The country’s biggest gold producer, Freda Rebecca Gold Mine (FRGM), the leading producer in Kuvimba Mining House’s gold cluster, saw a 14.3% increase in gold production in FY2025 after experiencing a slight decline in the previous year. Contributing over 68% to Kuvimba’s total output, FRGM remains critical to the group’s overall success, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Freda Rebecca Gold Mine has consistently led the Kuvimba Gold Cluster, producing 2,280 kg of gold in FY2023, representing 69.1% of the cluster’s total output. In FY2024, production dipped slightly by 2.2% to 2,229 kg as the mine dealt with operational adjustments. However, in FY2025, the mine bounced back, producing 2,123 kg in the first 10 months, with projected annual output expected to reach 2,548 kg by year’s end—a 14.3% increase compared to FY2024.
The mine has shown relatively stable monthly production, with occasional fluctuations. FY2023 peaked at 240 kg of gold produced in both July and August, though this dropped to 134 kg by December 2022. The following year, FY2024, mirrored this cyclical trend, with production peaking at 218 kg in January 2024 before falling to 157 kg in September 2023.
In contrast, FY2025 has seen a more consistent output, with monthly production varying between 179 kg and 230 kg. The steady performance suggests that the mine’s operations are increasingly stabilized, though continuing to refine monthly production remains an area of focus for maximizing output.
Freda has maintained a strong focus on ore quality, as reflected in its head grades. In FY2023, the mine recorded an average head grade of 1.46 g/t, which saw a modest improvement to 1.47 g/t in FY2024. This upward trend continued in FY2025, where the first 10 months reported a head grade of 1.55 g/t, marking a 6.2% improvement over the past three years.
The mine’s recovery rates have shown slight fluctuations but remain strong. FY2023 saw recovery rates averaging 79%, which dipped slightly to 77% in FY2024. By FY2025, the mine had managed to stabilize and improve the rate to 78%, reflecting its commitment to maintaining high extraction efficiency even as operational pressures persist.
The gold producer’s ore processing capabilities have shown positive developments over the past three years. In FY2023, the mine processed 2,034,089 tonnes of ore. This volume remained stable in FY2024, with no significant growth, but by FY2025, ore processing saw a boost, with 1,741,183 tonnes processed in the first 10 months alone. The projected annual total for FY2025 is estimated to reach 2,089,420 tonnes, reflecting a 2.7% increase in throughput.
This increase in processed ore suggests that FRGM is effectively optimizing its resources to sustain growth, a key indicator of operational maturity in one of Zimbabwe’s largest gold mining ventures.
Despite its consistent contribution to Kuvimba’s gold output, Freda Rebecca Gold Mine faces ongoing challenges. Maintaining consistent head grades and further improving recovery rates will be crucial to its future success. Additionally, while the mine has shown resilience, operational bottlenecks, particularly in managing monthly production fluctuations, still present hurdles to sustained high performance.
However, FRGM also stands at a point of opportunity. With strategic investments in equipment upgrades, enhanced workforce training, and further optimization of mining processes, the mine could significantly bolster its output. Maintaining strong relationships with local communities and ensuring compliance with environmental and safety standards will also help FRGM solidify its role as the cluster’s leader.
