Master Drillers

What Master Drillers does

Master Drilling Group Ltd (JSE: MDI) is a South Africa-headquartered specialized drilling contractor founded in 1986 and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange since 2012. The company provides mechanized rock excavation and drilling services to the global mining, civil engineering, and energy sectors, with operations in 29+ countries across Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East and a workforce of approximately 3,000 globally. Its service portfolio is anchored by raise boring — where it operates the world's largest raise boring fleet of 150 raise-bore drills with 35+ years of operational experience — supplemented by exploration drilling, mining services, and an emerging portfolio of new technologies including shaft boring systems, mobile tunnel boring machines, and a specialized reef borer achieving 100% extraction with zero dilution in thin mineralized zones. The RBR 900 machine is currently engaged in the world's longest raise bore hole project at 1,550 meters depth at Northam Platinum's Zondereinde mine.

Revenue is generated through contract and project-based professional services delivered directly to enterprise mining customers including Agnico Eagle, Anglo American, Glencore, Gold Fields, Codelco, Vedanta, and Newmont. FY2024 revenue was a record $292 million, up 7.8% year-over-year, supported by a $371.4 million order book for 2026 and beyond. The company maintains a Digital Solutions division — expanded through the 2024 acquisitions of A&R and Konec — that tracks approximately 60,000 personnel and 1,000 pieces of heavy equipment globally, and holds a strategic partnership with Element Six (part of De Beers Group) to integrate polycrystalline diamond cutting technology, achieving a 17% reduction in waste rock generation versus traditional tunnelling. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and South African B-BBEE certifications and operates from 11+ dedicated regional offices across all major mining jurisdictions.

Name

Master Drillers

Legal name

Master Drilling Group Ltd

Website

https://masterdrilling.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Master Drilling Group is a South Africa-headquartered specialized drilling contractor operating the world's largest raise boring fleet, providing mechanized rock excavation, exploration drilling, and mining services to major mining companies across 29+ countries on five continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Drilling Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Support Activities for Mining (213)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532)

akta.pro primary industry

Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger) (IMAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mine Operations Contracting (Open-Pit & Underground Development, Production, Load/Haul) (IMAKAKAD), Drilling & Rock Excavation Equipment (Rotary/Top-Hammer, Jumbos, Raiseborers) (IMAKANAC)

Keywords

• Raise boring services
• Exploration drilling
• Mining drilling services
• Mechanized rock excavation
• Tunnel boring solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Fochville

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Drilling Services Revenue: Contract and project-based drilling services for mining, civil engineering and energy sectors. Revenue generated from specialized raise boring, exploration drilling, and mechanized rock excavation services delivered to mining companies globally.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Master Drilling Group provides specialized drilling and mechanized rock excavation services to the global mining, civil engineering, and energy sectors. The company's core offerings include raise boring, exploration drilling, mining services, new technology development (including shaft boring systems and mobile tunnel boring machines), and a Digital Solutions division that tracks personnel and heavy equipment worldwide. Master Drilling operates the world's largest raise boring fleet and serves major mining companies across 29+ countries.

Product overview

Master Drilling Group is a specialized mining drilling solutions provider offering a portfolio of mechanized rock excavation services. The core offerings include Raise Boring, Exploration Drilling, Mining Services, and New Technology divisions. The company operates the world's largest raise boring fleet with over 35 years of experience. Advanced technologies include the RBR 900 drilling machine (world's longest raise bore project at 1,550m depth), a new shaft boring system, mobile tunnel boring machine, and specialized reef borer achieving 100% extraction. A Digital Solutions division tracks approximately 60,000 people and 1,000 pieces of equipment globally. The company serves mining, civil engineering, and energy sectors across Africa, Americas, Europe, India, Australia, and Middle East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Solutions: Division tracking approximately 60,000 people and 1,000 pieces of heavy equipment globally
• Master Drilling Australia
• Master Drilling Europe
• Master Drilling North America

Products and services

• Raise Boring Core drilling service using specialized raise bore machines to create vertical or inclined excavations for mining and civil engineering applications; Master Drilling operates the world's largest raise boring fleet and provides the service to major mining companies globally.
• Exploration Drilling Drilling services for mineral exploration and resource assessment, enabling mining companies to evaluate potential mining sites. Provides precision core sampling and accurate drilling for resource evaluation.
• Mining Services Comprehensive drilling and excavation services for active mining operations, including mechanized rock excavation and specialized drilling solutions delivered to mining companies.
• New Technology Innovative drilling technologies developed through R&D investments, including shaft boring systems, mobile tunnel boring machines, specialized reef borers, and synthetic diamond-enabled cutting technology integrated via partnership with Element Six.
• Digital Solutions Technology division providing digital monitoring and management capabilities, tracking approximately 60,000 people and 1,000 pieces of heavy equipment globally; supports personnel and equipment tracking across mining operations worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17% reduction in waste rock generation compared to traditional tunnelling operations
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Element SixflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2025Strategic partnership combining Element Six's patented polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting technology with Master Drilling's mechanized services. The collaboration delivers synthetic diamond-enabled tunnelling solutions achieving 17% reduction in waste rock generation. Technology tested in UK and South Africa underground and surface conditions with mining and infrastructure industry users. Applications span mining, energy, transportation, and urban planning across global markets including Australia.
• Pamicor LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Master Drilling Ghana and Pamicor Limited, a Ghanaian firm, to empower Master Drilling Ghana to deliver comprehensive turnkey solutions to the underground mining sector and promote the government in the local mining sector.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boart Longyear: Global drilling services and equipment provider with leading raise boring, exploration drilling, and production drilling offerings to mining customers. Directly competes for raise bore and exploration contracts with majors similar to Master Drilling's clientele.
• Foraco International: Worldwide drilling contractor offering raise boring, exploration, and geotechnical drilling services to the mining industry. Competes directly with Master Drilling in raise bore contracts across Africa and the Americas.
• Perenti Global (Barminco / Ausdrill): Australia-based diversified mining services contractor with underground hard-rock mining and raise boring capabilities through Barminco. Compares to Master Drilling in integrated underground mining service delivery to majors.
• Major Drilling Group International: Canadian-based specialty drilling contractor providing raise boring, exploration, and underground production drilling services globally to mining companies. Closest publicly-listed pure-play comparable in service mix and customer base.
• DMC Mining Services: Canadian mine contracting firm providing raise boring, shaft sinking, and underground mining services to mining customers. Operates in similar service categories and competes for the same raise boring projects in the Americas.

Broad incumbents

• Epiroc (Atlas Copco): Major mining and infrastructure equipment manufacturer with a growing drilling services and automation offering. Overlaps with Master Drilling in raise boring equipment supply and integrated drilling services, and is a deeper-pocketed competitor.
• Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions: Provides underground drilling equipment and automation solutions to mining operators. Competes indirectly through equipment sales and increasingly through service offerings to the same blue-chip miners Master Drilling serves.

Regional players

• Macmahon Holdings: Australian mining contractor offering underground and surface drilling services primarily to Australian gold and base metals miners. Provides a regional comparable for Master Drilling Australia operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeurl.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/M6kbCVARw1FrX21hQtOSENmho?domain=youtube.com
• Facebookurl.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/kM-9CQnMoVfG9XmtMiMSG06Uh?domain=facebook.com
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/master-drilling-pty-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Master Drillers