has delivered remarkable outcomes for various operations.

Expertise

• Mining
• Geology
• Digital Technologies
• Process Optimisation
• Change Management
• Management Operating System
• Lean-Six Sigma
• Operational Analysis & Improvement
• Asset Management
• Work Management

Education & Qualifications

• Masters (Msc) of Management in Digital Technologies & Businesses (Wits Business School)
• Senior Management Development Programme (Stellenbosch Business School)
• Financial Management (GIBS)
• Surface Blasting Certification (MQA)
• Operations Management for Mining Systems (Wits University)
• BSc Geology (Wits University)
• BSc Honours Geology (Wits University)
• Continuous Improvement Techniques (Six Sigma) (CI Consulting)

Tshego comes from the engineering fraternity of metallurgy with 15 years of mining processing experience, his previous work involvements span from exploration, production, corporate, and consultancy. He has worked in numerous projects and operations within the BHP Billiton portfolio, South32 portfolio, and South Africa Energy Coal portfolio within South Africa and Central Africa region. He is having commodity strength in manganese, iron ore, and coal processing. He has a natural Green-blue-red/yellow cap persona and world view which makes him have a keen interest in employee engagement enablement and continuous process improvement using available systems, tools, and process to uplift operations and using technology to maintain, sustain and create the base-line for continued upliftment.

He is a detail orientated, analytical, and a deep thinker with an
ability for foresight/interconnects of things that coupled with an understanding of Process Architecture, Systems (processing Systems, Geospatial, Dashboards, Works Management) and People (Specifically Intrinsic Drivers & Capability for individuals); He and Mahene are spear-heading the South African Industry on projects transforming how mining, healthcare, and processing operations transform business through the use of technology for sustainability and growth.

His experiential engagements in BHPB, S32, and SAEC have led to bottom-line benefits across all businesses/operations. He has been able to enable and achieve this through increased revenue or lower cost base by enabling operations/businesses to create new products & niche market demands, reduced “strike action”, improved use of data through SQL wiring, creating commitment and front-line planning and review processes, creating & focussing on the repeatability of performance and the predictability of system outputs which lead to cost-productive, sustainable and safe operations/businesses.
HE has worked the end to end of a mining business, from Exploration
to Mine closure, and has put standards still in use today by various operations from graduate training standards to group deployed closure standards.

Professional Affiliation

• The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM)
• Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)
• South African Coal Processing Society (SACPS)
• Land Rehabilitation Society of South Africa (LaRSSA)
• Fossil Fuel Foundation (FFF)

Expertise

• Process Design & Optimisation
• Process Optimisation & Operational Improvement
• Rail and Road Logistics Design, Optimisation & Operational Improvement
• Employee Capability Uplift / Engagement uplift
• Works Management
• Digital Technologies integration and optimisation
• Engineering Change Management
• Operation & Business Improvement Methodologies (MDW, De-Bono Hats, Six Sigma, Lean, Kaizen, FTC, WDW, MOS, Design Thinking for Mining)
• Operational Analysis & Improvement
• Project Management (Early studies phase to feasibility capital projects)
• General Management (Operational, Improvement and projects)

Education & Qualifications

• Masters (MSc) of Management in Engineering and Technology Management (University of Pretoria)
• BSc Honours in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (University of Witwatersrand)
• Employee and Life sciences Management for Mining Operations (Goldfields Development Programme)
• Continuous Improvement Techniques (MDW, Six Sigma & Lean) (CI Consulting)

Mamonare’s 8-year work experience, in the Engineering, Smelting, and Project management fields, commenced in 2013 as a Small Projects and Modifications Specialist in training at BHP Billiton. Her diligence and passion for transforming opportunities into products and optimizing equipment, through the Management of a change process, inspired her appointment at South32 (demerged from
BHP) as Specialist Small Projects and Modifications in the year 2015. She was shortly seconded to the PM Office to deliver an individual capital portfolio of 6 projects (R18m). She initiated an energy efficiency project on ID Fans (through the use of VSDs) for one of the plants saving section 60% on electricity costs.

In 2017, Mamonare commissioned a few safety initiatives which resulted in mitigation of significant events or incidents. She led an individual portfolio (R70m) of multi- disciplinary capital projects (Electrical and instrumentation, Civil and Construction, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering), of both brownfield and greenfield projects. She furthered her development by becoming the PMO’s financial controller and successfully ended the financial year with a clean audit in 2018.

Her vast adaptive nature has resulted in very distinguished relations with those she works with and has always seen her achieve her objectives and those of any collective team that she forms part of.

In 2019, she was appointed as Superintendent in Projects’ execution but acted as Projects Delivery Lead (Project Portfolio Manager) where she led, coached, and mentored a team of 6 Project Managers, two safety officers, and multiple contractors in ensuring that project deliverables are achieved and that the portfolio is executed against performance targets. The PM Office had governance reporting lines at Both South32- Metalloys and Australia, which she successfully fulfilled.

Mamonare contributed to the organization by initiating and improving project governance processes, methodologies and reworked the Metalloys Project management framework to align and be of high value to the organization’s business strategy.

Expertise

• Management of Change
• Engineering Governance
• Project Management
• Project Financial Control
• Portfolio Management

Education & Qualifications

• Project Management Professional (2021)
• Certified Associate in Project Management (2016)
• BTech: Electrical Engineering (2012)

Anton has extensive experience in digital transformation. Versed in developing and implementing strategies and solutions through various critical thinking frameworks. His experience expands to conducting market research, growing and managing a solutions portfolio by developing new business opportunities, and applying change management principles as well as digital tools to drive accelerated adoption of client initiatives. Adept in training and developing high performance teams, as well as effectively identifying detailed business impacts to foster the development of plans for alleviation through communication and stakeholder engagement activities. He has in-depth knowledge and understanding of markets and the ever changing business environment,

Previous Role
Principal Specialist/Business Development Manager IOT

Driving the organization's business by increasing its revenue, identifying and developing new business opportunities and expanding the presence of the organisation and its brands. Lead sales and oversee the client relationship management process, track new markets and emerging trends and propose as well as develop new strategic partnerships. Establish long-term objectives and ensure that they meet business needs and requirements, manage sales initiatives to generate leads for the sales team and set financial targets. Train and develop team members to ensure productivity and enhance profitability. Build Mobility Software as a Service solutions with special competencies in collaboration with leading device manufacturers such as Samsung and Apple to ensure roadmap alignment and ease of device capability leverage. Create revenue streams and effectively communicate the organisations’ value proposition to sales, commercial and customer-facing teams. Provide the enterprise with advice in terms of Mobility and IoT strategies including connectivity and pricing plans. Manage the software and hardware programming, security implementation, networking and systems engineering process. Design and modify the organisations business and IT systems, solve business problems and construct technical solutions. Identify areas of improvement within the organisation and implement the necessary changes to enable the business to perform according to its optimum ability. Review the enterprises existing processes, resources and systems while managing any change to the company’s infrastructure. Ultimately, ensured that the organisations’ operations run smoothly, specialising in transport and logistics (supply chain), developing fleet solutions and overseeing solutions with reference to cold chain monitoring.

Expertise

• Project Management
• Relationship Management
• Negotiation & Persuasion
• Digital Transformation
• Research
• Business Intelligence
• C-suite Client Management
• Sales & Marketing

Education & Qualifications

• Masters Degree in Digital Businesses
• Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration
• Certificate in Marketing Management
• PMD-NQF 6 (Postgraduate Programme)

Mark has over 25 years of international consulting and management experience including general management, project management, business improvement, and operations. His work has been across a range of industries including government, defence, utilities, mining, engineering, financial services, and manufacturing in Australia, Africa, and Asia

Mark has worked with a variety of clients to identify and deliver sustainable improvements with verifiable bottom-line benefits. The gains made have included productivity improvement, increased throughput, cost reductions, revenue growth, strategic planning, and business/market development. An estimated $500m (annualised) in benefits have been realised by clients through projects that Mark has delivered or overseen over the last 10 years.

Clients & Projects:
Following are three examples of projects in the resources sector:

Atlas Iron – This iron ore mining company was expanding from two to six mining operations. The objective was to develop and implement a consistent way that each mine would operate to provide visibility and predictability of throughput, planning, and execution controls. This program was successfully executed and resulted in a consistent process and systems, improved communications and coordination plus an 18% improvement in throughput.

Resource Generation – Developed the operational readiness strategy for a $600m mining operation. This included developing policies, procedures plus the business and operational processes, including an operating model to drive consistency, operational discipline, and accountability. Established project management office for the US$600m mine construction project.

Sydney Water – Successfully implemented a range of business and organisational improvement initiatives including organisational changes. Strong focus on management & supervisory behavioural change, operational improvement, and project delivery.

Other clients include:

• International Power
• BHPB
• Rio Tinto
• Atlas Iron
• Yan Coal
• Anglo Coal
• Glencore
• Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal • QR National
• Australian Railway Group

Expertise

• Project Management
• Strategic Planning and Implementation
• Stakeholder Management
• Management Operating System
• Business Transformation & Improvement
• Organisational Development
• Business Analysis
• General Management

Education & Qualifications

• Master of Business Administration
• Bachelor of Engineering (Mech)

Faraaz Gani is a Chartered Management Accountant. He is an Accounting & Finance enthusiast, with a strong passion for Debits and Credits. He challenges the status quo and how businesses operate and manage their accounting systems and finance function needs through digitising manual processes for more enhanced Financial Reporting. He is involved in developing various tailored accounting solutions and addressing challenges that businesses face in a fast-paced economic climate in a challenging compliance environment.

He gets involved with businesses across a wide range of industries; working with them from the foundational level which looks at the basics of their bookkeeping needs, all the way through to complex compliance matters around Tax, Financial Management and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Faraaz has experience in working with internationally affiliated and local companies. Faraaz began his career as a SAICA Article Clerk at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), an international “Big 4” Audit and Accounting firm. More recently, he has worked within the Retail Transactional banking Sector of South Africa, working in various Finance and Strategic positions at First National Bank (FNB), a Division of FirstRand bank Limited.
Currently he heads up the end-to-end Accounting & Finance function for the entire Smartops Group of Companies.

Education & Qualifications:

• BAccSci – Bachelor of Accounting Sciences from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University)
• Diploma in Management Accounting (CIMA UK)
• Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting (CIMA UK)
• Associate Chartered Management Accounting Designation (CIMA UK)
• Chartered Global Management Accountant Designation (CIMA UK)
   

Roshni Rajan is a dedicated professional with a unique blend of expertise in Human Resources and Information Technology. Her commitment to bridging the gap between technology and human capital makes her a valuable asset to organizations. With a strong background in HR, Work Management and IT, she is well-equipped to help businesses optimize their workforce, leverage technology for strategic advantage, and stay competitive in a dynamic business environment. Roshni's comprehensive skill set, commitment to continuous learning, and adaptability ensure she remains at the forefront of industry trends, delivering value to any organization she collaborates with.

Expertise

• Recruitment & Talent Management
• Conflict Resolution & Mediation
• HR Technology Proficiency
• HR Policy design & Implementation
• Labour Law
• Business Management
• Change Management
• Labour Relations
• Economics
• Coding
• Web design & Programming Active Server Pages (ASP)
• Control & Instrumentation
• Maintenance Planning

Education & Qualifications

• Master of Computer Applications (University of the Anna - India)
• Bachelor Of Commerce: Human Resource Management (University of South Africa - UNISA)
• Bachelor of Computer Applications (University of the Mahatma Gandhi - India)

Highly skilled and accomplished professional with extensive experience in business integration, business improvement, and supply chain management. Demonstrated expertise in operational improvement, business transformation, and lean leadership, spanning over a decade. Proven track record in diverse sectors, including petrochemical, mining, manufacturing, and refurbishment. Committed to delivering exceptional results through the implementation of operational excellence initiatives.

Experience

Business Integration and Improvement Consultant

• Provided expert guidance and leadership in the installation of Operations Excellence in the mining sector.
• Conducted installation and training of the Management Operating System (MOS) at Kriel Colliery, a subsidiary of Anglo American.
• Successfully implemented a fully Integrated Operating Model and spearheaded the transformation strategy for SASOL Mining.
• Designed the FULCO Operating Model specifically tailored for SASOL Mining, ensuring streamlined operations and enhanced efficiency.
• Led the installation of the Management Operating System at New Denmark Colliery, a project for the SERITI GROUP.
• Developed and executed a comprehensive 90 Day improvement plan for Anglo-American Platinum, resulting in significant business enhancements.
• Ensured sustainable implementation of improvement initiatives through Leadership Capability building.

Lean Leadership Experience

• Utilized lean principles and methodologies to drive operational excellence in various management and project roles.
• Applied lean methodologies to optimize operational processes, production management, and project management.
• Delivered exceptional results in diverse sectors, including petrochemical, mining, manufacturing, and refurbishment.
• Provided valuable consulting services to General Managers, Vice Presidents, and Senior Vice Presidents, contributing to their business performance improvement.
• Employed consistent problem-solving techniques and continuous improvement strategies to drive transformative changes.

Expertise

• Business Integration and Improvement
• Operational Improvement
• Business Transformation
• Supply Chain Management
• Lean Leadership
• Project Management
• Management Consulting
• Problem Solving
• Continuous Improvement
• Leadership Capability Building
• Integrated Operating Models
• Management Operating Systems

Education & Qualifications

• B.Eng. Process Engineering
• Black Belt (LEAN Six Sigma)
• Advanced Management Programme
• Manage Others Development Programme  

Burton has many years of international work experience including Consulting and Business Improvement with a focus on Operations. He has worked across a range of industries including utilities, mining, heavy engineering, construction, local government, and IT in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, the Middle-East, and India.

Burton’s experience enables him to see the big picture from a strategy lens, identify the issues/risks/opportunities at the different strata of the organization, their root causes, and quickly convert them to simple executable plans which his clients generally ask him or his team to help execute.

He is a strong number cruncher, analytical, a deep thinker, and a strong communicator. He also has a robust understanding of Process Architecture, Systems (Asset Systems, Geospatial, Dashboards, Works Management, etc.) and People (Specifically Intrinsic Drivers, Motivators & Capability for individuals & teams)

His engagements have led to bottom-line benefits through increased revenue at the same or lower cost base. These have been achieved through increased efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of service or product. An estimated $250M (annualised) in benefits have been realised by clients through projects that Burton has delivered or overseen over the last 10 years.

Clients & Projects
Following are three examples of recent projects:

Jemena – Led the successful design and implementation of a Solution that delivered re- duced usage of contractors and delivered an annual OPEX reduction of $1.2M. The resulting solution model implemented defined new processes, improved the use of systems & report- ing, defined behaviour models, and clarified accountabilities.

AngloAmerican – Design and rollout of improved ways of working as part of a large trans- formation project at three mines in South Africa that led to improved throughput of over 12% through implementation of better mine planning, improved processes, and behaviour models.

Dunedin City Council – Improved processes and use of the existing system in the Roading Department that led to significant internal benefits and better visibility of contractor use and service delivery standards.

Other clients/businesses include:

• Atlas Iron
• WaterCorp
• APA Gases
• Powercor
• Gore Council
• Whitehaven Coal

Expertise

• Process Optimisation
• Capability Uplift
• Management Operating System
• Operational Improvement
• Strategy Development
• Asset Management
• Works Management

Education & Qualifications

• Master of Business Administration
• Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics)

Sandeep has over 15 years of consulting and general business experience. His experience in consulting includes 10 years in business improvement, operations management and transformation. He has worked across a range of industries including telco, education, financial services, health, infrastructure, resources and utilities. Sandeep’s general business experience has come from business improvement and marketing roles with Telstra, and transformation roles in mining (Rio Tinto) and manufacturing (BWX).

Sandeep has worked with a variety of clients to identify and deliver sustainable improvements with measurable bottom-line benefits. Sandeep's projects have delivered improvements in cost, organisational structure and capability, productivity, revenue leakage and throughput. 

Expertise

• Process Improvement
• Management Operating System
• Operational Improvement
• Organisational Development
• Business Analysis & Review
• Project Management

Education & Qualifications

• Master of Business Administration
• Bachelor of Business

Vinola a seasoned Change Management Lead and Business Analyst with a diverse career spanning the mining and banking industries, She brings a wealth of experience and expertise in driving transformative initiatives and enhancing operational efficiency. Her journey in change management, coupled with a background as a business analyst, has equipped her with a unique skill set to steer organizations through complex transitions and strategic improvements.

In the mining sector, she honed her skills as a change manager, working closely with cross-functional teams to implement process improvements and innovation (technology) in a traditionally conservative industry. Her ability to assess current practices, identify areas for improvement, and guide teams through change initiatives results in enhanced safety protocols, increased operational efficiency, and reduced costs. Vinola is well-versed in the challenges and nuances of the mining industry, including compliance, safety regulations, and resource management.

In the banking sector, she also applied change management expertise to drive digital transformation and streamline banking operations. Vinola develop and implemented effective communication strategies that build customer loyalty programs, brand awareness, and customer satisfaction. As a Change Management Lead, she played a pivotal role in facilitating a smooth transition to new banking technologies, optimizing customer service processes, and ensuring seamless integration of innovative financial solutions. Her work contributed to improved customer experiences, increased operational efficiency, and greater competitiveness in the financial services sector.

In her previous capacity as a Business Analyst, Vinola leveraged her analytical and problem-solving skills to bridge the gap between business needs and technology solutions. She has a proven track record of collaborating with stakeholders to define project requirements, design process workflows, and evaluate the impact of changes on existing systems and operations. Her experience in data analysis and reporting has allowed her to provide valuable insights for informed decision-making and strategic planning.

Vinola is proficient in various project management methodologies, ensuring that change initiatives are executed on time and within budget. Her ability to communicate effectively and build strong relationships with colleagues and executives has been pivotal in gaining buy-in for transformational projects and driving successful outcomes.

Vinola os deeply passionate about change management and business analysis, understanding that these disciplines are at the heart of an organization's growth and competitiveness. Her commitment to continuous learning and adaptability enables her to stay at the forefront of industry trends and deliver value to any organization.

As an accomplished Executive Assistant with a passion for supporting top-level executives and enhancing organizational efficiency, Bongekile brings a wealth of experience, dedication, and exceptional organizational skills to every role she undertakes. With a proven track record of providing seamless support to senior management, she is committed to optimizing operations, streamlining processes, and facilitating the success of executive leadership.

Bongekile's career journey is marked by a deep commitment to excellence and a thorough understanding of the demands of executive leadership. She thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments and excel at managing complex schedules, prioritizing tasks, and orchestrating high-level meetings and events. Her ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion underscores her commitment to professionalism.

Her expertise extends to a range of administrative and executive support functions, including calendar management, travel coordination, expense management, and document preparation. She has a keen eye for detail and a knack for anticipating the needs of the executives she supports, ensuring they can focus on strategic decision-making while she manages the administrative aspects of their roles.

Furthermore, Bongekile is well-versed in a variety of office software, tools, and communication platforms, which allows her to adapt seamlessly to different work environments and technologies. She prides herself on her strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and her ability to work collaboratively with teams to achieve common goals.

With a relentless dedication to facilitating the success of the executives she support, Bongekile is driven by a genuine desire to make their professional lives easier and more productive. Her goal is to contribute to the growth and efficiency of SmartOps by ensuring that the executive team can operate at their full potential.