Tailings retreatment company DRDGOLD is entering the next phase of its operational development – Ergo 2, ramping up tailings reprocessing and concentration of higher volumes as opposed to the higher yields of its first phase – Ergo 1, reports DRDGOLD CEO Niël Pretorius.

New tailings storage facilities (TSFs) prove pivotal in any expansion of a tailings retreatment operation, and DRDGOLD’s move from Ergo 1 to Ergo 2 will be achieved through two key life-extension projects – namely the Withok TSF and the Daggafontein TSF.

The Ergo operation – a major surface gold tailings retreatment operation extending from central Johannesburg to Ekurhuleni in the east – in its expansion to Ergo 2, involves a new phase defined by the processing of a much larger, previously non-viable, lower-grade resource base, which extends the life of the operation to beyond 2040.

“We are completing critical maintenance and upgrades to existing infrastructure to continue the use of the Daggafontein TSF, which will provide an additional 120-million tonnes of deposition capacity and a 20-year life at a deposition rate of 500 000 t a month,” says Pretorius.

The Daggafontein TSF project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026.

Withok, which is DRDGOLD’s longer-term, larger-scale solution, will create 310-million tonnes of new deposition capacity with a 20-year life at an eventual deposition rate of 1.3-million tonnes a month.

The public participation process for Withok TSF is complete, and the project is now in the authorisation phase, with commissioning expected within the next three to four years, points out Pretorius.

By expanding into Ergo 2, through undertaking disciplined, lower-grade processing, DRDGOLD is able to internally fund these critical life-extension projects.

“Once Daggafontein and Withok are commissioned, we plan to increase Ergo’s throughput back to 1.8-million tonnes a month,” he says.

This strategy, Pretorius highlights, will ensure the sustainability of the Ergo operation, protect cash generation and enable the company to pursue its “ambitious vision of creating a ‘corridor of freedom’” by clearing the vast mine dumps south-east of Johannesburg’s central business district.

“This disciplined approach is a bridge to the next phase of Ergo’s life,” he tells Mining Weekly.

This “new normal” represents a strategic shift in DRDGOLD’s operational philosophy, having completed a transition from deep level underground mining to the large-scale retreatment of mine dumps and tailings dams, he explains.

The current phase of Ergo is fundamentally about positioning the business for its long-term future, which is dependent on a significant expansion of deposition capacity at new consolidated TSFs.

As DRDGOLD has processed several legacy tailings dumps and dams in Gauteng, the yield obtained therefrom has trended lower, decreasing to an average of 0.18 g/t in the 2025 financial year.

Operationally, the Ergo operation will carefully manage the final deposition of reprocessed tailings onto the large Brakpan TSF, with throughput currently throttled at 1.65-million tonnes a month to ensure this TSF’s stability and longevity.

The company’s rehabilitation efforts are also producing visible results, as has been displayed at the Brakpan TSF, where years of revegetation have led to the spontaneous return of native flora and fauna.

Larger mammals such as wildebeest, blesbok, springbuck and zebra have also been successfully introduced, “transforming what was once a waste site into a thriving ecosystem”, says Pretorius.

Meanwhile, at DRDGOLD’s Far West Gold Recoveries (FWGR) operation, performance remains stable as the company concentrates on preparing for a Phase II expansion through the establishment of the new Regional Tailings Storage Facility (RTSF).

The RTSF, says Pretorius, is being developed to the highest current standards, with particular focus on aquifer protection and enhanced geotechnical stability.

This proactive approach aims to facilitate safer, lower-risk tailings placement, yielding long-term environmental, social and governance benefits by reducing dust and water pollution risks and supporting sustainable land rehabilitation.

For the year, DRDGOLD’s capital expenditure totals R2.25-million, of which R1.59-million was spent specifically on FWGR

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