100+ Years of Innovation

Sir Ernest Oppenheimer is appointed Chairman of African Explosives and Industries Limited, guiding the business into a new era of industrial growth, modernisation, and strategic leadership.

Production at the No. 1 Ammonia Plant commences, positioning the company at the forefront of global explosives and chemical technology with advanced manufacturing capability.

A new ammonium nitrate explosive is successfully tested, marking an important advancement in product development and strengthening the company’s reputation for innovation.

The company is renamed African Explosives and Chemical Industries Limited, with research and development consolidated at Pinelands in the Western Cape to support scientific excellence.

AECI introduces capability for sequential delay timing in capped fuse and igniter cord systems, improving blasting accuracy and ushering in more controlled mining operations.

Dynagel, a low-nitroglycerin, water-resistant explosive, is introduced and quickly attracts global attention for its performance, safety profile, and technical reliability.

The continent’s first urea plant opens at Modderfontein, supplying essential inputs to the agricultural sector and expanding the company’s footprint in chemical production.

The manufacture of black powder and BGP safety fuse begins at Modderfontein, marking an important milestone in the localised production of critical initiation systems.

Employee numbers rise to 13,515, with historical estimates indicating that around one million people had been employed by the company over its first 67 years.

Annual group revenue exceeds ZAR100 million for the first time, while Somerset West produces its inaugural pentolite booster, expanding local manufacturing capability.

AECI is listed on the JSE under the trade code AFE, strengthening investor confidence and supporting long-term expansion.

Modderfontein begins producing PETN and detonator cord, while the No. 3 Ammonia Plant and an ancillary urea facility come online in KwaZulu-Natal.

Sinex slurry explosives and on-site mixing techniques are developed, marking a major shift in surface mining technology and operational flexibility.

Fuse head production is launched, allowing the company to become fully self-sufficient and no longer reliant on imported components.

The company is renamed AE&CI Ltd to support improved access to international investment markets and facilitate broader financial participation.

A large-scale nitrogen complex, known as the No. 4 Ammonia Plant, is constructed at Modderfontein, expanding the company’s chemical processing capability.

The company adopts the name AECI Limited, marking a new chapter in its evolution and aligning its identity with its expanding industrial focus.

AECI files its first patent for emulsion explosives, reinforcing its leadership in explosive technology and paving the way for future innovations.

Research into the narrow reef assembly shock tube system begins, laying the groundwork for technology that would support complex underground mining.

A new explosives factory opens at Mankwe near Rustenburg; Powergel bulk emulsion is introduced to the surface mining sector; and non-electrical initiation systems are launched.

Mankwe comes fully online for safety fuse production, while the No. 3 Ammonia Plant is mothballed due to economic pressures created by the OPEC oil crisis.

AECI introduces chemical gassing sensitisation technology for emulsion explosives, improving performance, stability, and application range.

ICI exchanges 25% of its shares in AECI Ltd for a 51% stake in the newly formed AECI Explosives Ltd, restructuring ownership and strategic alignment.

AECI celebrates 100 years of continuous explosives production at Modderfontein, marking a major industrial and historical milestone.

AECI exercises its pre-emptive option to repurchase ICI’s 51% shareholding in AECI Explosives Ltd, regaining complete ownership of the business.

After more than two decades of operation, the No. 4 Ammonia Plant at Modderfontein is decommissioned as part of portfolio optimisation.

AECI and Dyno Nobel Norway form a joint venture, DetNet, to accelerate the development of advanced electronic initiation systems.

Tiso Group acquires a 25.1% stake in AEL, supporting transformation objectives and long-term strategic growth.

The ISAP plant becomes operational, producing its first detonator and expanding the company’s advanced manufacturing capability.

AECI acquires Southern Canned Products, strengthening its presence in the food and beverage sector and diversifying the portfolio.

AECI acquires Schirm, with operations in the USA and Germany, and Much Asphalt in South Africa, advancing its global expansion strategy.

ImproChem is rebranded as AECI Water, aligning the business under a unified identity and clarifying its value proposition.

AECI unveils a refreshed strategy focused on mining explosives and chemicals, targeting doubled EBITDA by 2026 and a global top-three position by 2030.

AECI celebrates 100 years on 21 March 2024, marking a century of innovation, industrial leadership, and global impact.