KEY POINTS
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Kavango Resources has commissioned a 50-tonne-per-day gold processing plant in Zimbabwe.
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The company is targeting gold recovery rates of 90% to 93% at the Hillside project.
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Pilot plant data and infrastructure upgrades will guide plans for commercial-scale production.
Kavango Resources has commissioned a 50-tonne-per-day gold processing plant at its Hillside gold project in Zimbabwe, marking a key milestone in its plans to advance the project towards commercial-scale production.
The Southern Africa-focused metals exploration and gold development company said its concept-phase processing plant had been successfully commissioned to test its processing methods and assess expected metallurgical performance.
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Mines and Mining Development in Matabeleland South formally declared the processing plant and its tailings storage facility commissioned on October 30, 2026.
The pilot facility is designed to establish whether the company’s processing flowsheet can deliver the expected results under operating conditions. The data collected will guide decisions on future development, infrastructure investment and expansion.
The plant has a processing capacity of 50 tonnes of ore per day, allowing Kavango to evaluate the project before committing to a larger commercial facility.
Company targets gold recovery of up to 93%
Kavango expects the Hillside project to achieve gold recovery rates of between 90% and 93%, according to chief executive Jasper Musadaidzwa.
He described the commissioning of the processing plant and tailings storage facility as a significant milestone and an important step towards commercial-scale operations.
Musadaidzwa said the pilot plant would enable the company to optimise processing performance, verify gold recovery rates and improve its understanding of the deposit before expanding production.
The company expects the results to help establish the technical and operational requirements for a larger processing facility.
If the targeted recovery rates are achieved consistently, the project could become a significant and scalable gold production asset within Kavango’s portfolio.
Infrastructure upgrades support expansion plans
Alongside commissioning the plant, Kavango is continuing to upgrade infrastructure at the Hillside site to accommodate potential future growth.
The company said its immediate priorities include improving operational efficiency and gathering the technical and operating data required to design and develop a commercial-scale processing facility.
The pilot phase is expected to reduce uncertainty around processing performance and help inform decisions about the project’s eventual production capacity.
Musadaidzwa said the work was laying the groundwork for the company to unlock the full value of the Hillside gold project.
The commissioning marks progress in Kavango’s development plans, although the timing and scale of any commercial expansion will depend on operational results and subsequent development decisions.
