Sandfire Resources’ Managing Director and CEO, Brendan Harris, has hailed the company’s Motheo copper mine in Botswana as a “remarkable achievement,” crediting a strong investment climate and operational discipline for its success.
Speaking at the Africa Down Under conference in Perth, Harris noted that the $400 million project—completed during the Covid-19 pandemic—was delivered on time, on budget, and has quickly outperformed expectations.
“From construction to first concentrate, Motheo has been a remarkable achievement. We expanded processing capacity from 3.2 million to 5.2 million tonnes a year and developed a second open pit in parallel,” Harris said.
The mine is now operating at 5.6 million tonnes per year, enabling higher copper output, faster than planned, while creating jobs and strengthening Botswana’s economy.
Sandfire’s contribution in FY2025 reached $314 million, with tax payments forecast to climb sharply to $100 million (P13 billion) by FY2027. Over its ten-year life, Motheo is expected to inject $2.8 billion into the economy. Since 2021, Sandfire has invested more than $600 million in the country.
The operation employs over 2,000 people, 95% of them Batswana. Harris also highlighted Sandfire’s commitment to diversity, with women making up more than 40% of the board and executive team, and over a quarter of the global workforce.
“We know our social licence depends on the difference we make locally,” Harris said, citing initiatives such as a P3-million donation to Botswana’s disaster relief fund and solar energy collaborations with the Botswana Power Corporation in the Ghanzi region.
Looking ahead, Sandfire plans to extend Motheo through the A1 resource and supporting infrastructure, including a 25 km haul road. Exploration spending will also rise 26% to $16 million in FY2025, leveraging the company’s extensive geological database in the Kalahari Copper Belt.
“The long-term future of Motheo will be secured through the drill bit,” Harris concluded.
