CSI Consolidated Holdings

What CSI Consolidated Holdings does

CSI Consolidated Holdings (trading as CSI Mining) is a South African privately held manufacturer of corrosion-resistant electrowinning equipment and tankhouse infrastructure for base metal refineries, founded in 1993 and headquartered at a single manufacturing facility in Petit, Benoni, Gauteng. The company's core offering is the patented UNICELL® polymer concrete electrowinning cell — a monolithically cast electrolytic cell made from advanced vinylester-based composite with FRP rebar reinforcement and integral overflow/decant and inlet piping — manufactured under an exclusive Sub-Saharan Africa licensing partnership with CTI International Technology. CSI complements the UNICELL® with a broad portfolio of tankhouse hardware: stainless steel and titanium cathodes, lead-calcium and lead-silver alloy anodes, polymer concrete insulator blocks and capping boards, polypropylene electrode spacers and anode buttons, HDPE edge strips, acid baths and stripping cells, non-slip flooring, demister balls, and bus-bar/electrolyte infrastructure.

The company sells primarily to enterprise mining and refinery customers operating copper solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW), cobalt, zinc, nickel, and (more recently) precious metal refining operations, and has delivered equipment and services to 15+ African countries including South Africa, Zambia, DRC, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. The business model combines one-time custom-manufactured equipment sales, turnkey tankhouse design and installation services (cell replacement, electrode management systems, electrolyte systems, electrical infrastructure), and recurring long-term supply contracts for consumables such as insulator blocks. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales: free site assessment and technical consultation followed by custom engineering design and fixed-price quotation. Cumulative production of 100,000+ insulator blocks and 2,000+ electrowinning cells, plus 30+ years of operation, positions CSI as a niche specialist with a defensible regional franchise rather than a high-growth technology company.

Leadership consists of Founder & Chairman Gary Prothero (30+ years electrowinning industry experience, founder since 1993) and CEO Eric van Dieman (MBA, Bond University Australia). The company is privately held with no disclosed external investment, no parent company, and a small team (1–10 employees), making it a founder-led specialty industrial manufacturer rather than a venture-backed growth business.

Name

CSI Consolidated Holdings

Legal name

CSI Mining

Website

https://csiza.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CSI Consolidated Holdings (CSI Mining) is a South African manufacturer of patented UNICELL® polymer concrete electrowinning cells and tankhouse equipment, serving base metal and precious metal refineries across 15+ Sub-Saharan African countries as the exclusive regional partner of CTI International Technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrowinning Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353), Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing (332420)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

Copper Refining (Electrorefining & Fire Refining) (IMAKADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Copper Anode/Cathode Production & Handling (IMAKADAG)

Keywords

• Electrowinning equipment
• Tankhouse infrastructure
• Polymer concrete cells
• Base metal refining
• Cathode manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Benoni, Gauteng

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electrowinning Equipment Sales: One-time sale of electrowinning cells (UNICELL®), cathodes, anodes, insulator blocks, acid baths, flooring, demister balls, and edge strips to base metal refineries. Products are manufactured to specification and sold as replacement components or for new tankhouse installations.
2. Tankhouse Design & Installation Services: Turnkey design, installation, and commissioning services for new electrowinning tankhouses and refurbishment of existing facilities. Services include new tankhouse design, cell replacement, electrode management systems, electrolyte systems, electrical infrastructure, and maintenance contracts.
3. Ongoing Supply Contracts: Long-term supply agreements for polymer concrete insulator blocks and consumables to base metal refineries, ensuring recurring revenue from operational customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CSI Mining manufactures corrosion-resistant polymer concrete electrowinning cells and complementary tankhouse equipment for base metal refineries across Africa. As the exclusive Sub-Saharan Africa partner for CTI International Technology, the company produces the patented UNICELL® electrowinning cell, along with cathodes, anodes, insulator blocks, capping boards, acid baths, flooring, and demister balls. It also delivers turnkey tankhouse design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance services for copper, cobalt, zinc, nickel, and lead electrowinning operations.

Product overview

CSI Mining is a South African manufacturer of corrosion-resistant electrowinning equipment and tankhouse infrastructure for base metal refineries. The company's core product is the patented UNICELL® electrowinning cell, a polymer concrete cell with monolithic construction that serves as the foundational component around which the product portfolio is built. The portfolio includes complementary hardware products: high-purity stainless steel and titanium cathodes, lead-calcium and lead-silver alloy anodes, polymer concrete insulator blocks and capping boards for electrode spacing, polypropylene electrode spacers and anode buttons, custom acid baths and stripping cells, non-slip flooring and walkways, polypropylene demister balls for acid mist suppression, and HDPE edge strips for electrolyte management. Tankhouse infrastructure products include bus-bars, crane systems, and electrolyte distribution piping. The company also offers comprehensive services including tankhouse design, cell replacement and refurbishment, electrode management systems, electrolyte systems, electrical infrastructure, and long-term maintenance contracts. As the exclusive Sub-Saharan Africa partner for CTI International Technology, CSI manufactures the globally-proven UNICELL® technology. Products are engineered for specific electrolyte chemistries of copper, cobalt, zinc, nickel, and lead electrowinning operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UNICELL® Electrowinning Cells Patented polymer concrete electrowinning cells with monolithic vinylester-based composite construction manufactured as the exclusive Sub-Saharan Africa partner of CTI International Technology; engineered for copper, cobalt, zinc, and nickel SX-EW operations.
• Cathodes High-purity stainless steel and titanium blank cathodes engineered for optimal current distribution and easy stripping in high-throughput electrowinning tankhouses.
• Anodes Lead-calcium and lead-silver alloy anodes providing exceptional conductivity and extended service life under aggressive mineral acid conditions, available in cast and rolled options.
• Insulator Blocks Acid-resistant polymer concrete blocks for bus-bar isolation and electrical safety in electrowinning cells, with high dielectric strength and over 100,000 units manufactured at the Benoni facility.
• Capping Boards Polymer concrete capping boards providing accurate seating and spacing of electrodes in electrowinning cells for copper, cobalt, zinc, nickel, and manganese operations.
• Acid Baths and Stripping Cells Custom fabricated polymer concrete acid baths and stripping cells for cathode stripping, electrolyte storage, and chemical processing in H2SO4 and HCl mineral acid environments.
• Tankhouse Design Services Full turnkey design service for new electrowinning tankhouses covering initial layout, cell specification, electrical design, infrastructure, and electrolyte flow management for mining operators.
• Cell Replacement and Refurbishment Services Replacement of failed or aged electrowinning cells with UNICELL® units, including bus-bar and piping adaptation, for refurbishment of existing tankhouses.
• Maintenance Contracts Scheduled and emergency maintenance services for operational tankhouses, including cell inspection, electrode replacement, acid mist suppression maintenance, flooring repair, and structural refurbishment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ UNICELL® cells in operation worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CTI International TechnologyflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCSI Mining is the exclusive Sub-Saharan Africa representative and manufacturer for CTI International Technology, one of the world's leading innovators in electrowinning cell design. CSI manufactures and installs the patented UNICELL® electrowinning cell using CTI's technology, which is universally recognised as the world standard in polymer concrete tankhouse cells with over 40,000 units in operation globally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Metso: Global mining and metals processing OEM (formed from Metso and Outotec) offering copper electrowinning and refining equipment, hydrometallurgical plants and tankhouse solutions to the same African mining customers CSI serves, but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Tenova: Italy-based metals processing technology group offering tankhouse equipment, electrowinning cells and full hydrometallurgical plant solutions to base and precious metals producers, overlapping with CSI's tankhouse infrastructure offering.
• FLSmidth: Major supplier of mineral processing and hydrometallurgical equipment, including electrowinning cells, electrorefining technology and tankhouse solutions, serving copper, cobalt, zinc and nickel producers globally including in Africa.

Others

• Lanxess: Specialty chemicals supplier to the mining and hydrometallurgy sector, providing reagents and process additives used alongside electrowinning equipment — an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• Hatch: Global engineering consultancy that designs hydrometallurgical plants and tankhouses and frequently specifies electrowinning equipment on behalf of mining clients — an adjacent, enabling participant in CSI's customer projects.
• Glencore Technology: Technology licensing arm of Glencore marketing proprietary hydrometallurgical processes (e.g. ISAKID, ISAPROCESS) used in zinc and copper refining; competes for mindshare and specifications on African mining tankhouse projects.

Regional players

• Jingyou Industrial Group: China-based manufacturer of electrowinning cells, cathodes, anodes and tankhouse consumables that supplies African and Asian base metal refineries, overlapping with CSI's product portfolio in a different geography.

Direct peers

• CTI International Technology: CTI is the original inventor and patent holder of the UNICELL® polymer concrete electrowinning cell and CSI's exclusive licensor for Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a direct technology peer — competing on the same electrowinning cell design globally and supplying CSI's underlying IP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csi-consolidated-holdings-mining

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 CSI Consolidated Holdings