Kavango starts commissioning Zimbabwe gold mine
The Hillside project enters operational testing as Kavango prepares for commercial gold production with its first processing plant.
Kavango Resources has begun commissioning its Hillside gold project in Zimbabwe, following the installation of a 50-tonne-per-day processing plant. Material has been processed using the crushing, milling, gravity concentration, and carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit since July 1, utilizing feed sourced entirely from the company’s Hillside operations.
The plant achieved an average capacity utilisation of 69% between July 18 and July 28, and testing confirmed that gold is being successfully adsorbed within the CIL circuit. Kavango chairman Donald McAlister emphasized the importance of safely and methodically commissioning the plant while optimising performance and establishing stable processing operations.
The company has also established an on-site laboratory equipped with bottle roll, fire assay, and atomic absorption spectrometer capabilities to support plant optimisation, mining, and exploration activities. The Hillside project hosts a JORC-compliant mineral resource of 33,900 oz. grading 2.68 grams gold per tonne, with metallurgical testwork indicating expected operating recoveries of 90% to 93% under commercial conditions.
Kavango expects to provide further updates as commissioning progresses, including the achievement of first gold production and completion of the commissioning phase.
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