Trigon Metals expects to start drilling on the Kalahari Copper Belt next year after a high-resolution drone-based magnetic survey pinpointed specific drill targets on its Exclusive Prospecting Licence along the Namibia–Botswana border.
Speaking on a Trigon Metals podcast on 19 November 2025, the company’s vice president for exploration, Dr Andreas Rompel, said the 3D inversion clearly shows the underground geology.
“The data highlights structures at depths of around 200 metres that will form the focus of the company’s first drill campaign,” he said.
Rompel noted that Namibia’s portion of the belt benefits from “excellent geological indicators,” including a strong fold-hinge and saddle structure where copper mineralisation typically concentrates.
He said the drone survey flown directly over the EPL allowed the team to “see the underground geology beautifully,” enabling them to map high-value targets at depth with confidence.
Importantly, a neighbouring operator drilled a strong copper hole close to the project boundary, giving explorers a clear idea of where to begin testing.
“We know exactly where to start exploration,” Rompel said, noting that the company is already laying out drill collars to intersect the most favourable zones.
The ambition is unmistakable: to test the Namibian continuation of a copper belt that hosts some of the continent’s largest deposits.
Rompel believes the scale potential is compelling.
“Some of the biggest copper mines in the world are along the Lufilian Arc in the Congo and Zambia, and now you have those mines in Botswana. We’re just along strike,” he said. “I’m very hopeful that we can hit something good there.”
The Kalahari exploration forms part of a broader portfolio that includes copper, silver and polymetallic projects elsewhere on the continent, but the Namibian play stands out for its strategic position.
Covering only a shallow layer of sand, Namibia’s side of the trend offers a blend of geological continuity and accessibility.
If drilling confirms mineralisation beneath the cover, it could position Namibia as the next frontier in a regional copper system already proving its strength.
For now, field teams are finalising site logistics and target prioritisation.
The first phase of drilling will focus on fold hinges and saddle zones identified in the geophysical model — areas where copper tends to accumulate in structurally compressed rocks.
Explorers believe these targets represent the best chance of replicating Botswana’s copper successes on Namibian ground.
As attention to the global copper market intensifies — driven by electrification demands, renewable-energy infrastructure and the rise of artificial-intelligence data-centre power systems — the Kalahari Copper Belt is drawing fresh investment. Namibia, already known for its uranium, lithium, and rare-earth potential, may soon add copper to the list of commodities shaping its mining future.
