MMG breaks ground on $900m Khoemacau copper expansion in Botswana
MMG has broken ground on a $900 million expansion of its Khoemacau copper mine in Botswana, aiming to lift annual output to 130,000 tonnes of copper.
Operations, deal-making, policy and markets across African mining — every story, newest first.
MMG has broken ground on a $900 million expansion of its Khoemacau copper mine in Botswana, aiming to lift annual output to 130,000 tonnes of copper.
Mali's council of ministers has approved a new wholly state-owned company, Sopamim, to acquire and manage the government's shareholdings in mining companies.
Rosh Pinah Zinc has commissioned Namibia's first paste backfill plant, a milestone in its RP2.0 underground expansion project, which was more than 85% complete as of February 2026.
De Beers cut its 2026 production guidance to 21m-26m carats from 26m-29m carats, after 2025 output fell to 21.66m carats amid extended mine maintenance and weak prices.
Ivanhoe Mines is in advanced talks to send zinc concentrate from its Kipushi mine to the US under Project Vault, a $12bn strategic minerals stockpiling scheme.
DRDGold's Ergo surface-gold operation and the National Union of Mineworkers signed a five-year wage agreement in February 2026, offering guaranteed annual increases and a one-off payment.
Gem Diamonds recovered a 193-carat white diamond just after quarter-end at Letseng, capping a fourth quarter in which average prices held at $1,288 per carat despite a tough year for the industry.
Glencore signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding on 3 February 2026 with the US-backed Orion Critical Mineral Consortium covering a proposed 40% stake in its Mutanda and Kamoto copper-cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Platinum touched an all-time high of about $2,923 an ounce in late January 2026 before pulling back, with the World Platinum Investment Council warning of further volatility.
Botswana Diamonds managing director James Campbell says the Gareth Penny-led consortium is the only bidder with the industry knowledge and government relationships needed to revive De Beers.
China Baowu Steel Group completed an increase of its stake in the operator of Simandou's Blocks 1 and 2 to 51% on 30 January 2026, taking formal control weeks after the first iron ore shipments left Guinea for China.
Gold touched an all-time high of about $5,589 an ounce on 28 January 2026, and Sibanye-Stillwater shares closed at a record high the same week.
Richards Bay Coal Terminal exported 57.66 million tonnes of coal in 2025, up more than 10%, and CEO Alan Waller says a consistent 65-million-tonne annual rate is achievable in 2026.
Gold broke through $5,000/oz in January, sending the rand to its strongest level since 2022 and boosting profitability across Harmony, Sibanye-Stillwater, Gold Fields and Pan African.
Richards Bay Coal Terminal exported 57.66 million tonnes of coal in 2025, up more than 10% on 2024, as Transnet's rail recovery and reduced cable theft lifted volumes.
Zambia produced 890,346t of copper in 2025, up 8% on 2024, the mines ministry said, leaving the country about 110,000t short of its 1Mt target for the year.
Silver set a fresh all-time high near $121.67 an ounce on 26 January 2026, riding the same safe-haven and industrial-demand wave that carried gold above $5,000.
Spot gold broke through $5,000 an ounce for the first time on 26 January 2026, extending a rally driven by safe-haven demand and central bank buying.
Zijin Gold International agreed on 26 January 2026 to buy Allied Gold for C$44 a share, valuing the company at about C$5.5bn and adding three African gold operations to Zijin's fast-growing overseas portfolio.
Caledonia Mining has raised $150 million through convertible notes to help fund its Bilboes gold project in Zimbabwe, part of a plan to develop a 200,000-ounce-a-year mine by 2028.
A Ghanaian parliamentary committee has praised Newmont's Ahafo South mine for its reclamation and water-management practices, noting the mine has paid over $2bn in taxes and royalties since 2006.
Goldman Sachs raised its December 2026 gold price forecast to $5,400 an ounce from $4,900 in a note dated 21 January 2026, days before gold hit an all-time high.
Paladin Energy's Langer Heinrich mine produced 1.23-million pounds of uranium oxide in the December quarter, taking half-year output to 2.30-million pounds and keeping the Namibian mine on course for the upper end of its FY2026 target.
Alphamin Resources has guided for about 20,000 tonnes of contained tin production from its Bisie mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2026, building on record 2025 output of 18,576 tonnes.