A 180-hectare irrigated farm producing about 2,000 tonnes of maize annually has become the centrepiece of B2Gold Namibia’s plan to create a sustainable post-mining economy beyond the life of the Otjikoto Mine, according to the company’s 2025 Responsible Mining Report.
The Erhardtshof Agriculture Project, located near the mine, is emerging as one of the most ambitious elements of B2Gold’s closure and rehabilitation strategy as the company moves closer to the end of open-pit mining operations at Otjikoto.
While mine closure plans have traditionally focused on environmental restoration, B2Gold is using agriculture to demonstrate how mining assets can continue to generate economic activity, employment opportunities, and community benefits long after mineral extraction ends.
The company began developing the Erhardtshof project in 2020 as a proof-of-concept venture to create a sustainable business capable of supporting local economies beyond the life of the mine. Taking advantage of strong underground water resources and fertile soils, B2Gold commissioned a 180-hectare pivot irrigation scheme between 2020 and 2025 that now produces maize and winter wheat on a commercial scale. The harvest is processed and marketed by Namib Mills in nearby Otavi.
According to the report, the operation has already become self-sufficient and profitable. The company says profits generated by the farm are being reinvested into community development initiatives, creating a model in which rehabilitation activities also contribute to local economic development. B2Gold views the project as a practical example of how mining infrastructure and resources can be transformed into productive businesses after mining ends.
The agricultural venture forms part of a broader social transition strategy completed by B2Gold Namibia at the end of 2025. Developed over three years in partnership with civil society organisations and stakeholders, the programme was designed to ensure a smooth transition for communities as the mine approaches closure.
The company says the strategy focuses on strengthening community resilience through youth development, skills training and enterprise development initiatives intended to prepare communities for a post-mining future. Agriculture has become a key component of that vision because it creates long-term economic opportunities while making productive use of land and water resources already available in the area.
The report notes that B2Gold completed its 2023–2025 social investment transition strategy through a process that identified flagship projects that will continue to receive support, while engaging stakeholders on initiatives that will be gradually transferred to new partners.
The company is also progressing a memorandum of understanding with the Otavi Town Council and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to guide social investment activities in the town over the next three years.
Alongside agriculture, environmental rehabilitation remains a major focus at Otjikoto. During 2025, the company continued maintaining indigenous plant nurseries, hydroseeding waste rock dump slopes with indigenous grass species, controlling invasive weeds and monitoring soil quality and vegetation recovery.
Preliminary studies cited in the report indicate encouraging signs of ecological recovery across rehabilitated areas.
B2Gold also continued investing in community infrastructure projects. These included ongoing support for the Otavi water infrastructure network, the launch of the Otavi Waste Management Facility focused on plastic recycling and additional investment in Ombili Primary School in Otjiwarongo, which is expected to be completed and handed over to the government by the end of 2026.
Education remains another pillar of the company’s social investment strategy. Through its long-standing support of the EduVision programme, B2Gold has helped expand access to quality education in remote communities. By the end of 2025, the initiative had grown to 22 partner schools, reaching 12,359 learners and 500 teachers through satellite-linked learning technology.
The report also highlights the company’s renewable energy efforts. During 2025, the Maxwell Solar Plant, a 10-megawatt wheeling project, reached full commercial operation. In combination with existing solar infrastructure, the project enabled approximately 79% of Otjikoto’s electricity requirements to be met by renewable energy sources during the year.
As Otjikoto moves deeper into its closure phase, B2Gold is positioning agriculture, environmental rehabilitation, renewable energy and community development as the foundations of its long-term legacy in Namibia.
The Erhardtshof Agriculture Project, in particular, offers a rare example of a mining company attempting to replace finite mineral extraction with a productive business capable of creating value long after the mine itself has ceased operations.
