West Wits Mining (ASX:WWI) has marked the first underground ore production being delivered to the stockpile overnight from the Qala Shallows Gold Project in South Africa.
Drilling operations have now begun, with support drill activities along the 1 West and Main declines, as well as face drilling at the 1 East Decline. These activities are considered the start of full-scale underground development, transitioning Qala Shallows from early stage handheld operations to mechanised production.
West Wits, which has a market capitalisation of $245.22 million, is targeting a 30,000 tonne ore stockpile by the end of Q1 2026 to establish a consistent ore supply to the Ezulwini processing plant.
Stockpiling is already underway at a dedicated storage pad within the Ezulwini facility. Processing is expected to begin in Q1 2026, culminating in the first gold pour.
The company says this achievement represents its transition from mobilisation and preparatory development works to underground ore extraction – “a critical step toward establishing a long-life, steady-state gold operation”.
CEO Rudi Deysel says with the first ore delivered, the company has crossed the threshold into production.
“We are firmly on track to establish a long-life gold operation within the renowned Witwatersrand Basin,” Deysel says.
A Definitive Feasibility Study was conducted on the Qala Shallows Project in July 2025, which confirmed an ore reserve of 4.6 million tonnes @ 2.60 grams per tonne gold for 383,934 ounces.
The study also supported a 17-year mine life with a total production of 944,000 ounces of gold, with a steady ramp up of 70,000 ounces per year over the first 12 years.
Production will begin at an initial rate of between 15,000 and 20,000 tonnes of ore per month from Q1 2026, reaching 65,000 tonnes per month within three years.
West Wits Mining is an explorer, developer, and producer focused primarily on precious and base metals.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: West Wits Mining
