The country’s biggest copper mine, Khoemacau, which last week broke ground to double its output to 130,000 tonnes per annum, is eyeing further growth of up of up to 200,000 tonnes annually based on ongoing exploration.
Minerals and Energy minister,Bogolo Kenewendo, last week launched the expansion to 130,000 tonnes, which is expected to cost in the region of $900 million. First copper in copper concentrate from the expansion is expected in the first half of 2028.
Officials from MMG, which owns Khoemacau, said beyond this, further potential of up to 200,000 tonnes of copper in copper concentrate had been identified, supported by ongoing exploration activities. Copper in copper concentrate refers to the actual amount of copper in the copper concentrate, with the latter referring to processed material typically containing a mixture of minerals such as sulphide, iron and typically 25% to 35% copper.
In a statement, Ivo Zhao, MMG’s CEO, said the group was targeting a position among the world’s top 10 copper producers, with the Khoemacau expansion representing a cornerstone of the growth strategy. MMG operates copper, zinc and precious metals assets across Australia, Africa and Latin America.
According to MMG, the Khoemacau Mine licence area hosts the tenth largest African copper mineral resource by total contained copper metal and is one of the largest copper sedimentary systems in the world outside of the Central African Copperbelt.
