A joint venture company of Vedanta Zinc International, through its Namibian subsidiary Skorpion Zinc Mine (51%), and Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation (49%), Gergarub Exploration and Mining (Pty) Ltd, wants to develop an underground zinc, lead, and silver mine in southern Namibia.
Gergarub Project lies about 10 km southeast of Skorpion Zinc and 15 km northwest of Rosh Pinah, on Farm Spitskop 111 along the C13 road in the Oranjemund Constituency of the //Karas Region.
It will be developed within Mining Licence Area 245, which falls under Mineral Deposit Retention Licence 2616.
The proposed underground operation will employ long hole open stoping (LHOS) supplemented by Drift and Fill (DAF) mining with backfilling, a method designed to maximise ore recovery while ensuring mine stability.
The mining strategy has been selected to achieve efficient extraction of the orebody’s extremities and is expected to support a mine life of 12 to 15 years. According to a 2022 optimisation study by AMC, the Gergarub deposit has a defined reserve of 10.1 million tonnes, supporting production of 1 million tonnes per annum at a net smelter return cut-off of US$100 per tonne.
The project is designed to make a significant contribution to Namibia’s economy.
Forecasts indicate that it could generate US$1.95 billion in foreign revenue, US$224 million in corporate income tax, US$42 million in royalties, and US$14 million in export levies over its life.
In terms of employment, the expansion and construction phase is expected to create between 300 and 350 jobs, while operational phases will employ around 700 to 800 people, including 550 permanent employees and 250 contractors.
The workforce will largely be drawn from the local community, including retrenched workers from Skorpion Zinc.
However, some management and technical expertise will also be sourced from South Africa and other regions.
Environmental Compliance Consultancy (ECC) has been engaged to conduct the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the project, by the Environmental Management Act No. 7 of 2007 and its 2012 regulations. The ESIA process began with a scoping phase and baseline studies on the biophysical and socio-economic environment.
A scoping report was circulated for public comment in July 2023, and a revised version was submitted to the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism’s Directorate of Environmental Affairs in August 2023.
The draft ESIA, which assesses potential impacts and mitigation measures, is undergoing public review.
The Gergarub project is located on Farm Spitskop 111 along the C13 road between Rosh Pinah and Aus, approximately 10 km southeast of the Skorpion Zinc Mine and 15 km northwest of the Rosh Pinah mine.
The deposit lies within the Gariep Belt, part of the Port Nolloth Zone, which hosts some of southern Africa’s most significant zinc-lead deposits.
The deposit lies within the Gariep Belt, part of the Port Nolloth Zone, which hosts some of southern Africa’s most significant zinc-lead deposits.
The Gariep Belt extends from north-western South Africa into southern Namibia. It dates back to the Neoproterozoic era, roughly 770 to 550 million years ago, when the Adamastor Ocean opened and later closed during the Gariep Orogeny.
According to the 2022 Technical Report of the Gergarub Deposit by Rosh Pinah Zinc and Skorpion Zinc Mine, the belt is composed of continental rift deposits, passive margin sediments, and syn-orogenic rocks, reflecting its complex tectonic history.
Within this belt, the Port Nolloth Zone includes the Rosh Pinah Formation. This volcanic-sedimentary sequence has produced Namibia’s key zinc assets, namely the Rosh Pinah and Skorpion mines, as well as several smaller showings.
Gergarub shares this geological environment.
Mineralisation is closely tied to rhyolite domes and volcanic facies, with hydrothermal fluids having deposited zinc, lead, and silver sulphides on or just below the ancient seafloor.
The report notes three main mineralisation types: disseminated ore grading 2%–6% zinc, semi-massive sulphides grading 4%–12% zinc, and high-grade massive sulphides containing up to 45% zinc.
These sulphides occur interbedded with quartzite, meta-carbonates, and iron sulphides such as pyrite and pyrrhotite.
Notably, the massive sulphide zones contain honey-coloured sphalerite with low iron content, which is particularly valuable in the global zinc market.
The deposit is overlain by 30–100 metres of tertiary cover, making underground mining the only viable option. However, similarities to the nearby Rosh Pinah mine—where ongoing in-mine exploration has continually extended the life of operations—suggest that Gergarub also holds long-term potential.
As the Gergarub Stage 1 Concept Mine Plan (ABGM, July 2022) highlights, optimisation studies and further regional exploration on MDRL 2616 could extend mineralisation both down-dip and northeast of the current resource, underscoring the Gariep Belt’s importance as one of southern Africa’s premier zinc-lead provinces.
Exploration of the area dates back to the 1960s, with systematic work by Anglo American and Bafex commencing in 2008, before the current proponent assuming control.
Since 2016, Gergarub Exploration and Mining has conducted extensive exploration using geochemical surveys, soil sampling, trenching, and diamond drilling, which has led to the definition of its current resource base.
Geologically, the Gergarub deposit is hosted within the Rosh Pinah Formation of the Port Nolloth Group. Mineralisation occurs as disseminated, semi-massive, and massive sulphides with zinc grades ranging from 2% to 45%.
These are closely associated with rhyolite domes and volcanic sequences, reflecting syngenetic deposition on or just below the seafloor during the Neoproterozoic era.
The mine plan forecasts underground production of 6.21 million tonnes between years two and ten of operation, with a total ore output of 23.8 million tonnes over the mine’s life.
The project’s site layout has been designed around topographical and sensitive environmental features, though it remains subject to adjustment based on recommendations from the ESIA and associated mitigation measures.
If approved, the Gergarub underground mine will add a new chapter to Namibia’s zinc industry.
It is expected to create hundreds of jobs, stimulate local businesses, generate substantial revenues for the state, and strengthen the country’s role as a reliable supplier of base metals critical for global infrastructure and renewable energy technologies.
At the same time, its development is contingent on the successful completion of the ESIA process and compliance with environmental and social safeguards.
