Sello Seboka

Results-driven Plant Manager and qualified Metallurgist (B-Tech: Engineering Metallurgy, NQF 7) with over 15 years of progressive leadership across pyrometallurgy, smelter and furnace operations, mineral beneficiation, and multi-circuit plant environments in high-output Southern African heavy industry. Currently the highest on-site operational authority at SPR Vanchem — directing a 52-person multidisciplinary Production and Engineering team across full plant lifecycle management: installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, capital projects, shutdown planning, and continuous improvement. Career spans Evraz Highveld Steel & Vanadium (high-temperature slag bath furnace and ferro-alloys operations), Vesuvius SA (rotary kiln and processing plant supervision), and SPR Vanchem (vanadium extraction and mineral beneficiation).

Consistent track record in SCADA/SAP process optimisation, HSEQC/MHSA compliance, production performance delivery, operational budget control, and multidisciplinary team leadership. Holds a completed Senior Management Development Program (SMDP) from the University of Pretoria — formally qualified in Strategic Financial Management, Operational Excellence, and Change Management. Open to relocation across Southern Africa.

Shift Superintendent (Process) — Primary On-Site Authority at SPR Vanchem (2024-07 – Present)

Highest on-site operational authority at a vanadium extraction and mineral beneficiation plant, reporting directly to the Plant Manager. Full accountability for Production and Engineering functions.

• Plant & Production Leadership: Directed all production and engineering operations for 52 personnel — developing and driving operational plans, performance targets, and plant availability strategies across a multi-circuit mineral processing facility, maintaining 100% MHSA and OHS Act compliance and a Zero Harm HSEQC culture.
• Process Control & Performance Reporting: Monitored and optimised processing parameters in real time using SCADA and SAP across crushing, milling, thickening, and magnetic separation circuits — consistently achieving daily production quantity, quality, and yield targets; generated shift-based reports for management review.
• Equipment O&M & RCA: Oversaw installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of jaw/cone crushers, ball mills, and thickening systems; led formal Root Cause Analysis investigations to resolve system malfunctions, reduce unplanned downtime, and improve overall plant availability.
• Capital Project — Rotary Kiln Relining: Planned and executed a 2-month, 70-metre rotary kiln relining project from inception to commissioning — managing multidisciplinary contractor teams, LOTO compliance, and technical budgets, restoring full plant availability on schedule and within budget.
• Budget & Cost Optimisation: Managed operational expenditure and capital budget monitoring — applied SMDP Strategic Financial Management principles to reduce cost-per-tonne and eliminate resource waste across all processing circuits.
• Raw Materials & Infrastructure: Oversaw raw material handling, spares, consumables, and plant infrastructure management to ensure uninterrupted plant operations through proactive maintenance scheduling and procurement coordination.

Shift Team Leader at Vesuvius SA (2016 – 2024-06)

Round-the-clock supervision of rotary kiln and associated beneficiation circuits producing burnt dolomite to strict quality specification.

• Process Control & Plant Availability: Supervised continuous rotary kiln operations using SCADA and PLC monitoring — implemented corrective actions to resolve quality deviations and maintain optimal processing parameters to consistently meet production and availability targets.
• Lean Manufacturing: Implemented 6S Lean Management site-wide — reducing scrap rates, improving operational discipline, and delivering measurable gains in plant throughput and raw material utilisation.
• Shutdown & Commissioning: Led multidisciplinary maintenance teams through planned and unplanned shutdowns — coordinating all equipment returns to full specification and minimising production losses.
• Compliance & Shift Reporting: Generated shift-based production, quality, and yield reports; coordinated with engineers to implement operating procedures and resolve malfunctions within full MHSA/OHS Act compliance.

Unit Superintendent / Junior Metallurgist at Evraz Highveld Steel & Vanadium (2009 – 2016)

Managed iron plant operations across raw material handling, rotary kilns, and high-temperature slag bath furnace circuits in an integrated steel, ferro-alloys, and vanadium extraction facility.

• Furnace & Smelter Operations: Managed high-temperature slag bath furnace and rotary kiln circuits — monitored metallurgical parameters and implemented process improvements to optimise furnace throughput, metal recovery rates, and product quality within a ferro-alloys smelter environment.
• SOP Development & Training: Developed standardised engineering SOPs and operator training modules to stabilise process control, reduce deviation frequency, and build technical competence across the plant team.

Senior Management Development Program (SMDP) in Strategic Financial Management, Operational Excellence, Change Management & Leadership – University of Pretoria (2026)

B-Tech in Engineering Metallurgy – Tshwane University of Technology

National Diploma in Extraction Metallurgy – University of Johannesburg