West Wits Mining advances its Witwatersrand Basin Project with the launch of Qala Shallows

West Wits Mining has officially commenced operations at the Qala Shallows Underground Mine, marking South Africa’s first new underground gold mine in 15 years

The development represents a major step forward for the company and strengthens the long-term trajectory of the Witwatersrand Basin Project.

A ceremony west of Johannesburg gathered senior government officials, industry leaders, diplomats, and community representatives. Among the attendees were the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe (or senior departmental delegates), Australian High Commissioner Tegan Brink, Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane, as well as investors, partners, and local stakeholders.

During the event, West Wits CEO and Group Managing Director, Rudi Deysel, underscored the project’s significance as a resurgence of confidence in the Central Rand’s geological promise.

“For years, many believed the Central Rand had reached the end of its mining life, but Qala Shallows shows that with rigorous geological work, clear planning and disciplined execution – and strong cooperation between government and business – new underground gold mines can still be developed in this district,” Deysel said.

“The Witwatersrand built Johannesburg and shaped our economy, and it still holds substantial potential for the future.”

Deysel acknowledged the contributions of government partners, lenders, surrounding communities and industry collaborators, crediting them with the successful realisation of the project.

“Together we have brought a new mine to life in one of the world’s most historic gold districts, and today, Qala Shallows starts a fresh chapter for the Witwatersrand and for South African gold mining.”

Development status and production outlook

Since work began in July 2025, construction and underground development at Qala Shallows have progressed smoothly, with all key milestones met within schedule. The project delivered its first ore to surface in October 2025, and all essential underground systems required for the production phase have been completed. Surface ore stockpiles continue to grow and are expected to reach around 30,000 tonnes before the initial gold pour planned for March 2026.

Long-term role in West Wits’ growth plans

Bringing Qala Shallows online transforms West Wits from a developer into an operating gold producer, reinforcing the company’s commitment to South Africa and laying the groundwork for extended expansion within the Witwatersrand Basin Project. The broader project contains a Mineral Resource Estimate exceeding 5 million ounces³, with Qala Shallows acting as the first stage of a phased rollout. Additional development zones such as Bird Reef Central are expected to incrementally support future production targets.

These steps align with the company’s Project 200 vision, focused on achieving annual output of 200,000 ounces through sustainable, disciplined execution.

Upcoming activities

Over the coming months, West Wits will continue underground advancement and surface work at Qala Shallows as it prepares for the first gold pour in March 2026. In parallel, planning and development efforts for later phases of the Witwatersrand Basin Project will continue to move forward.

Advanced screening technology for aggregate plants. (Image source: Metso)

Metso has expanded its screening solutions portfolio with the introduction of the new Grande Series

The series represents a significant enhancement for mining and aggregates operators, delivering high-performance screening technology designed to optimize capacity, uptime, and operational efficiency across the most demanding continuous-use applications.

The Grande Series introduces three new stationary screen types, GLH, GMF and GFF, each engineered to support high-capacity production environments and deliver improved flexibility. With larger screen sizes than previously available in Metso’s lineup, the range enables customers to achieve greater throughput, minimise maintenance interruptions, and tailor their operations more effectively to meet business objectives.

“It’s all about helping our customers succeed with the right tools for their unique needs. With the newly launched Grande Series, customers gain more flexibility, easier screen replacements, and access to solutions for even the most demanding screening tasks,” commented Jouni Mähönen, vice-president, screening business line, Metso.

Screening options designed for varied operational applications

The GLH horizontal screens are optimised for heavy-duty use, including demanding slurry and water-handling duties in mining operations. Meanwhile, the GMF multi-slope banana screens are built to accommodate high-capacity screening for fine and near-size particle processing.

These additions introduce engineered-to-order configurations and ultra-large screen formats that were previously unavailable in Metso’s stationary screen offerings.

The GFF flip-flow screen type adds further capability by enabling efficient separation of difficult materials and fine fractions, reinforcing Metso’s position as a full-scope screening partner.

Compatibility with Trellex screening media ensures the new series integrates seamlessly with Metso’s broader screening technologies, enabling complete end-to-end solutions for users.

Easier replacement of non-Metso screens and flexible reconfiguration options further support customers looking to enhance or modify existing operations without disruption.

“The Grande Series is a result of our continuous screening portfolio development. We are strengthening Metso’s position as a screening solutions partner – expanding our offering with larger screens, lighter duty screens, and new flip-flow technology. With new technologies, larger sizes, and advanced capabilities, we’re expanding our portfolio to support the most demanding applications and strengthen our position in the growing screening market,” remarked Michael Gyberg, vice-president, capital equipment business, Screening, Metso.

Metso will roll out the Grande Series globally, with the GLH and GMF screens debuting publicly in early December 2025, followed by the GFF Series at the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Expanded screening portfolio and service ecosystem

The new Grande Series complements Metso’s broader offering, which includes UFS Series, EF Series, and BSE Series screens within the Metso Plus program, alongside a comprehensive range of multislope, inclined, horizontal, mobile, portable, and ultrafine screening solutions. Paired with Trellex rubber and polyurethane media systems, Metso provides full-spectrum screening solutions for diverse material-handling needs.

Ivanhoe, QIA deepen minerals alliance

Ivanhoe Mines has formalised a new partnership framework with Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) following the sovereign fund’s recent US$500mn strategic investment in the company.

The MoU was concluded during the visit of His Highness The Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). During his trip, the Amir held discussions with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi on strengthening ties between the two nations, creating the backdrop for the Ivanhoe–QIA agreement.

Under the terms of the MoU, Ivanhoe Mines and QIA have established a broad framework intended to support the discovery, responsible development and long-term supply of critical minerals required for global decarbonisation and next-generation technologies.

Commenting on the agreement, Robert Friedland said, “The signing of the MoU, together with the strategic investment by the Qatar Investment Authority, is a strong vote of confidence in Ivanhoe Mines and our mission to supply the strategic metals that power global electrification and the rise of AI and large-scale datacentres. We are excited to build this long-term, world-class alliance as we unlock new frontiers in our hunt for the next generation of great discoveries, which we will sustainably mine together.”

QIA CEO Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi added, “This MoU is a testament of QIA’s commitment to building strategic partnerships with leading suppliers of critical minerals, supporting global efforts to develop new energy infrastructure and power advanced technologies. We are delighted to be working with Ivanhoe Mines and look forward to further growing our partnership, aimed at generating long-term, sustainable prosperity.”

The cooperation framework specifically recognises QIA’s support for Ivanhoe’s ongoing exploration and development pipeline, including the company’s substantial activities at the Western Forelands project in the DRC, where work continues to advance the Makoko District and other promising targets.

Both parties also intend to explore additional joint opportunities across regions of shared interest, covering mining ventures at various stages of development. Potential areas of collaboration include investment or financing agreements, access to QIA’s network of financial institutions for favourable funding of critical minerals projects, and joint consideration of future strategic mergers and acquisitions.

The MoU further sets out avenues for cooperation on enabling infrastructure—such as logistics, energy and water systems—as well as possible downstream initiatives, including smelting and refining capacity for critical minerals in Africa and other global jurisdictions.