The long-delayed revival of the Mtititi Fumani Gold Mine in Limpopo has entered a new phase, with Supa Precious Metals (Pty) Ltd now identified as the company tasked with taking the project forward.

The announcement was made on Friday, 28 August 2026, when Limpopo MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) Tshitereke Matibe and Vhembe District Municipality Executive Mayor Miyelani Chauke introduced the new contractor to Hosi Mtititi Samuel Chauke and his traditional council during a visit to the mine.

The development is significant because the mine’s reopening has been promised repeatedly, while the timetable for its revival has continued to shift.

The latest announcement suggests that work has now progressed beyond political commitments, with Supa Precious Metals already on site and local workers reportedly employed. But the mine, located in the Collins Chabane Municipality, is still not ready for full-scale production.

Authorities are now targeting mid-September as a possible opening period, while maintaining that the broader project is expected to commence operations before the end of 2026.

New company takes centre stage

The introduction of Supa Precious Metals represents a major development in the latest attempt to resuscitate the historic mine.

According to Matibe, a LEDET portfolio committee conducted an oversight inspection at the mine approximately a week before Friday’s visit. Following the inspection, engineers were appointed and began working on preparations for the reopening.

The engineers were subsequently introduced to Hosi Mtititi and his traditional council.

The company has also reportedly started creating employment, with its Chief Executive Officer telling the gathering that more than 12 people from Mtititi Village had already been employed to undertake labour-related work.

Matibe said the mine had passed the soil-testing stage and that preparations were advancing.

He indicated that members of the local community would be engaged in the coming weeks as the project moves towards the next phase.

The first stage will involve the construction and establishment of a processing plant, followed by wet works and underground mining.

This means that the much-anticipated “reopening” is not necessarily synonymous with immediate full-scale gold production. Considerable construction and mining-development work remains to be completed.

Reopening promises have faced delays

The latest development comes against the backdrop of growing public scrutiny over the repeated promises surrounding the Mtititi mine.

In August, African Times reported that Chauke had announced that the Mtititi Fumani Gold Mine was expected to be officially launched during August and that the project could create between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs.

Chauke had also publicly expressed confidence that the mine would be handed over to Hosi Mtititi during August.

The August launch did not materialise in the form initially envisaged.

The delays have been particularly significant because the mine’s reopening has been presented as a major economic intervention for an area struggling with unemployment and limited investment.

Legislature had already raised a different timeline

The latest announcement comes hot on the heels of the findings of the Limpopo Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, which visited the Fumani Gold Mine on 14 August.

According to the Legislature’s official account, the committee conducted an oversight visit to the mine, which is situated around the Atlein, Mtititi and Lombard villages.

The Legislature’s statement provides important historical context. It said the mine initially operated in the 1930s before closing in the 1960s. It subsequently reopened and operated between 1980 and 1991, before closing again because of low profitability and poor recoveries.

The committee reported that excavation work was underway to establish the project as an underground development mine.

This is significant because it indicates that the current project is not simply about reopening an old mine and immediately extracting gold. The operation requires development work and investment before it can become a fully operational underground mine.

The Legislature also put the potential employment benefit at a considerably lower figure than the 2,000 to 3,000 jobs previously claimed by Chauke.

It said the project was projected to create an estimated 500 jobs in surrounding communities once fully operational.