African Pioneer is preparing to drill its Ongombo and Ongeama copper projects near Windhoek as it moves closer to a potential 2026 investment decision on a development-ready mine that could produce around 10,000 tonnes of copper annually.
The company believes the projects could ultimately form part of a larger regional mining hub anchored by a central processing facility.
The planned drilling campaign comes as African Pioneer advances the Ongombo copper-gold-silver project, located about 40 kilometres from Windhoek.
The project is covered by Mining Licence 240, which remains valid until March 2045. It already benefits from an Environmental Clearance Certificate, placing it among the more advanced undeveloped base metals projects in Namibia. African Pioneer holds an 85% interest in the project.
Ongombo hosts a JORC-compliant mineral resource of 29 million tonnes grading 1.1% copper equivalent and containing copper, gold and silver mineralisation. The company describes the project as development-ready, with an open-pit start-up resource already identified.
The resource comprises 5.7 million tonnes in the indicated category grading 1.1% copper equivalent, containing approximately 53,000 tonnes of copper, 42,000 ounces of gold and 800,000 ounces of silver.
A further 23 million tonnes grading 1.1% copper equivalent sits in the inferred category, containing about 220,000 tonnes of copper, 180,000 ounces of gold and 4.3 million ounces of silver. Together, the resource inventory underpins management’s view that Ongombo has the scale to support a significant mining operation.
Within the overall resource is a near-surface open-pit component of about 930,000 tonnes grading 0.68% copper equivalent.
The company sees this starter pit as a potential pathway to initial production before expanding into larger underground mining operations.
Beneath the open-pit resource lies a much larger underground inventory grading around 1.2% copper equivalent.
Chairman Colin Bird said the full potential of Ongombo was becoming clearer, with the company now viewing the deposit as capable of hosting more than 200,000 tonnes of contained copper while remaining open-ended.
Recent drilling has also strengthened confidence in the project’s gold potential. According to the company, twinned drilling has highlighted the potential for significantly higher gold grades within the East-Ost shoots.
This development could materially improve project economics if confirmed through further work.
African Pioneer is now preparing drilling programmes at both Ongombo and the nearby Ongeama prospect as it seeks to expand and better define the resource base ahead of development decisions.
Bird said the company’s long-term objective extends beyond a single mine. Management is evaluating opportunities to acquire additional ore sources in the district that could eventually feed a central processing facility. While Ongombo appears capable of supporting a standalone operation, the company believes a broader district-scale development could emerge if further resources are secured.
The Ongeama project could play an important role in that strategy.
Located approximately 10 kilometres from Ongombo and 15 kilometres from the historic Otjihase copper mine, Ongeama is geologically similar to both deposits and hosts copper-silver-zinc mineralisation exposed at surface over a strike length of about 1.2 kilometres. The prospect has attracted increasing attention following reviews of historic exploration data.
Twenty-six historic diamond drill holes traced massive sulphide shoots up to 2.5 metres wide extending down-plunge for approximately 1,650 metres to a vertical depth of about 350 metres. Historic, non-JORC-compliant resource estimates range from 468,000 tonnes grading 1.26% copper, 0.46% zinc and 5.56 grams per tonne silver to 3.29 million tonnes grading 1.9% copper. African Pioneer believes modern geophysical surveys and additional drilling could significantly expand the deposit.
The company’s confidence in the district is also attracting interest from potential financiers.
Bird revealed that African Pioneer received financing approaches regarding Ongombo during the reporting period and said management was optimistic that an investment decision could be reached in 2026.
Should the project proceed to development, African Pioneer expects annual copper production of approximately 10,000 tonnes. The company believes production could increase further as additional resources are defined through drilling, acquisitions and the incorporation of nearby deposits into a broader development plan. Expansion capacity is expected to be built into the mine and processing plant design from the outset.
The timing coincides with continued strength in copper markets. African Pioneer noted that copper prices exceeded US$11,000 per tonne during late 2025 and have generally traded between US$12,000 and US$13,000 per tonne during 2026 as demand continues to be driven by electrification, renewable energy investment, artificial intelligence infrastructure and global power network expansion.
The company believes the long-term outlook for copper remains positive as the mining industry struggles to bring sufficient new supply to market. According to Bird, delays and cancellations affecting several major copper developments worldwide are creating opportunities for smaller, profitable operations to enter production.
African Pioneer also sees growing consolidation opportunities as larger mining companies seek future copper supply. Namibia’s reputation as one of Africa’s most stable mining jurisdictions could put Ongombo and Ongeama in a strong position as competition for high-quality copper assets intensifies.
The company raised £420,000 in February 2025 and a further £1.8 million in February 2026 to support exploration and project advancement activities across Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. It reported net assets of £4.47 million at year-end.
With drilling about to begin at Ongombo and Ongeama, African Pioneer is entering what could be the most important phase in the evolution of its Namibian business as it seeks to transform a development-ready copper-gold-silver project into a producing mining operation while building a broader copper district around it.
