Commissioning Commenced at Hillside Gold Project
Summary by AI BETAClose X
3 August 2026
Kavango Resources plc
("Kavango" or the "Company")
Commissioning commenced at Kavango's Hillside Gold Project following successful processing plant installation
Kavango Resources plc (LSE: KAV, VFEX:KAV.VX), the Southern Africa-focused metals exploration and gold development company, is pleased to announce the successful installation and commencement of commissioning of its 50 tonne per day ("tpd") gold processing plant at the Hillside project ("Hillside") in Zimbabwe.
Highlights
· 50tpd Hillside gold processing plant successfully installed, marking the transition from construction into commissioning and live processing.
· Processing commenced on 1 July 2026, with all feed material sourced from Kavango's own Hillside operations, including stockpiled and freshly milled gold-bearing sands.
· Average capacity utilisation of 69% achieved during the period 18-28 July 2026.
· Material now being processed through the crushing, milling, gravity concentration and carbon-in-leach ("CIL") circuit.
· Fully equipped on-site laboratory established, providing bottle roll, fire assay and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) capabilities to support plant optimisation, mining and exploration activities.
· This proof-of-concept plant supports the advancement of Hillside towards commercial production, with Bill's Luck Underground hosting a JORC-compliant Mineral Resource of 33,900 ounces of gold at 2.68g/t and metallurgical test work indicating expected operating recoveries of 90-93%.
Donald McAlister, Chairman, commented: "The commencement of commissioning marks an important milestone for Kavango as we transition from construction to operational testing at Hillside.
"Our immediate priority is to commission the plant safely and methodically, optimising plant performance and establishing stable processing operations. The knowledge gained during this phase will support our plans to expand processing capacity and accelerate production growth across the Hillside Gold Project.
"We look forward to ramping up production at Hillside and further advancing our wider portfolio, including evaluating the strategic opportunities available at Nara."
Overview
The introduction of material from the Company's mining operation alongside previously stockpiled gold-bearing sands into the processing plant marks the transition from construction to commissioning and live processing. Material is now being processed through the crushing, milling, gravity concentration and CIL circuit as the Company continues a phased programme to safely test, optimise and integrate the complete processing plant under normal operating conditions.
The plant has been processing a combination of previously stockpiled gold-bearing sands and freshly milled sands from Kavango's existing Hillside Milling Centre since 1 July 2026. From 18th July to 28th July, the plant achieved an average capacity utilisation of 69%. Testing of loaded carbon has confirmed that gold is being successfully adsorbed within the CIL circuit. The Company will now commence blending run-of-mine ("ROM") ore into the process feed as operating parameters are progressively optimised. All material processed is sourced from the Company's own operations at Hillside.
The Company has established a fully equipped on-site laboratory at Hillside, incorporating bottle roll, fire assay and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) capabilities. It enables rapid analysis of process samples to monitor plant performance, support informed operational decision-making and maximising gold recovery. In additional the laboratory provides support to Kavango's exploration, grade control and mining activities.
The Hillside processing plant was developed as a proof-of-concept project to validate the Company's processing flowsheet, confirm expected metallurgical recoveries and demonstrate Kavango's capability to design, construct and operate modern gold processing facilities. It represents the first phase of development at the Hillside Gold Project and will inform subsequent development and expansion decisions as Kavango advances Hillside towards commercial production.
Bills Luck Underground hosts a JORC compliant mineral resource of 33,900 ounces of gold (Measured, Indicated and Inferred) at a grade of 2.68g/t. As announced 20th May 2026, metallurgical test work undertaken on blends of Nightshift and Bill's Luck ore achieved gold recoveries of greater than 95% under laboratory conditions, with expected operating recoveries of between 90% and 93% under commercial plant conditions.
The company expects to provide further market updates upon the achievement of significant operational milestones, including first gold production and the completion of commissioning.
Figure 1: 50tpd proof-of-concept processing plant at Kavango's Hillside project.
Figure 2: Newly established on-site laboratory at Kavango's Hillside project.
Further information in respect of the Company and its business interests is provided on the Company's website at www.kavangoresources.com
For further information, please contact:
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Kavango Resources plc Donald McAlister +44 7887 481228
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SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Corporate Broker) +44 3470 0470 |
BlytheRay Ltd |
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Inter-Horizon Group
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