Adding to the bottom line of the organisation

Namcor’s maintenance services manager always looks at the challenge differently.
Michelline Nawatises
Michelline Nawatises

Gerhard Myburgh is a proud Namibian, happily married with two sons, born in Windhoek and raised and schooled by loving parents. After school, he completed his BTech in mechanical engineering and started working as an engineer and later project manager.

While gaining experience, Myburgh studied part-time and completed his Bachelor of Science (BSc) Honours and Master of Science (MSc) in technology management , specialising in asset and maintenance management.

Myburgh is a maintenance services manager at Namcor. “I see myself as a system engineer that develops, optimises, measures and audit systems to ensure that they add operational value and positively affect the bottom line of the organisation,” Myburgh says.

As the maintenance services manager, he is responsible for the newly constructed Namibian National Oil Storage Facility and Jetty (NOSF) and for ensuring the development, implementation and management of all maintenance and reliability systems of the facility and jetty. It includes the development of equipment maintenance strategies, spares management, implementation of a work management process and the continuous management and monitoring via agreed key performance indicators. This to ensure optimum return on investment for management and Namcor stakeholders.

One of his key accomplishments was the development and implementation of a maintenance model that was built to determine the best maintenance strategy and practice per individual equipment based on its geographic location in Namibia, thus optimising resources both technically and financially.

Another major accomplishment was being part of the setup, implementation and optimisation of the maintenance management systems for both the mining and plant operations of the U$2.5 billion Swakop Uranium mine.

A typical day at the office consists of focusing on the development, review, testing and optimising of all systems and maintenance strategies that will ensure smooth operation and maintainability of the facility. It also includes the development of ramp-up plans and structures, alignment of relevant standards and statutory requirements to future audit compliance, the establishment of spare management methodologies and building a contractor base.

Within the next five years, Myburgh and the team want to establish and sustain a world-class maintenance management system at the National Oil Storage Facility which will also be rolled out successfully to all Namcor depots and retail sites across Namibia.

Myburgh loves to learn and develop himself. “This ensures that I’m able to add the most value to any requirement requested from me. I’m a big believer in the power of mentorship and I’m being inspired by several different people and ideologies in different areas of interest,” he says.

He mentions that one of the biggest challenges that he faces daily is overcoming limiting belief, both personally and in a team. “It is easier to say “no, it can’t be done” instead of “let’s find a way for it to be done”. Once this is realised, you will always look at a challenge differently and in the way you execute the task at hand,” Myburgh says. Therefore, he and his team strive to find a way for things to be done and in doing so, a negative mindset is converted into a positive; normally providing results and adding value.