Damo Group was established in 2009 as a passive investor into mining and minerals companies in the People’s Republic of China. Quickly realising the potential Damo Group decided to increase its stake in these companies attaining management control and taking over operations.
The initial investment into a tungsten, copper and silver proved to be successful and Damo Group looked for additional projects. In keeping with our practices of corporate governance and responsibility to the community and the environment Damo Group continued investment in the People’s Republic of China through a partnership with Yunnan Tin Group Company; enabling exclusive rights to re-process tin tailings using new environmentally friendly techniques.
Damo Group looks for investments in emerging markets or undervalued assets. After, successful projects in the People’s Republic of China, Damo Group was led to expand into Mongolia, heavily investing in the grand opportunities the country had to offer in gold, coal and iron assets as well as drilling and logistics companies.
Headquartered in Mauritius with regional offices in several locations and consolidated as a mines and minerals company, Damo Group now looked at what the company believes to be the most important region for the industry in years to come. Damo Group has since, invested heavily in the Republic of Zimbabwe and other countries in the African continent.
Thus, our presence extends through two continents and seven countries, where as a consolidated mines and minerals company we bring all of our project management operation services and capabilities from exploration, drilling, surveying, research, laboratory testing at underground and surface mines, mills, and processing plants; including equipment and minerals trading and a project finance group.
Damo Group’s management is responsible for the strategic direction of the group and the rapid growth experienced. Our management team exemplifies the diversity, strength and accountability of our organisation facing the challenges akin to doing business in emerging markets.
Our commitment is to have an approach to our business that is responsive and conductive to responsible sustainable development, always looking at the impact in the long term, looking at the future, being fiscally transparent and delivering social and welfare benefits for the communities where we work, while having a deep understanding of our own contribution to the environment and minimising any negative impact to it.
We believe that we can make a radical contribution to transforming the industry and transitioning it to sustainable responsible development. Our global operations give us a global perspective, our resources gives us the possibility to bring positive, long-term benefits to the communities where we work, to have a grassroots impact, to transform from the ground up.
We strive to manage risks effectively, reduce environmental impacts and engage with local communities. This also has appositive effect commercially to reduce operating costs, provide additional business opportunities and attract staff that share our same values. Ultimately, we try to be better.
Mines and minerals is about long term, long term investment, long term relationships, long term commitment. We look forward, long term at the future. We plan, implement and deliver sustainable contributions to social wellbeing, environmental stewardship and economic prosperity in the long term, to create a transformation. The mines and minerals projects we undergo at our operations contribute to society’s needs – creating wealth to support community infrastructure, health care and education programmes. We also aim to contribute to the development of new approaches to solving the world’s environmental and human development challenges, such as climate change and poverty.
Our people form our most powerful asset; the people in the communities where we work at are our closest allies – a rich and culturally diverse peoples. Nothing is more important to us than their safety and wellbeing.
Our vision is that, together with our employees, we will have an injury and illness-free environment where everyone contributes to the well-being of our fellow employees and community members.
We strive so that our staff, contractors, and friends in the community have the knowledge, competence and desire to work safely achieving a healthy and safety culture.
Protecting, promoting and enhancing the health and wellbeing of the people we work with is as vital as protecting their safety. Education and regular health checks, along with managing the major health risks our people are exposed to in the diverse regions where we operate is something that is paramount in our organisation.
Our leaders seek to create a working environment where everyone take ownership of their own safety and also look out for the safety of their colleagues.
Mining attracts resilient people who aren’t afraid of a challenge. By proactively promoting managers with a real understanding of the paramount importance of health safety, we have created a genuine culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Saying that we will not harm the environment would be unrealistic. We use our technological expertise to reduce emissions and minimise impact to the environment; we form partnerships with conservation groups; and we steer the rehabilitation of land into wildlife habitats.
Biodiversity refers to the sheer variety of life on Earth – the multitude of animals, plants and micro-organisms, their genes and the ecosystems of which they are a part. We look to protect it, we look to ensure that a region where we operate would have the least possible negative impact on biodiversity.
We do our part with waste and water:
By effectively managing our waste, we not only improve our environmental performance, but can also reduce our operating costs and risks. We improve our waste management and its environmental impact – from improved repositories and waste rehabilitation to reducing our non-mineral waste and drainage capture and treatment.
We use water at every stage of our business: for exploration, mining, processing, smelting, refining, rehabilitation and drinking. Each operation has its own set of water challenges. Some are located in water-scarce environments. Others need to manage surplus water from storms or groundwater, or control the quality of water we use and discharge into the environment. Whatever the challenge is we address it and work with local governments and communities to determine the best way of addressing he issues and reducing impact to the environment.
Good community relations are every bit as essential to our success as anything else we do. This is the reason we consult, assist and show our respect for the communities in which we operate. Wherever we operate, we try to benefit local communities. This may mean providing social benefits such as health, education and environmental protection plans; or economic benefits such as business development and employment training for grassroots organisations.
We are committed to providing employment opportunities to local communities. This mutually beneficial arrangement not only contributes to local economic growth, it also provides a stable talent-pool for our operations. Everyone wins.
The resettlement of communities and individuals has an deep impact on their future, social fabric and livelihoods. If not done correctly it can have terrible results; however, when done right, it can improve both the lives of local people and our relationship with them. For this reason we approach every resettlement looking at the future, looking at the people we will make this long term commitment with, with the long-term goal of benefiting them. We ensure that what we do is fair, transparent and publicly declared. We provide compensation equal or above that demanded by law and seek to find ways to support and develop the community during and after resettlement.