Caledonia Mining Corporation, a Victoria Falls Stock Exchange-listed, gold-focused miner, has revealed plans to construct the largest gold plant in Zimbabwe at its Bilboes project in Bubi over the next three years. This development is part of the company’s strategic goal to become Zimbabwe’s biggest gold producer.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
During a technical visit by the Association of Mine Managers of Zimbabwe (AMMZ) to Blanket Mine, Caledonia’s Blanket Mine General Manager, Elton Gwatidzo, announced the company’s goal of establishing the country’s largest gold plant at Bilboes, located near the Motapa project.
Gwatidzo mentioned that Caledonia is currently completing the second phase of its feasibility study for Bilboes and conducting exploration at Motapa. He added that the plant, once completed, will serve both the Bilboes and Motapa projects within the next two to three years.
“Bilboes and Motapa are our exploration projects. We are currently concluding the second phase of our feasibility study for Bilboes, and we are conducting exploration at Motapa with the intention of establishing the largest gold plant in Zimbabwe at Bilboes. This will support both Bilboes and Motapa in the next two to three years,” Gwatidzo said.
The Bilboes project, acquired by Caledonia Mining Corporation, is a significant asset with the potential to transform the company’s gold production capacity. The project consists of three mining leases covering a total area of 1,563 hectares. These leases have an estimated gold resource of over 2 million ounces, making Bilboes one of the most promising gold projects in Zimbabwe. The company’s plans for an open-pit mine at Bilboes include the construction of a large processing plant capable of handling ore from both Bilboes and nearby exploration projects like Motapa.
Caledonia Mining has also announced highly encouraging results from its ongoing exploration campaign at the Motapa Project, adjacent to Bilboes. The company’s CEO, Mark Learmonth, reported significant high-grade gold intercepts from recent drilling programs at Motapa, including 4.00 meters at 10.95 grams per tonne (g/t) of gold. These results are a positive step towards delineating Motapa’s potential and integrating it into Caledonia’s long-term development strategy.
Motapa, acquired in November 2022, is a highly prospective exploration lease situated in the Archean greenstone belt of the Zimbabwe Craton. The region’s complex geological setting, featuring extensive shear zones, provides favourable conditions for gold mineralization, particularly in sulphide-rich zones below historical oxide pits.
The company has conducted a comprehensive exploration campaign at Motapa, including 12,724 meters of trenching, 4,143 meters of diamond drilling, and 5,433 meters of reverse circulation drilling. This program has revealed widespread gold mineralization across multiple prospects, with drilling results showing high-grade gold intercepts at various depths.
The development of the Bilboes and Motapa projects, along with the planned construction of the country’s largest gold plant, is crucial for Caledonia’s growth and for Zimbabwe’s mining industry. The plant will not only increase the company’s production capacity but also contribute to the country’s broader gold output, helping to meet Zimbabwe’s ambitious target of becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
By integrating these projects, Caledonia is positioning itself as a key player in Zimbabwe’s gold sector, ensuring long-term sustainability and growth through continued exploration and development.