Kavango Resources has received formal approval from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to commission its newly built 50-tonne-per-day pilot processing plant and Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) at the Hillside Gold Project in Matabeleland South.
The approval follows regulatory inspections and verification assessments, allowing the London-listed explorer to begin commercial-scale pilot operations.
Processing has already commenced, with the plant treating both run-of-mine (ROM) ore from underground workings and previously stockpiled gold-bearing sands.
The pilot facility is designed to test and optimize the project’s gold recovery processes, with metallurgical assessments targeting recovery rates of up to 93 percent.
The program will evaluate the performance of gravity concentration and leaching circuits before the company considers a larger-scale processing expansion.
Regulators also approved the operation of Tailings Storage Facility No. 1, which underwent environmental and structural assessments to ensure compliance with national mining and waste-management standards.
By processing stockpiled material alongside fresh ore, Kavango aims to generate early revenue while collecting critical geological and metallurgical data to support future mine development.
The company said information gathered during the pilot phase will guide planning for the next stage of growth at Hillside, including deeper shaft development and additional milling capacity. 
