The rapid progress of West Wits Mining’s Qala Shallows – South Africa’s first gold mine in 15 years – has been underpinned by a multidisciplinary due diligence study conducted by SRK Consulting in the second half of 2025.
Commissioned by specialist mining financier Nebari – a key funding stakeholder in Qala Shallows – the due diligence assessed the technical, operational and execution risks associated with the project. According to Joseph Mainama, Director, Partner and Principal Mining Engineer at SRK Consulting (South Africa), this provided an evidence-based view on any material issues that could compromise funding, development or long-term operability.
“The client wanted comfort that there were no risks that could pose a significant threat to the project going ahead sustainably,” said Mainama, who led the assignment for SRK Consulting. “Equally important were questions of execution readiness: were the building blocks in place, were the schedules realistic, and were the key milestones achievable in a way that supported the funding and repayment profile?”
Distinctive Features
The Qala Shallows mine, part of West Wits Mining’s broader Witwatersrand Basin project, features distinctive technical aspects compared to other gold operations in the country, he pointed out. As a shallow, mechanised underground mine, it contrasts starkly with the traditional deep-level, labour-intensive operations that dominate the Witwatersrand.
Access to the underground workings is via decline access from the existing Qala boxcut, with extraction focused on multiple reef horizons, including the K9A and K9B reefs. The selected mining method is a mechanised variant of conventional breast mining, using trackless equipment for development, loading and haulage.
“From a technical risk perspective, the relatively shallow depth of the operation significantly alters the design envelope,” Mainama explains. “Ventilation requirements are modest by South African gold mining standards, pumping duties are materially lower and overall infrastructure intensity is reduced.” The cooling of intake ventilation is not necessary due to the shallow depth of the operation.
However, this same shallow geometry introduces other design considerations, particularly in relation to surface interaction and subsidence management, which formed part of SRK Consulting’s technical review.
The project’s definitive feasibility study forecast gold production of some 944,000 ounces over a 17-year life of mine, with annual steady-state production of around 70,000 ounces for the first 12 years. The operation is expected to contribute more than $1,15bn to the national economy over the mine’s lifespan, creating more than 1,000 direct jobs.
