Songatech (Pty) Ltd is a leading supplier and distributor of high-quality industrial mining consumables and processing equipment, specialising in premium cleated conveyor belts across South Africa and the African continent. We source, stock, and deliver top-tier bulk material handling solutions engineered to withstand the most punishing vertical and high-angle transport environments.
On this page, we cover the primary operational uses of cleated conveyor belts, how they compare to alternative material handling systems, and what factors influence bulk pricing in the local market. You will also find an explicit product comparison table within our material handling division and a direct guide on how to secure a fast commercial quotation from our Alrode warehouse. Our goal is to help your procurement and plant teams maximise steep-angle volume retention while lowering overall operational costs.
What are Cleated Conveyor Belts Used for In South African Mines?
In South African mineral processing plants and underground operations, cleated conveyor belts are the primary media used for high-angle inclined transport, vertical pocket lifting, and high-capacity bulk material handling where space constraints prevent the use of traditional horizontal conveyor systems. Mines processing gold, platinum, coal, chrome, and iron ore rely on these specialized belts to elevate materials at extreme angles, often up to 90 degrees vertical.
Constructed with a high-tensile fabric base carcass and fitted with corrugated sidewalls and large, heavy-duty transverse rubber cleats (T-cleats or C-cleats), these belts form individual pockets that trap loose materials, ensuring that fine aggregates, wet ores, and bulk materials are lifted efficiently without spilling.
This specific pocket-forming configuration gives cleated conveyor belts a massive operational advantage over standard flat conveyor belts or alternative mechanical lifting systems like bucket elevators. Standard smooth conveyor belts cannot lift materials at angles greater than 18 degrees without severe material slippage, and while chevron belts are excellent for medium inclines up to 40 degrees, they cannot handle vertical or near-vertical transport.
When compared to bucket elevators, which suffer from frequent mechanical chain failures, high maintenance costs, and difficult cleaning requirements, cleated sidewall conveyors offer a continuous, single-driven automated line with minimal moving parts.
In tight mining plants and aggregate processing facilities where footprint area is limited, switching to vertical pocket belts saves valuable ground space by eliminating long, sprawling conveyor frameworks. Our locally supplied cleated conveyor belts—engineered with high-grade, abrasion-resistant vulcanized rubber—maintain their cleat rigidity and tracking for longer under maximum load conditions, ensuring high mechanical availability and optimal throughput for your entire handling infrastructure.
Material Handling and Conveyor Product Comparison Table
Selecting the correct cleat height and sidewall wave profile prevents premature rubber tearing and keeps your vertical lifting circuit operating continuously. For a fully integrated processing plant layout, high-angle cleated conveyors accept classified ore directly from primary screening decks or industrial sizing screens and elevate them to high-level discharge points above storage silos or secondary milling lines.
The table below outlines the core functional differences between the primary conveyor and material handling products available from Songatech:
| Product Name | Primary Core Reinforcement | Best Suited For | Core Operational Advantage |
| Cleated Conveyor Belts | Fabric Carcass with Corrugated Cleats | High-Angle Vertical Pocket Lifting | Maximum Bulk Volume Retention at Vertical Angles |
| Chevron Conveyor Belting | Fabric Carcass with Moulded Profiles | Steep Inclined Material Transport | Prevents Material Roll-Back on Medium Slopes |
| Heavy-Duty Industrial Conveyor Belts | Multi-Ply Fabric (EP / Nylon) | General Plant Bulk Material Handling | High Elasticity & General Abrasive Resistance |
| High-Strength Steel Cord Conveyor Belts | Longitudinal Steel Cables | High-Tonnage Overland Long-Distance Transport | Zero Permanent Elongation & Extreme Tensile Strength |
| Reducing Equipment Damage With Conveyor Belt Impact Beds | Steel Frame with Rubber-UHMW Sliding Bars | Loading Zones & Feed Drop Points | Absorbs Severe Kinetic Shock to Protect Belting |
| Sourcing Heavy-Duty Conveyor Belt Fasteners and Accessories | Hardened Steel Alloys / Polyurethane | Belt Maintenance, Splicing, and Cleaning | Ensures Rapid Structural Joining & Clean Operation |
Cleated Conveyor Belts Price Guide
The cost of cleated conveyor belts in South Africa depends heavily on the base belt width, the height and thickness of the corrugated sidewalls (typically ranging from 40mm to over 120mm), the specific transverse cleat profile height, and the rubber compound specified. Belts designed with hot-vulcanized sidewalls and cleats carry a higher initial price tag than those using cold-glued attachments, but they deliver a significantly lower total cost of ownership because the cleats cannot rip away from the base belt under heavy, high-velocity rock impacts.
To provide a practical market demonstration, a standard fabric-reinforced cleated conveyor belt with corrugated sidewalls (e.g., 650mm width base belt with 60mm high sidewalls and standard T-cleats) can range anywhere from R1,450 to R3,650+ per metre excluding VAT, depending on the internal ply tensile rating, cleat frequency spacing, and total order volume. Large-scale mining systems requiring specialized flame-retardant rubber grades for underground coal lifting or heat-resistant covers for hot industrial materials will alter final pricing tiers based on manufacturing specifications.
Songatech serves as an ideal seller and distributor because we maintain dedicated local stock, technical splicing support accessories, and fast lead times from our Alrode facility. This protects South African mines and industrial plants from long international freight delays and unpredictable foreign exchange fluctuations. We ensure that your bulk procurement costs remain predictable while strictly providing material handling equipment built to international engineering standards.
Get a quotation for Cleated Conveyor Belts from Us
Acquiring a commercial supply quote from Songatech is straightforward. Your procurement and plant engineering teams can contact our Alrode head office directly to discuss your belt width, required vertical lifting heights, and delivery timelines.
- Phone Contacts: 010 555 0828 or 083 597 3427
- Email Orders: admin@songatech.co.za
- Physical Yard: 6 Flamink Road, Alrode, Alberton South
Once we receive your technical belt dimensions, volumetric flow rates, and high-angle path configurations, our experienced technical team prepares a detailed cost estimate within a fast lead time to keep your bulk handling operations moving efficiently.
