Australia-based Sandfire Resources MD and CEO Brendan Harris has described the company’s Motheo copper mine in Botswana as a “remarkable achievement”, crediting both the supportive investment environment and Sandfire’s operational delivery for the project’s success.

Speaking at the Africa Down Under conference in Perth on Wednesday, Harris outlined how the $400-million project, delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic, had quickly surpassed expectations.

“From construction to first concentrate, the development of Motheo has been a remarkable achievement. The project was delivered on time and on budget, and quickly exceeded expectations as we fast-tracked the expansion of processing capacity from the initial 3.2-million to 5.2-million tonnes a year and developed a second openpit in parallel,” Harris said.

The operation is now running at 5.6-million tonnes a year, he noted, meaning “Motheo will deliver more copper, more quickly than originally planned, and generate more local jobs and more economic value for Botswana”.

This accelerated ramp-up, achieved in less than two years, is generating substantial local employment and significant economic value for the people and government of Botswana.

Harris reported that Sandfire’s economic contribution in Botswana during the 2025 financial year amounted to $314-million.

Given Motheo’s strong ramp-up, he said the company expected to utilise all tax losses, including upfront capital, in less than three years. “Motheo’s tax payments alone are forecast to rise exponentially toward $100-million, or P13-billion, in FY27,” he said.

Across its current ten-year life, the mine is forecast to inject a cumulative $2.8-billion into the Botswana economy. Since 2021, Sandfire has invested more than $600-million in the country.

Sandfire employs more than 2 000 people at Motheo, with 95% of direct employees being Batswana. Harris highlighted the company’s focus on diversity, with women making up more than 40% of both its board and executive team, and over a quarter of its global workforce.

“We fully understand that our social licence will only be as strong as the difference we make in local communities,” Harris said, pointing to initiatives such as a P3-million donation to Botswana’s disaster management relief fund after severe flooding earlier this year.

The company is also engaging with the Botswana Power Corporation on solar power opportunities in the Ghanzi region, which Harris said would not only benefit Motheo but surrounding communities as well.

“We fully understand that our social licence will only be as strong as the difference we make in these local communities.

“That is why we are developing a community investment approach that will move towards strategic, needs based programmes that have a longer-term benefit.”

Looking ahead, Sandfire plans to expand Motheo through the development of its A1 resource and associated infrastructure, including a 25 km haul road.

Ongoing exploration is a priority, with the regional budget set to rise by 26% to $16-million this financial year.

“Our unrivalled geological, geophysical and geotechnical database of the Kalahari Copper Belt is a real competitive advantage,” Harris said. “The long-term future of Motheo will be secured through the drill bit.”