Vedanta pours $600 million into South Africa to double zinc output

Vedanta Ltd has committed almost $600 million to expand its flagship Gamsberg mine in South Africa’s Northern Cape, increasing annual capacity to 500,000 tonnes of zinc. This expansion supports the company’s broader target of 3 million tonnes of zinc output each year, divided between 2 million tonnes from its Indian subsidiary Hindustan Zinc Ltd and 1 million tonnes from Vedanta Zinc International. The project forms part of a ZAR 21 billion (about $1.5 billion) investment pledge first announced at the 2018 South Africa Investment Conference.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Vedanta director Priya Agarwal-Hebbar inaugurated the second-phase expansion, with the president pledging government cooperation on the company’s needs. The director emphasized the ambition to develop a significant zinc and industrial hub in the region. By boosting capacity, Vedanta aims to strengthen its position in the global zinc market, a metal essential for galvanisation in construction, automotive and manufacturing sectors.