By the end of this decade, Namibia’s Otavi Mountain Land could be reshaped by a new generation of explorers.
At the centre of this shift is Midas Minerals Limited, which in May 2025 announced its intention to acquire ten Exclusive Prospecting Licences (EPLs) from Brazilian base metals producer Nexa Resources.
The package, known as the Otavi Project, spans nearly 1,800 km² and contains two walk-up copper deposits, T13 and Deblin, alongside multiple underexplored prospects that could host significant discoveries.
The acquisition represents more than just new ground, but is a strategic play to unlock what many geologists now refer to as the “second Copperbelt,” an analogue to the Zambian-Congolese Copperbelt, where structurally controlled and stratabound copper systems have yielded tier-one mines.
The Otavi Project, supported by a dataset of 56,000 metres of drilling, over 17,000 soil samples, and extensive geophysical surveys, positions Midas to fast-track resource definition drilling and potentially transform the Namibian copper story.
Otavi’s mining pedigree is already world-class. The Tsumeb Mine, discovered in 1893, produced 27 million tonnes of ore containing copper, lead, zinc, silver, and germanium over a century of operations, leaving behind a smelter that still runs today.
Kombat, located nearby, has produced over 12 million tonnes at grades above 2% copper and still holds a NI 43-101 indicated resource of 13.6 million tonnes. Further afield, B2Gold’s Otjikoto Mine has produced 1.79 million ounces of gold since opening in 2015, while Tschudi, operated by Consolidated Copper, continues to deliver LME Grade A cathode.
Midas is now stepping into this historic district with fresh ambition. Nexa’s earlier work identified the T13 deposit in 2016 and Deblin in 2020, both of which remain open and under-drilled. While Nexa’s global rationalisation strategy created the opening for Midas, the Australian junior sees a pathway to define resources and move quickly toward feasibility studies.
The terms of the acquisition reflect that ambition: US$3 million upfront, followed by staged payments tied to project milestones—pre-feasibility, mine decision, and commercial production.
Nexa will also retain a 1% net smelter return royalty, half of which Midas may repurchase for US$2 million.
At the T13 deposit, Midas is preparing a drilling program designed to complete an initial resource estimate.
Early drilling outlined a 300-metre-long high-grade shoot, but the mineralised shear zone extends more than two kilometres.
Additional drilling will aim to expand the footprint to T13 West and beyond, potentially uncovering multiple shoots along strike.
The Deblin deposit is even newer, with thick copper-rich intersections suggesting large-scale mineralisation. Planned drilling will include infill to define geometry and step-outs to test parallel structures. Geophysical techniques such as EM and IP, previously applied on a limited scale, will now be rolled out across the broader area to highlight sulphide accumulations.
Beyond the known deposits, Midas has lined up a pipeline of prospects: Hartebeesport, Driekoppies, and Monty.
Each represents large copper and gold anomalies with early signs of grade. Monty in particular is described internally as a potential “game-changer”—a grassroots target that could replicate the scale of historic Otavi mines.
As if 1,776 km² were not enough, Midas has also secured an option to acquire up to 80% of EPL 8374, the South Otavi Project, located just 350 km north of Windhoek and adjacent to its main licences.
Historic work in the 1960s and 1990s identified untested gold and copper anomalies, and Midas’ trenching has already confirmed copper and silver mineralised zones within a corridor at least 100 metres wide and extending for 2 km, open in all directions.
Samples have revealed copper oxides, chalcocite, and bornite within the Askevold metavolcanics, strengthening the geological link to known Otavi-style deposits. Mapping and soil sampling are underway to define drill-ready targets.
If Midas delivers on its exploration promises, the Otavi and South Otavi projects could reshape Namibia’s copper production profile.
The country’s known deposits—Kombat, Tsumeb, Tschudi—are either mature, suspended, or producing at a modest scale.
Fresh discoveries could provide the feedstock for future smelting and support Namibia’s ambitions to become a hub for value-added metals under its Green Industrialisation Blueprint.
What makes Otavi stand out is not just geology but timing. The world is currently experiencing a structural copper shortage, with analysts predicting that supply will fall behind demand by the late 2020s.
Namibia, already a secure jurisdiction with strong port infrastructure at Walvis Bay, is well-positioned to supply copper to both European and Asian markets. Midas’ entry reinforces the country’s profile as a stable, investable destination for critical minerals.
Midas is preparing to commence drilling as soon as the acquisition closes, expected by year-end 2025, pending regulatory approval from the Namibian Competition Commission and a minimum A$3.5 million capital raise. The goal is clear: deliver an initial resource at T13 and Deblin, expand mineralisation footprints, and open new exploration corridors at Hartebeesport, Driekoppies, and Monty.
In the longer term, staged payments to Nexa tied to a pre-feasibility study, mine decision, and commercial production suggest that within this decade, Otavi could host Namibia’s next producing copper mine.
The South Otavi Project adds another layer of upside, with trenching already proving that historic anomalies may translate into modern resources.
Midas Minerals’ acquisition signals the beginning of a new chapter in a region that once powered southern Africa’s mining economy.
If successful, Otavi’s next story will not be one of forgotten relics but of renewed growth, powered by copper critical to the world’s clean energy transition.
