OUR TEAM
Johnny Velloza
Johnny has varied and broad experience in the mining industry, having worked for several well-known companies including De Beers, AngloGold Ashanti, BHP, Gem Diamonds and Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC).
He holds a degree in Mining Engineering which he studied as an undergraduate from 1991 to 1994. In 2003, he was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Management, having studied part-time via the University of South Africa.
During his 30 years in the industry, Johnny has worked in all facets of the mining value chain, including running large exploration projects for major mining companies and working on mine development projects in different jurisdictions and commodities.
He is passionate about enhancing operational excellence across the mining value chain, with a specific focus on safety and operational efficiency.
Johnny holds a degree in Mining Engineering which he studied as an undergraduate from 1991 to 1994. In 2003, he was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Management, having studied part-time via the University of South Africa.
During his 30 years in the industry, Johnny has worked in all facets of the mining value chain, including running large exploration projects for major mining companies and working on mine development projects in different jurisdictions and commodities. Johnny has also managed large and complex assets in several countries, and in one case oversaw the closure of a large mine that had reached the end of its economic life.
He is therefore passionate about enhancing operational excellence across the mining value chain, with a specific focus on safety and operational efficiency.
Johnny has had a lifelong association with water-based activities, and he is passionate about reducing the number of water-related fatalities experienced in South Africa. He is currently a volunteer for the National Sea Rescue Institution where he serves as a non-executive director.
Johnny is passionate about social and environmental issues. Working for Kobaloni Energy is particularly important to him, as growing up, he had a desire to have a lasting and positive impact on the environment. Working for a company that will be building a cobalt refinery in Africa thus resonates closely with him.
Mark William Bryant
Mark has an in-depth knowledge of living and working in Africa. He believes his key attributes to be his practical understanding of business operations, finance, process, plant and equipment.
Mark qualified as Mechanical Engineer both at the University of Cape Town and the Cape Technikon, and spent the early years of his engineering career primarily on mechanical construction sites in South Africa in various junior management roles responsible for the erection of plant and equipment in fields ranging from brewing to yarn spinning to petroleum, developing a practical hands on approach to mechanical engineering design, process, construction and problem solving.
Completing an MBA, predominantly finance biased, in 2000 facilitated a change in career direction from engineering to corporate finance. During 5 years as a corporate finance advisor in a Boutique M&A House, Mark’s focus was centred predominantly around businesses with an Engineering slant and advisory work both on the buy and sell side, including valuations, due diligence, deal structuring and buy/sell negotiation.
In 2006, Mark moved to Lusaka, Zambia and purchased a small rose production facility. Mark grew the business from 2million export stems per annum to 20million developing a practical understanding of the complexities and challenges of living and working in Africa, north of South Africa, managing 200 staff, and all elements of the business from dealing with international customers to global certification, importation and exportation of goods, Government Departments, labour relations, logistics of a perishable product, strategy, finance, construction, immersing himself in all operational aspects of the business.
At the end of 2020 Mark sold his Rose Project and since then has been part of the Kobaloni Team.
During his time in Zambia Mark also qualified as a private pilot and has since logged in excess of 1400 flight hours with a passion for all things aviation. More recently Mark has spent some time investigating and installing small scale solar energy projects, both off-grid and grid-tied, an area he believes could be crucial to Africa’s future development if Governments could be persuaded to look at a long-term strategy of balancing day time solar with night-time hydro.