– ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐ค๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐.
– ๐๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ฉ, ๐ซ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง ๐13 ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ค๐ฃ, ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ 130,000 ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐จ.
– ๐๐๐ญ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐, ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง 200,000 ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ช๐ข.
On 22 March 2024, MMG Limited completed a US$1.875 billion (over P25 billion) transaction to acquire Khoemacau Copper Mine from Cuprous Capital, following a share purchase agreement signed in November 2023. The transaction marked one of the largest acquisitions in Botswana’s economic history and, by far, the largest acquisition of a Botswana mining operation by a Chinese company.
Following the acquisition, MMG announced its ambition to invest significantly in expanding Khoemacau’s production capacity, with the objective of transforming the operation into a major copper producer.
On 29 December 2025, following completion of a feasibility study, MMG Limited Board approved a US$936 million investment in the expansion project.
This expansion is designed to increase annual production capacity to approximately 130,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate, alongside associated silver production exceeding four million ounces.
The project involves extending mining operations as well as constructing a new processing plant with a capacity of 4.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).
Upon completion, the expansion will increase Khoemacau’s total milling capacity to more than 8.0 Mtpa. First copper concentrate from the expansion project is expected in the first half of 2028.
Nathan Bo Xiao, Director of Development at MMG Khoemacau, who is overseeing the expansion project and other capital developments, in an exclusive interview with The Projects Magazine said the company’s long-term vision is to transform Khoemacau into one of the largest and most prolific copper-producing hubs on the African continent.
The expansion is already having a significant impact on employment. When MMG acquired Khoemacau, the mine’s total workforce stood at approximately 1,300. Today, that figure has exceeded 5,000, including contractors, making the operation one of Botswana’s largest employment sites.
๐ง๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ
The Khoemacau expansion involves the development of three new underground mining areas: Zone 5 North, Mango and Zeta North-East.
Zone 5 North is located not far from the existing Zone 5 mining operation, while the Mango deposit lies further to the south-west. Both Zone 5 North and Mango will have two declines each. The third development area, Zeta North-East, comprises two boxcuts, one with two declines and the other with one decline.
This brings the total number of underground mine portals that will be developed across the three mining areas to seven.
According to Nathan Bo Xiao, major earthworks associated with access to the new mining areas have been completed.
“Today, all major earthworks for access to the mines, the executions of boxcuts at Mango, Zone 5 North and the two boxcuts at the Zeta North-East deposit, is almost complete.Slope stabilisation works involving calcrete placement are ongoing. We are now preparing for the portal phase, with the mining contractor expected to come on site for portal development, we want to start mining declines first quarter next year,” he said.
Alongside the new mine developments, supporting infrastructure is also taking shape. This includes tyre management warehouses, equipment and machinery maintenance workshops, explosive plants and other essential operational facilities.
These facilities will provide the necessary support for the expanded mining operations and ensure that the new underground mines are adequately equipped for production.
๐๐ซ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฌ
Another major component of the expansion project is the construction of a new processing plant near the existing Zone 5 mining operation.
Currently, ore extracted from Zone 5 is transported by truck over approximately 30 kilometres to the Boseto processing plant. The construction of a new plant near Zone 5 will significantly reduce the distance between the mine and processing facility, resulting in lower haulage costs and improved operational efficiency.
Explaining the rationale behind the new plant, Nathan Bo Xiao said the existing Boseto processing facility was located too far from the Zone 5 mining operation, making a dedicated processing facility necessary.
“The existing Boseto plant is located some distance from the Zone 5 mine. Therefore, we need to build a new plant. Geographically, the haulage distance will be reduced from approximately 30 kilometres to less than two kilometres, significantly reducing haulage costs. The new plant will have a nameplate capacity of 4.5 million tonnes per annum, significantly reducing haulage costs,” he said.
Meanwhile, a feasibility study is underway to debottleneck the existing Boseto processing plant and increase its treatment capacity from 3.3 million to 3.6 million tonnes per annum.
This additional project is intended to accommodate ore from the new mining areas and optimise the utilisation of existing processing infrastructure. Work on the project is expected to commence early next year.
๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐
Beyond the development of new underground mines and processing facilities, the Khoemacau expansion is also driving significant investment in supporting infrastructure.
One of the major developments is the construction of a new residential camp currently accommodating more than 1000 expansion project workers living on site.
The project has also involved the development of new access roads connecting various mining areas, processing facilities and other project components.
Additional infrastructure, including workshops, warehouses and other operational support facilities, is being developed to support the expanded mining operations.
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ก ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ
The Khoemacau expansion has supported local businesses across various sectors, including transport and logistics, hospitality, food and catering services, among others.
Meropa Resources, a local mining services company, has been providing earthworks, mining, loading and haulage services in the project and developing some boxcuts.
