Brendan Harris

THE largest pure-play copper mine listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, Sandfire Resources has mines in Spain and Botswana and potential projects in Montana and South Australia. There’s no doubt Brendan Harris will be looking to the successful start-up of Motheo in Botswana as a model for its future growth. “From construction to first concentrate, the development of Motheo has been a remarkable achievement,” he said last year. The $400m project was commissioned during COVID which included a fast-tracked expansion of processing capacity from 3.2 to 5.2 million tons a year following the development of a second open pit.

The mine is currently running at a 5.6mt/y rate which means Motheo will deliver more copper more quickly than originally planned. Harris has spoken highly of the Botswanan government and has said the company’s success at Motheo would not be possible without the country’s stable investment climate. Botswana has largely stood apart from other Sub-Saharan mining economies, which have leant towards populist-permitting reform. How long this will continue is an interesting question given the Botswana economy is under massive pressure.

Sandfire is working on a group community investment approach, which will include a specific target for community investment to align with better practice, enabling the company to commit to programmes that are designed to deliver a lasting benefit. Good ethics and even better politics in what remains one of Africa’s best mining destinations.