Basic Overview

Location: Northwestern Botswana, in the Kalahari Copper Belt. Zone 5 is the main operating orebody.

Commodities Produced: Copper and silver.

Owner / Operator: MMG Limited operates the mine. Ownership is split between MMG (55%) and CNIC Corporation Limited (45%), following MMG’s acquisition of the project in 2023/2024.

Timeline & Current Operations

Construction / Initial Production: Construction was completed in mid-2021, with full ramp-up achieved by late 2022.

Production Capacity: Currently produces about 60,000 tonnes of copper per year (in concentrate) and between 1.6–2 million ounces of silver annually. The processing plant handles ~10,000 tonnes of ore per day.

Mining Method & Logistics: Underground long-hole stoping is used at Zone 5. Ore is trucked via a 35 km haul road to the Boseto processing plant.

Resources, Reserves & Geology

Mine Life & Scale: Estimated mine life of over 20 years at current production. Mineral resources total around 450 million tonnes with copper grades of ~1.4%. Proven and probable reserves stand at ~51 million tonnes grading ~1.8% copper.

Geology: A sediment-hosted copper deposit within the Kalahari Copper Belt. Mineralisation starts just below the oxidised layer (~50–60 m depth) and extends to over 1,000 m, remaining open along strike and at depth.

Expansion Plans

MMG has committed to a large expansion project to more than double production.

The target after expansion is about 130,000 tonnes of copper and 5 million ounces of silver annually.

First concentrate from the expansion is expected by late 2027, with construction beginning around 2026.

Socio-Economic & Employment Impact

Employment: The mine employs around 1,800 people, with about 95% being local Batswana.

National Importance: Khoemacau is considered a flagship project for Botswana, supporting diversification of the economy beyond diamonds.

Financials & Recent Developments

Acquisition: MMG acquired the project for around US$1.9 billion in 2023.

Expansion Investment: Approximately US$700 million has been allocated to fund the planned production expansion.

Mining Contract: In 2025, a five-year underground mining contract valued at about US$805 million was awarded to JCHX Botswana Mining Construction.

Silver Streaming: Royal Gold holds a long-term agreement on the mine’s silver output, receiving a share of all payable silver produced.