Chamber of Mines of Namibia says Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation plans to intensify exploration activities in 2026 with a 46,000-metre drilling campaign aimed at extending the mine’s orebody and identifying new mineral resources.
According to the Chamber’s 2025 annual review, the underground zinc and lead producer plans to undertake 36,000 metres of underground drilling focused on extending the existing orebody, alongside a further 10,000 metres of surface drilling targeting new resources in the McMillan area north of WF3 and north of Gergarub.
The Chamber said the planned drilling expansion follows exploration gains achieved during 2025, when the company completed 16,952 metres of underground drilling and 4,427 metres of surface drilling.
“The exploration programme resulted in the addition of approximately 1.5 million tonnes of new resources, supporting the long-term sustainability of mining operations at Rosh Pinah,” the report said.
Rosh Pinah Mine, located in southern Namibia, produces zinc and lead concentrates for export to international markets.
According to the report, the mine produced 618,000 tonnes of ore during 2025 at an average zinc grade of 6.18%, compared to a planned 654,000 tonnes at 6.54% zinc.
“This resulted in the production of 33,323 tonnes of zinc metal and 4,400 tonnes of lead metal during the reporting period,” the report said.
The Chamber said underground development reached 6.7 kilometres against a target of 7.7 kilometres during the year.
It also highlighted the successful commissioning of Namibia’s first paste plant at the operation.
“During the year, Namibia’s first paste plant was successfully commissioned, marking a significant milestone in reducing surface tailings deposition and improving resource utilisation,” the Chamber said.
The report further noted that the company invested N$6.8 million in community development initiatives during 2025, focusing on education, healthcare, enterprise development and sport.
“A significant portion of this investment supported education, including funding for private pre-primary, primary and secondary schools, as well as infrastructure upgrades such as a dining hall at a government school in the //Kharas Region and the construction of a two-classroom block at an early childhood development centre in the Omusati Region,” the report said.
The Chamber added that the company also supported healthcare services, local non-governmental organisations, SME development initiatives and sporting activities, including sponsorship of the Hardap Cup tournament.
On environmental management, the report said Rosh Pinah strengthened lead mitigation and sustainability measures during 2025 through dust control, waste management and biodiversity protection initiatives.
“Key measures included the operationalisation of vehicle and boot-wash stations to prevent the migration of lead-contaminated dust off-site, the construction of an enclosed concentrate storage shed to reduce fugitive dust emissions, and the establishment of a clean-in, clean-out change-house system to minimise cross-contamination,” the report said.
