Koryx Copper has appointed Lionel Coetzee as Country Manager for Namibia as it advances development of the Haib Copper Project, one of the country’s largest undeveloped copper assets.
The appointment comes as the Canadian-listed company strengthens local leadership to support the next phase of the project in southern Namibia.
Coetzee brings more than two decades of experience from Namdeb Diamond Corporation, where he served as Portfolio Manager for Strategic Projects.
He holds a BTech in Extraction Metallurgy from the University of Johannesburg and a postgraduate diploma in leadership development from Stellenbosch Business School.
“This role is about more than advancing a project. It’s about building trust, alignment and momentum around a long-life copper asset with the potential to make a meaningful contribution to Namibia’s development,” Coetzee said.
He said his focus will be on stakeholder engagement and responsible project advancement.
“I look forward to contributing to this project by representing Koryx with key stakeholders, and working closely with government, parastatals, communities and technical partners to help responsibly unlock this opportunity,” he said.
The appointment comes as Koryx Copper continues to build momentum at its 100%-owned Haib Copper Project, which is currently at the preliminary economic assessment stage.
The company recently upgraded the project’s mineral resource, increasing total contained copper to 3.5 million tonnes from 2.6 million tonnes. The updated estimate, effective 16 March 2026, also raised the grade of the higher-grade portion to 0.40% copper equivalent from 0.34%, supported by revised geological modelling and additional drilling.
Haib is a large-scale open-pit sulphide copper deposit with by-products including molybdenum and gold. The project has an expected average production rate of 92,000 tonnes per year over an initial 24-year mine life.
Koryx Copper is also expanding its regional footprint, building a portfolio of copper exploration licences in Zambia as it positions itself for long-term growth in the copper sector.
