Mutapa Gold Resources is on course to surpass its 2026 gold production target of 3,400 kilogrammes, with the company reporting strong performance across its three mining sites during the first eight months of the year, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Chief Executive Officer Patrick Maseva-Shayawabaya said the group was performing ahead of expectations as it seeks to deliver a stronger production outturn than last year.
“The performance has been very good. Gold production has been very, very good at all our three sites. When we did the dividend declaration, I indicated that we are looking at gold production of 3,400 kg for the 12 months to December. As things stand, we are on course to exceed that,” Maseva-Shayawabaya said.
The expected increase comes after a difficult 2025, when the company experienced production challenges linked to low-grade material.
“Last year, we had problems in production, low-grade problems. We have not had such problems this year. So, as I said, we’re looking at a much better production outturn this year than we did last year,” he said.
Maseva-Shayawabaya said detailed production and revenue figures for the third quarter and nine months would be available by mid-October.
Masembura Pipeline Secures Water Supply
While the newly commissioned Masembura Water Pipeline is not expected to increase gold production directly, it has strengthened the security of Mutapa Gold’s operations by providing an alternative source of water.
Maseva-Shayawabaya said the pipeline was designed to ensure that water shortages do not disrupt mining operations.
“It’s not going to boost production. It actually gives us assurance that there is no disruption to operations because of lack of water,” he said.
Mutapa Gold traditionally relied on the Mazowe Channel for its water requirements, but the Masembura pipeline has given the company access to a second source.
“We are much more secure now than we were this time last year,” Maseva-Shayawabaya said.
He recalled the pressure on the company’s water supply in 2025, when Mwenje Dam, which feeds the Mazowe Channel, fell to 36 percent in April.
“That’s a level that you normally see towards the end of October or early November,” he said.
By the time the Masembura pipeline was completed, Mwenje Dam had become completely empty, according to the CEO.
“So we would have run out of water if we had not done the Masembura pipeline,” he said.
The pipeline, commissioned on 21 September 2026, now provides Mutapa Gold with an alternative water source, allowing the company to draw from the Mazowe system when supplies are available and use Masembura when water levels are low.
For a mining operation, the additional water source provides greater certainty around operational continuity, particularly during periods of reduced water availability.
US$500 Million Turnover Projection
Maseva-Shayawabaya also projected turnover of about US$500 million for the year and estimated that the company would contribute approximately US$25 million in royalties.
“At this point in time, we’re looking at turnover for the year of US$500 million, which means our royalty will be plus or minus US$25 million for the year,” he said.
He added that the company’s revenues are generated in foreign currency.
“Well, we generate all our revenues in forex. So the US$500 million that we generate is all forex,” he said.
With production running ahead of the company’s 3,400kg target and water security strengthened by the Masembura pipeline, Mutapa Gold Resources expects 2026 to deliver a substantially better operational performance than the previous year.
