Otesa Civil Engineering has appointed Ben Saayman as chief plant officer, effective from 20 April.
Saayman joins Otesa with over a decade of leadership experience across the mining and fast-moving consumer goods sectors.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has built a strong history in both middle and senior management roles.
His previous roles include serving as maintenance superintendent at Langer Heinrich Uranium Mine and plant manager at Polyoak Packaging.
Saayman was part of the core restart team that successfully brought the Langer Heinrich Uranium Mine back into production – an achievement that emphasises his capability in high-stakes operational environments.
At Otesa, he leads the plant department with a clear focus on building a world-class asset fleet that delivers maximum uptime, optimal performance and cost efficiency across all projects.
His leadership approach emphasises accountability, safety and continuous improvement, supported by data-driven decision-making and standardised maintenance practices.
“My focus is on building a highly skilled, accountable and safety-conscious plant team that drives operational excellence. By fostering a culture of ownership and investing in competency development, we can ensure our plant operations not only meet but exceed industry standards. This will be achieved through a ‘tight-loose’management approach remaining uncompromising on standards and outcomes, while being supportive and respectful of our people,” Saayman says.
Otesa Civil Engineering chief executive Elmo Kaiyamo has highlighted the strategic importance of the role.
“The chief plant officer function is pivotal to Otesa’s operational backbone. Plant performance directly influences project delivery, cost efficiency and our ability to compete and lead within the construction sector.
“Saayman’s appointment reflects our commitment to strengthening this capability,” Kaiyamo says.
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