In a major boost to Zimbabwe’s primary gold production sector, Nasdaq-listed Namib Minerals (NASDAQ: NAMM) has completed the expansion of its milling plant ahead of schedule at its flagship How Mine operation outside Bulawayo.
The successful commissioning of the upgraded surface facility immediately elevates the asset’s monthly ore processing capacity by 36 percent, expanding throughput from 40,500 tonnes to approximately 55,000 tonnes per month.
The capital-intensive project addresses a critical structural bottleneck at the underground mine, where subterranean ore extraction capabilities had long outpaced surface processing limitations.
By eliminating this constraint, the automated milling plant will allow underground ore volumes to feed directly into the extraction cycle, optimizing equipment utilization and diluting fixed overhead expenses across a larger output volume.
Namib Minerals Chief Executive Officer Tulani Sikwila confirmed that operations have now transitioned from construction to a disciplined volumetric ramp-up.
The expanded facility is engineered to sustain an annualized production run-rate exceeding 30,000 ounces of gold based on current underground ore grades.
To account for the capital expenditure outlays and brief operational halts required to tie the new mill into the existing grid, the company calibrated its consolidated production guidance for the full year of 2026 to settle between 26,500 and 27,000 ounces.
However, management expects the full economic efficiencies and enhanced cash-generation capabilities of the expansion to manifest entirely by the first quarter of 2027.
The commissioning occurs amid historic macroeconomic tailwinds for the precious metals sector, with the firm capturing average realized gold prices of US$4,195 per ounce after state royalty deductions.
This robust margin environment is providing the vital capital necessary to fund Namib Minerals’ aggressive multi-asset revival strategy across Zimbabwe.
Company officials stated that free cash flows unlocked by the optimized How Mine plant have already financed the accelerated dewatering phase of the historic Redwing Mine, positioning it for an initial gold pour by January 2027.
Additionally, the operational stabilization at How Mine permits the reallocation of technical teams to finalize definitive feasibility studies for a structural restart of the high-grade Mazowe Mine complex north of Harare.
A comprehensive consolidated corporate guidance report outlining the expanded 2027 production baselines for all three asset portfolios is expected to be released to the markets early next year. 
