BHP, the world’s largest miner, announced today that it is partnering with JSE and ASX-listed Orion Minerals to advance Orion’s extensive copper and zinc exploration programme in the Northern Cape.
The $500,000 investment is part of BHP’s 2026 Xplor programme in which it partners with early-stage exploration and technology companies particularly in the field of critical minerals. It also marks the company’s first major investment in South Africa in years and follows its failed bid for Anglo American last year. It’s limited presence in the country and poor relations with the SA government were widely viewed as one of the reason its bid for Anglo gained limited traction.
The investment also highlights the Northern Cape’s growing status as the province with the most significant critical minerals potential in South Africa, particularly for copper but also for zinc, cobalt and nickel.
One of the companies progressing critical minerals projects in the province is Orion, which describes the Northern Cape as “a richly endowed mineral province and globally significant mining region”. In its Q4 2025 update, released on Friday, Orion says it is targeting first copper and zinc production at its Prieska copper zince mine by late 2026 and early 2027 and is currently finalised a $200m – $250m offtake agreement with Glencore.
Exploration and development work is currently focused at its Okiep, Jacomsmynspan and Areachap projects where it is exploring for copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, lithium and rare earth minerals.
BHP says in today’s announcement that “through Xplor, Orion is applying modern data analytics and mineral systems thinking across its large tenement package to identify new discovery opportunities beyond known deposits”.
Orion is one of 10 projects supported by Xplor this year, with most of the JV partners and projects located in North American and Australia.
