Project support is the mainstay of any project and actively supports all the phases of the project from planning through monitoring and control to closing. Our range of project management services include:
Our range of project management services will ensure that your project is scoped and planned correctly, that process controls are in place and critical documentation on hand to guarantee that your project is delivered on time, within budget, according to the scope and as per the quality criteria stipulated.
Project managers and their teams will benefit from our key strengths: team integration, well established methodologies, a disciplined, pro-active approach to monitoring controls, and quality deliverables.
Defining the objectives and scope of a project is the first step to ensuring that projects start out well.
Once this first crucial step is performed, a project is well on its way to success – as the roadmap is unambiguous and all further planning is based on clearly defined goals.
We follow a well-established methodology for planning and developing schedules and work packages. Our schedules are “living documents” which follow the progress of the project using dynamic techniques.
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These techniques not only provides a realistic view of the project, but also ensure that project schedule reporting is relevant and a true reflection of the progress.
We believe in being wholly involved and enmeshed in a project. It is the only way to provide the best service and obtain the desired outcomes.
We are part of the owners / project team and directly support the project manager in reaching the goals of the project.
In order to be most effective, we are on-site with our clients and spend most of our time in direct contact with the project team.
Document management is, and will always remain, a topic of discussion around “what is enough / too much”.
We believe in tailoring our document management offering to the needs and size of the project to ensure efficacy and efficiency, rather than applying the same methodology without regard for the project requirements.
We make use of various platforms for document management, ranging from online hosted platforms to traditional folder structures on the client’s server.
We are passionate about record keeping and document management, and believe that no project can function without it.
As with any discipline, various criteria for managing and delivering projects exist.
We pride ourselves in our internationally accredited staff members who apply best-practice principles to projects and project controls to ensure that projects comply to industry standards and/or client-specific governance.
Project Management Brochure
Project Support Brochure
Project Support (French)
Growing up during the Space Age, Jaco dreamt of becoming an astronaut, ready to explore and push the boundaries. Jaco was born in the Northern Cape town of Kuruman and grew up in Kathu and in the Western Cape town of Wellington.
Jaco’s career started in the Defense Force, where he spent 15 years. At the pinnacle of Jaco’s Defense Force career, he reached the level of Infantry Sergeant-Major. His time at the Defense Force unlocked a great passion in him to train, mentor, and coach others.
In 1999, Jaco decided he was ready to make a career change, and he ventured into Project Management. Rob Alcock was a great influence on Jaco, and he assisted Jaco to map out a path to entry into Project Management, and ultimately obtaining his PMP. Jaco shares that the most satisfying aspect of Project Management is “seeing the product being developed, moving from the design phases to the development or construction of the end product.”
Outside of work, Jaco is a father to two amazing young adult daughters, Catherine and Dane. He enjoys staying active and did road running for 12 years, mountain biking for 6 years and lately, he enjoys a few rounds of golf or relaxing with a fishing rod in hand.
As the Principal Project Manager at VBKOM, he is most excited to help his team members reach their goals and grow the project management service by challenging the status quo and developing original solutions.
Lynsey grew up in Durban and completed her studies in Geology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She moved to Gauteng in 2014 to start her career as a Mining Geologist on the West Wits Goldfields. She worked on three of the world’s deepest mines over a 5-year period before making a career change into Project Management with VBKOM to expand on her skills and expertise. She enjoys learning new skills and combining them with her Mining background to deliver innovative solutions to clients.
In 2019 she decided to pursue her passion for finance and investing and started studying towards gaining the CFA charter. Lynsey enjoys pushing her limits and is always open to new and exciting challenges. She values honesty and loyalty, and her logical and analytical nature means she does not take decision-making lightly.
Lynsey has an adventurous spirit and is very passionate about skydiving. She has been involved in the sport since 2015 and plans to start wingsuiting within the next few months to experience real human flight. She loves to travel with her partner and friends, and has been to several countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia, but still plans to visit the rest of the continents over the next few years. She also loves nature and being out and about, so enjoys hiking and trail running whenever she can.
Tiffany is always up for a laugh, a chat, or a challenge. She brightens up any room she walks into, and she is able to captivate her audience with her big smile and open and positive attitude.
Growing up, Tiffany’s parents quickly noticed that she likes organising everything and anything. They wanted Tiffany to choose a career path that will be naturally suited to her, and they had her complete three aptitude tests, and the results of all three tests indicated that Tiffany should venture into operations or project management.
Tiffany is one of the hardest workers you will ever cross paths with, and when she talks about her work, she shares that the most satisfying aspect of her role is, “being able to create structure and adding value to my client’s projects”.
At home, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her family, around a braai. She comes from a family of really good project managers and loves to listen to her parents and siblings sharing their work and life experiences with her. Even though she is the youngest, she aspires to be the best project manager her family has ever seen.
Tiffany is the proud mommy of little Luna, a cute black Pug puppy, and also has some chickens, goats and rabbits.
Shajal a Reliability and Planning Engineer at Eskom. She is an accomplished Engineer with 8 years of technical experience in the Power Industry. She enjoys using her project management skills to contribute to effective planning and scheduling of a project to ensure that it is well-planned and scheduled for timely completion. She graduated from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. In 2017 she graduated with an Honors degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Pretoria with a distinction pass. She recently completed a Masters in Engineering Project Management with a distinction from the University of Pretoria. Whilst studying for her Masters, she earned membership into the Golden Key International Society for my exemplary academic performance. She possesses excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to relate well at all levels within an organization. Furthermore,she manages time effectively and prioritises tasks simultaneously whilst remaining flexible to meet changing needs or demands under adverse conditions. Her strengths lie in her ability to solve complex problems whilst maintaining focus on safety and environmental factors .
Karen was born in the quaint little town of Waterval-Boven before moving to Pretoria at the age of six. Karen has a great love for animals and growing up she wanted to own an animal rescue center.
After matriculating from the Hoërskool Oos Moot in Pretoria a family friend introduced her to the mining industry, and she says, “I have loved this industry ever since.” She joined the VBKOM-family in January 2022 and forms part of the Project Management and -Support technical delivery team.
Her deadline-driven, flexibility, and communication skills set the perfect platform for working under pressure and delivering quality project management and -support services to her employers and clients. She strives to create memorable experiences and serve her clients beyond expectations.
Outside of work, Karen and her husband, Brent, enjoy going on road trips on his BMW motorcycle, and one of the most memorable trips they took was to Cape Town. Karen is a proud mom of her two children, her adult son and daughter. She and her husband have five pets which include dogs and birds.
Durbanite Kerryn Taylor joined VBKOM in 2023 as a technical editor. Growing up, Kerryn wanted to pursue a career as a pharmacist and says, “I have always had a passion for science, research, and writing, which led me into the fields of cellular and molecular biology. During my postgraduate degrees, I was actively involved in reviewing and editing research projects for undergraduate, Honours, and Masters students - this is where my passion for editing developed.”
Kerryn holds a PhD in Molecular Biology, which she obtained in 2017 from the University of KwaZulu-Natal; which she also proudly shares as being one of her greatest personal and professional achievements to date. She prides herself on unlocking and adding value in everything she takes on.
To unwind, she loves reading, watching documentaries, and running her fingers over a piano's black and white keys. She also loves travelling around South Africa and takes every opportunity to explore new places. Kerryn claims to be obsessed with cats, and jokingly shares that she and her two cats share their home with her husband.
Estelle is an accomplished Human Resources & Supply Chain Specialist, with extensive experience in Project Management across Mining, AV, HR, SCM. With ND. Public Relations, LEAN (Boston) and PMBok Workshop (CE@UP), combined with 20 years+ experience in IT, AV, Mining industry,.
She has delivered multiple projects: Corporate & Residential AV Projects, HR program, SCM (Mining), IT & Government industry (AV). Starting as HR Specialist, then Procurement Specialist, Mining, moving into AV & IT. She has worked on small / medium projects that have been implemented successfully, managing projects from inception, up to implementation.
"I am always looking forward to contribute to a project, leading, advising & deliver on time, within budget & quality assured."
Duduzile, more fondly known as Dudu, hails from Harare in Zimbabwe. Growing up, she did not have a chosen career path, but she was adamant to focus on doing what brought her the most joy. Dudu has loved mathematics and science since a young age, and this love was fostered by her father, an engineer.
Dudu enrolled for a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the University of Pretoria and graduated with an Industrial Engineering degree in 2017. She furthered her studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering Honours degree in Engineering and Technology Management in 2019 from the University of Pretoria. She is currently enrolled for a Master’s degree in Project Management at the University of Pretoria.
When talking about her studies, she shares that “Getting my undergraduate degree must be one of my greatest achievements thus far. I struggled a lot when I started, but I pushed through, fought past many of my fears, and refused to quit. The degree was for my career, but the great achievement for me was the personal growth and accomplishment that came with it.”
Dudu recently got married, and she enjoys her time off singing and playing the guitar. She is determined to learn how to play other instruments as well.
Dean is an analytical thinker with a strong numerical background, over the years he has been successful in the various roles he has fulfilled in manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, I.T, product development, costing, and inventory management
Namibian-born Jani grew up all over Namibia, and by the age of 11, her family moved to Potchefstroom, and finally to Pretoria. When Jani was younger, she dreamed of becoming a Rally Driver, and shares “I might still become one!”
Jani started at VBKOM in the Project Management department in 2011 and shares, “Providing project management services within the mining industry, has taught me that a can-do attitude, excellence, and innovative solutions make all the difference in our delivery to our clients.”
With the organizational redesign that VBKOM went through and Jani’s great passion for seeing the VBKOM clients’ successes being realised, she made the big decision to pursue the challenges of a Business Development role. She will harness her project management knowledge and skills to identify the possibilities and craft solutions to the benefit of not only the VBKOM clients’ but of the whole of VBKOM.
Outside of the work environment, Jani’s hobbies include crafts, do-it-yourself projects, being outside and extensive gardening, she shares that she has about 200 plants in her greenhouse, of which her orchids are her favourite.
Training Programmes
Friday, September 8, 2023 | Chantelle van der Walt
VBKOM prides itself on giving back to the community and on helping others to achieve success. We acknowledge the importance of fostering and nurturing talent within the mining sector, viewing it as a prime opportunity for advancing our brand.
Thursday, March 23, 2023 | Chantelle van der Walt
By unearthing opportunities, our solutions have the power to improve lives. This is not only true for our technical solutions but also for how we view our participation in creating a better world, particularly the communities in which we work and live. The #BackToSchool initiative is the second engagement VBKOM and SSM since December 2022.
Tuesday, March 7, 2023 | Paul Obermeyer
The University of Pretoria invited VBKOM to participate as guest lecturers for the 2023 final-year undergraduate Mining Engineering students. As part of the underground mining module, VBKOM’s Paul Obermeyer (Principal Geologist) and Francois Nell (Mining Engineer) each delivered a lecture on the 1st of March 2023. VBKOM’s delivery was based on the SAMREC Code and the mining value chain from deposit discovery to operating mines.
Wednesday, December 14, 2022 | Chantelle van der Walt
By unearthing opportunities, our solutions have the power to improve lives. This is not only true for our technical solutions but also for how we view our participation in creating a better world. What it comes down to is that our primary goal is to positively impact the lives of others, particularly the communities in which we work and live.
Friday, December 9, 2022 | Chantelle van der Walt
The annual Golf Day hosted by the University of Pretoria Department of Mining Engineering (DOME) and in association with the Mining Alumni Society (MASUP) is a well-attended key event for the VBKOM team.
Thursday, December 8, 2022 | George Olivier
The Open-Pit Mine Planning and Design course presented by VBKOM and experts from the Department of Mining Engineering at the University of Pretoria through Enterprises UP has become an annual training event of note.
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 | Wilhelm Warschkuhl
It was the great pleasure of Mr. Wilhelm Warschkuhl, Principal Mining Engineer, and Mr. Francois Nell, Mining Engineer, at VBKOM to assist the University of Pretoria's Department of Mining Engineering in evaluating and moderating the oral examinations for the 'Mine Design and Research' module.
Thursday, October 6, 2022 | Chantelle van der Walt
VBKOM recognizes the need to grow and support talent in the mining industry as one of the greatest opportunities to grow our brand. Our skills are sought after globally. We are investing in a strong talent pipeline, to serve our needs but not to be selfish, to also share this investment into extraordinary talent with our industry. We are relentless in setting the bar very high.
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 | George Olivier
VBKOM was successfully showcased at the 16th West African Mining and Power Expo (WAMPEX), which was hosted at the Accra International Conference Centre in Ghana from 1 to 3 June 2022.
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 | Manie Kriel
Group CEO, Manie Kriel, attended the eighth annual Junior Indaba, which took place on 1 and 2 June 2022 at the Country Club Johannesburg in Auckland Park. This year the organisers created a hybrid event that allowed people to attend both in-person and online.