By: Herald online

Kavango Resources Plc, a UK-based gold junior, is stepping up its exploration and production plans in Zimbabwe, following a highly active first half, which was marked by drilling campaigns, plant construction and capital injections.

The London Alternative Investment Market and Victoria Falls Stock Exchange – listed developer said its focus remained on the Hillside and Nara gold projects in Matabeleland South, aiming to turn the assets to commercial – scale operations within the next 18 months.

“We have made significant progress in Zimbabwe this year, both in resource definition and in moving into early production,” said chairman Peter Wynter Bee. “Our goal is to rapidly scale up using modern mechanised mining methods.”

At the Hillside Gold Project, southeast of Bulawayo, Kavango completed three phases of exploration and resource drilling across its Bill’s Luck, Nightshift and Steenbok targets during the first half of the year.

This included more than 7 000 metres of drilling, which upgraded the company’s understanding of mineralisation controls.

Bill’s Luck has been central to the company’s plans. Small-scale output began last year and Kavango is building up to 250 tonnes per day (tpd) of ore processing capacity with a carbon-in-pulp plant now under construction.

Commissioning of a 200 tpd facility is expected in the first half of 2026.

Chief operating officer, Mr Alexandra Rose Gorman, who relocated to Zimbabwe in June this year, said the company was positioning itself differently from many junior miners.

“Through combining aggressive exploration with immediate small-scale production, we are de-risking our projects and creating cashflow optionality for expansion,” she said.

Meanwhile, a 4 000 metres diamond and 4 500 metres reverse circulation drilling campaign is underway at Bill’s Luck to provide data for a three-year mine plan.

The company sees scope for spiral decline mining, a technique rarely used in Zimbabwe but common in Australia, to unlock deeper high-grade deposits.