President Cyril Ramaphosa officially opened the R10-billion Gamsberg Phase II expansion at Vedanta Zinc International (VZI) in the Northern Cape on Friday, October 16, 2026, doubling the mine's ore capacity and positioning it among the world's largest zinc-producing operations.

The expansion, completed in July, adds a second concentrator and lifts Gamsberg's zinc production capacity to about 500,000 tonnes per year. Annual ore capacity doubles from approximately 4 million to 8 million tonnes, making it one of the largest mining investments in South Africa in the past decade.

More than 1,500 people worked on the project at peak construction, and Phase II is expected to create between 800 and 1,000 operational jobs. The investment forms part of the R21-billion commitment Vedanta made at the 2018 South Africa Investment Conference. Since 2011, Vedanta has invested R89-billion in its South African operations and projects.

“We have come to celebrate an investment that has moved from commitment to construction and from construction to production,” Ramaphosa said. He noted that the expansion reinforces South Africa's standing as an important producer of zinc and points to the opportunity to transform mineral wealth into a foundation for industrialisation.

VZI is the anchor investor in the Namakwa Special Economic Zone, designated in May 2024. The company plans to build a zinc smelter in the SEZ to refine concentrate into zinc metal close to the mine, supporting secondary industries such as fertiliser and chemicals. The expansion takes VZI closer to its ambition of producing one million tonnes of zinc annually from its Southern African operations.

“For Vedanta, Gamsberg Phase II is more than an expansion of our zinc business,” said Priya Agarwal-Hebbar, Vedanta non-executive director and chairperson of Hindustan Zinc. “Our ambition is to build a globally significant zinc and industrial hub in the region, creating lasting value for the country and its people”.

VZI CEO Vijay Kumar said: “We invested through a demanding period for the industry because we believe in this region's potential. We want the benefits to stay in Namakwa, through local jobs, local suppliers and skills development”.

Trade, Industry and Competition acting deputy director-general Maoto Molefane said the investment had increased the total value of SEZ-based operational investments to just above R50-billion and created more than 400 direct jobs, lifting total permanent jobs created through the SEZ programme to over 30,000.

Ramaphosa acknowledged that establishing zinc smelting capacity would require commercially viable electricity, reliable infrastructure and other enabling conditions. “Government must work with Vedanta and other partners to address these requirements,” he said. “We want the zinc that is mined here to become the foundation of industries that manufacture here, employ here and create prosperity here”.