Kavango Resources Plc has moved a step closer to becoming Zimbabwe’s newest gold producer after commissioning a processing plant at its Hillside Gold Project, marking the company’s transition from mine development to operational testing ahead of commercial production, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
The London and Victoria Falls Stock Exchange-listed miner said its newly installed 50-tonne-per-day processing plant began treating gold-bearing material on July 1, with feed sourced entirely from its Hillside operations. The commissioning programme is designed to test and optimise the plant under normal operating conditions before production is ramped up.
The milestone comes as Zimbabwe continues to encourage investment in gold mining, a sector that remains one of the country’s largest sources of export earnings, while seeking to expand production from both established and emerging producers.
Between July 18 and July 28, the plant operated at an average capacity utilisation of 69%, with tests confirming that gold is being successfully adsorbed through the carbon-in-leach recovery circuit. Kavango said it will progressively introduce run-of-mine ore into the processing stream as operating parameters are refined during commissioning.
“The commencement of commissioning marks an important milestone for Kavango as we transition from construction to operational testing at Hillside,” Chairman Donald McAlister said.
“Our immediate priority is to commission the plant safely and methodically, optimise plant performance, and establish stable processing operations.”
The processing facility represents the first phase of development at Hillside and was built to validate the company’s processing flowsheet before any larger-scale expansion. Experience gained during commissioning is expected to guide future increases in processing capacity as the project advances towards commercial production.
At the heart of the project is the Bill’s Luck underground deposit, which hosts a JORC-compliant mineral resource of 33,900 ounces of gold at an average grade of 2.68 grams per tonne. Metallurgical test work announced earlier this year returned gold recoveries exceeding 95% under laboratory conditions, with the company expecting recoveries of between 90% and 93% once the plant reaches commercial operation.
To support the commissioning programme, Kavango has established an on-site metallurgical laboratory equipped for fire assay, bottle roll testing, and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, enabling rapid analysis of ore and process samples for plant optimisation, grade control, and exploration activities.
The company said it expects to announce further operational milestones, including first gold production and the completion of commissioning, as Hillside progresses towards becoming a commercial mining operation.
For Kavango, successful commissioning represents more than the completion of a processing plant. It marks the company’s transition from an exploration-focused business into a gold producer, with the Hillside project expected to provide the platform for future production growth in Zimbabwe.
