Ramaphosa to open a zinc expansion that puts a Northern Cape mine among the world's largest
Phase II of Vedanta's Gamsberg operation at Aggeneys lifts output to about 500,000 tonnes of zinc a year and is expected to sustain up to 1,000 jobs, most of them local.
Aggeneys — President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially open the second phase of Vedanta Zinc International's Gamsberg mine at Aggeneys, in the Northern Cape, on Friday, the government news agency SAnews reports.
The expansion is described as one of the largest mining investments in South Africa in the past decade.
The numbers
- Phase II raises the mine's annual capacity to about 500,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate.
- That would place Gamsberg among the world's largest zinc producers.
- Operations are expected to sustain 800 to 1,000 jobs, recruited mainly from the Northern Cape.
Where it is
The mine lies in the Khâi-Ma Local Municipality, in the Namakwa District. SAnews says the expansion should support local employment, skills and nearby communities, and strengthen South Africa's zinc production.
The event's theme is partnerships for progress: cooperation between government, business, workers and communities for inclusive growth and regional development. A media tour of the mine takes place on Thursday afternoon, before the President's visit.
Source: SAnews, 14 October 2026.
