With business lines primarily focussed on coal, cement and other raw materials for industrial processes and energy production, we offer customer-centric strategies and solutions across the entire commodity supply chain, including sourcing, marketing, logistics, storage, risk management and financing. The scale and efficiency of our industrial and marketing operations allow us responsibly and reliably to supply the commodities that are fundamental to maximising our customers’ profitability.

South Africa produces 250 million MT of coal per year and is the 6th largest producer in the world. Our partners at Mazule Minerals and Energy Resources (Pty) Ltd manage the sourcing with the mines and the full chain of operations and transport within South Africa. Alchemy then aggregates coal of different grades in Maputo, Mozambique for export, and supplies more than 3 million tons of South African coal per year, predominantly to the Indian sub-continent but also to East Africa, West Africa, the Far East, the Mediterranean Basin and Northwest Europe.

Alchemy recently identified small producers in West Virginia and Kentucky and is developing a portfolio in eastern USA. Alchemy lends its marketing expertise and financing capacity to these producers enabling them to expand operations. The coal is purchased directly at mine and Alchemy handles the logistics either inland for domestic sales, or to the port of Norfolk for export.

Kenya is a major regional hub for thermal coal imports, serving various industries and power plants. Kenya has always been considered a natural extension to our South African coal trading book and we recently developed alternative supplies from Tanzania that almost tripled production in 5 years. Through its new Kenyan affiliate Malfini Gas Limited, Alchemy imports the goods and handles the whole logistic chain to supply the private sector in the region.

Global Reach

Alchemy is based in Mauritius but through our network of affiliate offices have presence across global local markets and time zones allowing us to identify short, medium, and long- term trends in market cycles quickly and adapt accordingly to meet the needs of our customers.
Our operations largely take place across the African, European, and Asian continents. Most product is sourced in Sub-Saharan Africa, with exports destined for major importation hubs in Europe , Asia, and other African countries.
Our trading operations are strengthened by the strategic relationships we continue to build across the globe, ensuring we can always supply our customers with a reliable and steady supply of resources. 

Global Expertise

Senior management all have over 20 years’ industry experience across global metals trading, risk management, finance, and the African minerals and energy sector.

Chris Dyason

Chief Executive Officer

Chris ​founded Alchemy in 2017 having held a number of senior posts in trading and logistics companies throughout Africa, including Energem Petroleum in Malawi, Windworth Holdings in Ghana, and Uniroute Logistics in South Africa. He started his career with P&O Nedlloyd in business development. He has graduate and post-graduate degrees in Psychology from the University of Cape Town

Kiara Barker

Chief Financial Officer

Kiara is a qualified chartered accountant and a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. She began her career working for PwC in the banking department and then took on the role of assistant controller at Silver Wheaton (Caymans) Ltd before joining the commodity trading sector in 2017. At Alchemy she applies her financial expertise across company operations and commercial ventures. 

Cyril Secchi

Chief Trading Officer

Cyril pivoted into minerals trading from petroleum products trading, where he operated for 15 years as a trader and risk manager in physical oil and derivatives with prominent European, North American, and Middle Eastern trading companies. Cyril has a French degree in Financial Management and Accounting and has passed various certificates of the Oxford Princeton Program.