This article is a sponsored feature from Mining.com.au partner West Wits Mining. It is not financial advice. Talk to a registered financial expert before making investment decisions.
ASX-listed West Wits Mining (ASX:WWI) is advancing near-term gold production at its flagship Witwatersrand Basin Project in South Africa. Phase one, Qala Shallows, has already delivered first ore and a maiden gold pour, marking the company’s transition from explorer to producer.
With early works, bulk sampling, and toll treatment agreements in place, West Wits is building toward a steady-state output of 70,000 ounces per annum over a 17-year mine life.
CEO Rudi Deysel notes that ‘Qala’ originates from an Indigenous African language, meaning ‘to start’ or a ‘beginning’, and serves as a good metaphor for the company’s rejuvenation of an established resource in one of the world’s top gold mining jurisdictions.
“We’re past the beginning now, having basically started our operations and ramped up to first gold production in March 2026,” Deysel says.
Qala Shallows: DFS outlines 944,000 ounces over 17 years
West Wits first mobilised into Qala Shallows — an underground development project — in July 2025, working a contractor model, meaning that the actual mining work is being outsourced to a professional contractor.
“We’ve got an engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract who will develop the project itself,” Deysel says.
“We’ve taken this approach because there are certain areas we can access immediately that we are producing on, so while we’re building the surface infrastructure, and as the mine expands on the ground, then we can add all the required underground infrastructure.
“We’ve also got the original equipment manufacturers to supply the key equipment and who will do all maintenance on it too.”
Deysel notes that the team mobilised all contractors in July 2025 to start on some early works and analysis on the previously completed bulk sampling.
This contractor model also extends to the company’s processing plans, as it is able to utilise one of the existing plants in the area.
“There’s been a considerable amount of gold produced around the region and the world, and there are so many of these old plants available for us. It actually saves us a lot of capital to be able to use one that’s already running rather than to have to build one ourselves.”
The Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for Qala Shallows outlines 944,000 ounces of gold production over a 17-year life of mine, with steady-stage production of 70,000 ounces per year for 12 years.
“Our aspiration is to increase that to 200,000 ounces,” Deysel says.
In February 2026, West Wits reported a material upgrade to the JORC mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the Witwatersrand Basin Project, growing the total mineral resource base by 2.2 million ounces (up 44%) to 7.24 million ounces @ 4.0 grams per tonne gold.
“The fact that we were able to increase our ore reserve and resource just confirms that there’s so much more opportunity in this project,” Deysel says.
“We are now sitting at 7.2 million ounces, which is quite a considerable resource, and we’re looking now at how we’re actually going to extract it.”
More recently, the company completed development at the 1 West Decline, which Deysel notes was a significant operational milestone for West Wits.
“That access to unmined, in-situ ore within the historical underground workings opens up a whole new level in the ore body,” Deysel says.
“It also opens us up to start producing a higher grade material that we can start processing as well, which will have a positive impact on our revenue too.”
With this higher gold grade and higher recoveries, West Wits launched ‘Project 200’, looking at various pathways to scale.
“There’s a few scenarios that we’re working through with the Scoping Study to understand how we’re actually going to extract this gold,” Deysel says.
“That will act as the blueprint for the project. Then, obviously, if you mine this much material, then you also need to think closely about your processing solutions as well, which would probably require our own plant.”
Deysel affirms that the company is already exploring a number of scenarios for this processing pathway, speaking to multiple parties in the area.
“As I mentioned, there’s a lot of spare capacity around us, so we’re in talks with those companies, but then also looking at our own plant, which would then also require some environmental and permitting requirements around tailings, etc.,” Deysel says.
This is a dynamic process, Deysel explains. The company continues to focus on adding resources, ultimately changing the commercial considerations going forward as well.
March 2026 maiden pour confirms ore body confidence
On 17 March 2026, West Wits completed its first gold pour at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Ezulwini Processing Plant, which sits within the broader Witwatersrand Basin Project, as reported.
“A first gold pour is a huge milestone for any company,” Deysel says.
“Especially a company like West Wits that started from scratch.
“To go through all of the permitting, to get the funding in place, and then ultimately have that first bar of gold in your hand is huge. It has also confirmed the confidence that we’ve got in the ore body and the expected grades.”
Deysel notes that now that first gold has been poured, the mine is in a build-up phase to that steady state of 70,000 ounces per annum at Qala Shallows.
Johannesburg location offers unmatched infrastructure
West Wits’ flagship project sits in the heart of Johannesburg, a region steeped in gold mining history. Deysel explains how the Witwatersrand Basin was historically the first area in Johannesburg to be mined in the late 1800s, producing some of the most well-known ore bodies globally. With many operations around the region now depleted, West Wits has been lucky to secure access to untouched ground on the historic Rand Leases.
The project’s proximity to the city is a unique advantage, being just 15 minutes from the CBD, with direct access to water, power, roads, infrastructure, and skilled workers.
Original equipment manufacturers and factories are nearby, meaning equipment breakdowns can be addressed quickly and efficiently.
Unlike remote mines, West Wits benefits from Johannesburg’s deep pool of mining talent, engineers, and skilled workers who can live in the city while contributing to operations. Strong community relations further underpin the company’s ability to operate sustainably in one of the world’s best-known gold jurisdictions.
Consistent delivery positions West Wits as serious operator
West Wits has completed the funding package for Qala Shallows, securing definitive finance agreements with Absa Bank and Nedbank CIB. The package includes a ZAR 875 million ($77.9 million) Senior Loan Facility, a ZAR 150 million Working Capital Facility, and a ZAR 90 million Cost Overrun Debt Facility.
Combined with the company’s previously completed equity raising, this establishes a fully funded pathway to steady-state gold production and marks a major de-risking milestone for the project.
West Wits is approaching several other key milestones that will shape its growth trajectory in the coming months.
The Project 200 Scoping Study is due by the end of July 2026, providing a blueprint to scale production beyond the current DFS target of 70,000 ounces per annum.
In parallel, exploration will commence at Bird Reef Central, a shallow, outcropping block containing both gold‑bearing and uranium‑bearing ore bodies. The uranium remains an exploration target, with resource definition drilling scheduled for the second half of the year.
Operationally, the focus remains on building gold output up to steady‑state production while completing surface infrastructure to support maximum throughput.
Deysel highlights that the company has consistently delivered on its targets: mobilisation in July 2025, first ore in October, and first gold pour in March 2026.
“We are proving ourselves as serious operators, moving beyond the junior explorer stage,” Deysel says.
“With growth potential across our portfolio, we believe West Wits remains undervalued and offers significant opportunity for investors.”
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au, West Wits Mining
