Protherm Systems

What Protherm Systems does

Protherm Systems (Pty) Ltd is a South African process engineering company founded in July 1987 and headquartered in Wynberg, Sandton, Gauteng. The company specializes in the design, manufacture, and supply of custom industrial heat exchangers and thermal equipment — including shell-and-tube, plate (including its proprietary F-Series and THERMOWAVE-branded variants), finned tube, brazed plate, graphite, and plastic heat exchangers — together with complete pre-assembled and containerised gold elution systems, electrical process heaters, acid wash and elution columns, and purpose-designed process plants (evaporators, dryers, clean steam, heat recovery). All manufacturing is performed in-house at its Wynberg workshop under ISO 3834-2 and ASME VIII Div 1 / TEMA / API 661 design compliance, supported by local stock of tubes, plates, and gaskets for rapid delivery.

The company's revenue is generated through one-time project sales priced via RFQ/tender, complemented by aftermarket spares and servicing (plates, gaskets, re-tubing) and a CPD-accredited Heat Exchanger Design training course. Its go-to-market is sales-led and direct, combining engagement with industrial end-users (mining, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical) with channel access through EPCM firms — Lycopodium, MDM, GRD Minproc, Senet, Hazron, GBM Minerals, and Engineering Project Company — on African gold mining projects. Geographically, Protherm serves South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Mauritania, and Kazakhstan. It also acts as South African agent and manufacturing partner for THERMOWAVE (Germany), and distributes CALORPLAST, GIL (Graphite India Limited), and MasterWatt Italy electrical heaters.

Protherm's competitive position rests on 38 years of domain specialization in African gold elution systems, a senior engineering team (Managing Director Dr. Leon Koekemoer, Ph.D. Chemical Engineering; co-founders Lawrence Fienberg and Jon Peirson retained as consultants), and a recently launched compact Prolute elution system co-developed with KEMIX for small mines. The privately held company operates with 11-50 employees and reports no external funding or parent ownership.

Name

Protherm Systems

Legal name

Protherm (Proprietary) Limited

Website

https://protherm.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Protherm Systems is a South African privately held engineering firm that designs, manufactures, and supplies custom heat exchangers, gold elution systems, and thermal process plants for African mining, chemical, and industrial customers via direct sales and EPCM channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Heat Exchangers and Thermal Process Equipment

NAICS

Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment (IMAHAKAC), Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment (IMAHAKAD), Process Skids & Modular Process Systems (Packaged Units) (IMAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Industrial heat exchangers
• Gold elution systems
• Pressure vessel fabrication
• Thermal process engineering
• Process plant manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Heat Exchanger Design, Manufacturing and Supply: Design, manufacture and supply of custom heat exchangers including plate, shell & tube, finned tube, brazed plate, graphite, and plastic variants. Revenue is generated through one-time equipment sales, with scope ranging from individual components to complete pre-assembled skid-mounted systems. Pricing determined via RFQ/tender process.
2. Heat Exchanger Spares and Servicing: Supply of replacement parts including heat exchanger plates, gaskets, tubes, and related components from local stock. After-sales maintenance, servicing, refurbishing, and re-tubing services are offered both in-workshop and on-site.
3. Gold Elution Systems and Thermal Process Plants: Design and supply of complete gold elution plant systems including elution columns, acid wash columns, elution heating systems, and associated thermal process plants (evaporators, dryers, closed-circuit water cooling). Systems are pre-assembled, skid-mounted, or containerised.
4. Purpose-Designed Equipment and Process Plants: Custom design and construction of purpose-built process plants including reactor systems, bulk chemical storage systems, heat recovery systems, hot water plants, and clean steam plants for specific industrial applications.
5. Heat Exchanger Training Courses: Professional training course on Heat Exchanger Design Principles and Practice, offering 1 ECSA CPD point, facilitated by Dr Leon Koekemoer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Protherm Systems designs, manufactures, and supplies custom heat exchangers (plate, shell & tube, finned tube, brazed plate, graphite, plastic) and thermal process equipment for industrial customers. Its core specialty is gold elution systems (ZADRA and AARL processes) including pre-assembled skid-mounted and containerised elution plants, plus the Prolute system for small mines. The company also fabricates purpose-designed process plants (evaporators, dryers, reactors, clean steam plants) and distributes internationally branded heat exchangers (THERMOWAVE, CALORPLAST, GIL) as a South African agent.

Product overview

Protherm Systems is a process engineering company specialising in the design, manufacture and supply of industrial thermal equipment and processing plants. The company operates a single-product-portfolio model with multiple product lines: heat exchangers (including THERMOWAVE plate heat exchangers, Protherm F-Series plate heat exchangers, shell & tube, finned tube, brazed plate, graphite, and plastic heat exchangers), gold elution systems (elution heating systems, elution columns, acid wash columns, and the Prolute system with KEMIX), electrical process heaters, purpose-designed equipment, evaporator and dryer plants, closed circuit cooling systems, and after-sales spares and servicing. The portfolio also includes professional training courses on heat exchanger design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prolute: Elution heating system specifically designed for small mines, treating batch sizes from 500 kg to 2000 kg carbon. Developed in partnership with KEMIX for gold recovery using pressure ZADRA process combined with thermosiphon reboiler.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prolute elution heating system achieves heat-up times of less than 4 hours and total elution time of less than 24 hours for batch sizes 500–2000 kg carbon
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MasterWatt ItalycoreTechnology or IntegrationProtherm Systems partners with MasterWatt Italy to import high quality electrical heater equipment which is robust in design and construction for arduous industrial environments. Protherm supplies complete electrical heater systems including switch gear, control and safety equipment installed in suitable panel enclosures.
• KEMIX (Pty) LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationProtherm Systems (Pty) Ltd in partnership with KEMIX developed the 'Prolute elution heating system' specifically designed for small gold mines, treating batch sizes from 500 kg to 2000 kg carbon. KEMIX supplies the electrowinning cell developed specifically for the Prolute system, complete with rectifier.
• THERMOWAVE (Germany)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerProtherm Systems is the South African agent and manufacturing partner for THERMOWAVE plate heat exchangers. While pressed plates and moulded gaskets are of German origin, Protherm Systems manufactures all other components (frame plates, etc.) and performs assembly and testing at its South African premises.
• CALORPLAST (Germany)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProtherm Systems is a distributor of CALORPLAST plastic heat exchangers — made entirely from plastic materials (PE-RT, PP, PVDF) for heating, cooling, and condensing of chemically aggressive liquids and gases.
• GIL — Graphite India LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProtherm Systems supplies GIL (Graphite India Limited) graphite heat exchangers suitable for a wide range of chemical heating, cooling, and condensing applications. Impervious graphite heat exchangers are completely resistant to corrosion from all but the strongest oxidising chemicals.
• Lycopodium (Pty) LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLycopodium (Pty) Ltd acts as an EPCM firm on multiple African gold mining projects (Goldfields Tarkwa-Ghana, Newmont Ahafo-Ghana, Newmont Akyem-Ghana, B2 Gold Namibia) where Protherm Systems supplies elution heating systems and equipment.
• MDM (Pty) LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMDM (Pty) Ltd acts as an EPCM firm for gold mining projects (Randgold Loulo-Mali) where Protherm Systems supplies elution heating systems.
• GRD Minproc (Pty) LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGRD Minproc (Pty) Ltd acts as an EPCM firm for gold mining projects (Bogoso Gold-Ghana, IAMGold Essakane Mine-Burkina Faso) where Protherm Systems supplies elution heating systems.
• Senet cccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSenet cc acts as an EPCM firm for gold mining projects (Rio Narcea/Tasiast-Mauritania, ECM Varvarinskoye-Kazakhstan) where Protherm Systems supplies elution heating systems.
• Hazron (Pty) LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHazron (Pty) Ltd acts as an EPCM firm for gold mining projects (Cluff Angovia Mine-Ivory Coast, Cluff Kalsaka Mine-Burkina Faso) where Protherm Systems supplies elution equipment.
• GBM MineralsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGBM Minerals acts as an EPCM firm for gold mining projects (Etruscan Resources/Youga Mine-Burkina Faso) where Protherm Systems supplies elution equipment.
• Engineering Project Company (Pty) LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEngineering Project Company (Pty) Ltd acts as an EPCM firm for gold mining projects (Goldfields Tarkwa Phase IV Expansion-Ghana) where Protherm Systems supplies elution equipment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GEA Group: German process engineering major with extensive heat exchanger and evaporation/drying plant offerings. Comparable to Protherm on industrial heat exchange, evaporator plants, and dryer plants serving chemical and food/pharma customers.
• Alfa Laval: Global leader in heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling with a deep plate heat exchanger portfolio. Directly comparable to Protherm on plate, brazed plate, and shell & tube technologies for mining and process industries, but operates at vastly larger scale.
• FLSmidth: Global mining and minerals processing EPCM supplier providing process equipment including heat exchangers and gold processing plant packages. Comparable to Protherm as a process equipment counterparty for African gold mining projects, though at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Kelvion: Specialist in plate, shell & tube, and finned tube heat exchangers with strong presence in mining, chemical, and HVAC. Direct competitor to Protherm in industrial process heat exchangers across African and emerging-market projects.
• SPX Heat Transfer (SPX Technologies): Global designer and manufacturer of heat transfer equipment for process industries, including shell & tube and plate technologies. Directly competes for industrial process heat exchanger projects comparable to Protherm's portfolio.
• Tranter (part of ALFA LAVAL): Plate heat exchanger specialist serving chemical, HVAC, and process industries globally. Direct competitor in plate HX technology where Protherm also competes via THERMOWAVE and the F-Series.
• Sondex (Danfoss): Plate heat exchanger brand within Danfoss, competing in the same plate HX niche Protherm addresses through THERMOWAVE distribution and the proprietary F-Series.
• API Heat Transfer: Manufacturer of shell & tube, plate, and air-cooled heat exchangers for industrial process applications. Directly comparable product line to Protherm's shell & tube and finned tube offerings for mining and chemical customers.

Emerging players

• Chart Industries: Specializes in cryogenic and process heat transfer equipment, including brazed plate heat exchangers. Adjacent/overlapping with Protherm's brazed plate and process heater offerings in chemical and industrial applications.

Others

• Lycopodium: EPCM firm that is one of Protherm's most important channel partners on African gold projects (Goldfields Tarkwa, Newmont Ahafo/Akyem, B2 Gold Namibia). They are not a direct product competitor but are an ecosystem partner shaping which equipment suppliers win project specifications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Protherm Systems