Beyond Lubricants - How FUCHS Is Tackling Mining’s Maintenance Skills Crisis

As Africa’s mining industry faces mounting pressure from skills shortages, safety compliance demands, and rising downtime costs, FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA is taking significant strides to address one of the sector's most pressing issues: the erosion of maintenance capability on the ground.

At Mining Indaba 2026, FUCHS will showcase how its combination of industry knowledge, on-site specialist support, and condition-based lubrication services is helping mines boost equipment reliability, improve safety performance, and stabilise operational performance in an increasingly constrained skills environment.

With a skills shortage across fitters, artisans, engineers and maintenance specialists, mining companies face rising costs, safety compliance pressures and workforce turnover that directly undermines operational uptime. These shortages remain a significant constraint on productivity and long-term competitiveness across the sector.

“Even with the best equipment and premium lubricants, success depends on proper application. When teams understand how to use these solutions effectively, that’s when performance and reliability truly shine,” says Dave Gons FUCHS National Manager Mining | Regional Mining Manager Sub Saharan Africa.

The Maintenance Skills Gap: A Real Operational Risk

Insufficient practical experience and relevant qualifications have direct implications for routine activities like lubrication management, which many operators still consider a low-priority task despite its widely acknowledged impact on equipment performance. 

Industry studies show that improper lubrication practices are responsible for a significant portion of premature equipment failures, with estimates indicating that up to 40% of bearing failures and related maintenance issues result from lubrication mismanagement and associated contamination or errors. These failures not only curtail uptime but also amplify safety risks, from overheating and fire hazards to unexpected stoppages and mechanical seizure.

FUCHS: Beyond Lubricants - A Partner in Human-Centered Reliability

This February at Mining Indaba, FUCHS will amplify its proposition that reliability is built not only on product quality but on human competence and process discipline.

Key solutions showcased by FUCHS at CTICC Stand 1L62 will include:

• Root-cause analysis services for lubrication-related failures, offering actionable insights and preventive strategies tailored to specific mine environments.
• Standardised lubrication schedules and contamination control frameworks that help streamline maintenance efforts for slimmed-down teams.
• Hands-on support and coaching, from condition monitoring and oil analysis to tailored lubrication systems that drive measurable improvements in reliability and safety.

Why It Matters Now

In South Africa’s current mining landscape, the intersection of skills shortages, safety compliance imperatives, and reliability pressures has made lubrication training and on-site technical support not just beneficial, but essential.

With a commitment to sustainability, efficiency, and partnership, FUCHS supports mining and industrial operations in achieving peak performance through expert guidance, tailored solutions, and trusted collaboration. 

Connect with FUCHS experts at Stand 1L62 at Mining Indaba 2026 to explore how bolstering the human element of maintenance can deliver safer, more reliable operations and unlock greater productivity across the sector.  

For more information, visit www.fuchs.com/za/en and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Or read more in our Mining brochure. 

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About FUCHS

FUCHS develops, produces, and markets high-grade lubricants and related specialties for virtually all industries Founded in 1931 as a family business in Mannheim, FUCHS is now the world's largest independent supplier of innovative lubricant solutions, covering almost every industry and application. Today, the company’s 6 000 employees in over 50 countries still share the same goal: To keep the world moving both sustainably and efficiently. 

To live up to this claim, we think in terms of perfection, not merely standards. When developing individual solutions, we enter into an intensive customer dialogue – acting as an experienced consultant, innovative problem solver and reliable team partner. The results we provide meet not only the highest technological requirements but also help customers save on operating costs and emissions. Because at FUCHS, sustainability is not simply an empty phrase, but a mindset – and thus the basis and aspiration of all our business activity.