TOP PROJECTS
Africa’s top projects make their mark Modern Mining’s Top projects for 2026 cover a range of commodities: platinum, nickel, copper and diamonds. These are stand-out projects, not only for their sheer size and hefty investments, but because they meet the current and future needs of global industry.
W hile platinum and nickel are benefiting from strong tailwinds that support their long-term price outlooks, the diamond market is facing pronounced headwinds as it contends with the rapid rise of lab-grown alternatives. The copper market, on the other hand, is experiencing mixed signals, with strong long-term demand from the green and digital transitions clashing with short-term volatility and potential supply chain stress. The projects include: Lifezone Metals Kabanga Nickel project, located in north-west Tanzania, Omico Mining’s Omitiomire Copper Project, in Namibia, Ivanplats’ Platreef mine on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex, in the Limpopo Province, and two diamond projects associated with diamond miner, De Beers - the Venetia diamond mine in the Limpopo Province, which is transitioning from open pit to underground, and the Benguela Gem diamond recovery vessel. The projects are at various stages of development – early- stage projects include the Kabanga Project, which is transitioning from exploration to a developmental financing phase. Kabanga is a high-grade, large scale resource hosting one of the world’s largest undeveloped high-grade nickel sulphide deposits. The company is working to secure the funding needed for construction, aiming to find a clear path to the final investment decision expected in 2026. The rising global demand for Lithium-ion batteries is a key market driver for nickel, boding well for the project. The Omitiomire Copper Project, also an early-stage project
focused on securing a strategic partner for funding purposes, completed its Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) in late 2024, and is now positioned for implementation. Omitiomire is aiming for full production by 2028. On 18 November 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa officially opened Ivanplats’ Platreef Platinum-Palladium-Nickel- Rhodium-Gold-Copper Mine. The inauguration of the largest mine for precious metals on the African continent, is being developed in three phases by Ivanhoe Mines and its partners, with a total initial and expansion capital expenditure of a whopping $2 billion across all phases. Meanwhile, owing to the challenges in the diamond market, the Venetia project has taken substantial steps to optimise its operations, notably by adjusting the development sequence of its flagship diamond mine. While the ramp-up to 6 mtpa of kimberlite ore to produce nameplate capacity of roughly 4 to 4.5 million carats, remains firmly on the table. The revised ramp-up is scheduled for 2032, which extends the life of mine by a further three years to 2049 from 2046. Lastly, Debmarine Namibia’s Benguela Gem diamond recovery vessel, which has been in commercial operation since March 2022, recently deployed the next generation of crawler design and capability. These next-generation crawlers will deliver higher production, combined with efficiency and even better reliability than earlier models, which were already world leading. n
DECEMBER 2025 - JANUARY 2026 | www.modernminingmagazine.co.za MODERN MINING 19
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