Kazera Global plc (AIM: KZG), the AIM-quoted investment company, has provided an update regarding the ongoing evaluation of strategic options relating to its interest in African Tantalum (Pty) Ltd (Aftan), a tantalum and lithium project in southern Namibia, and continued and growing expressions of interest from third parties.
As part of the Board’s ongoing strategic review of the Group’s asset base and development priorities, individual directors have been taking active roles across key strategic workstreams within the business. In this context, Paul Dulieu, Non-Executive Director, has been supporting the Board’s evaluation of the strategic options available to Kazera in relation to its interest in Aftan.
“Since the recent strengthening of the Board, we have been undertaking a significant amount of work focused on advancing key strategic priorities and identifying technically capable and financially robust partners to help unlock value from our asset base,” Mr Dulieu commented. “In relation to Aftan, reviewing historical technical and operational information together with recent technical analysis has reinforced our view regarding the Project’s broader potential and strategic relevance within the critical minerals sector.
“Importantly, the work undertaken has highlighted what we believe may be a more capital-efficient route to unlocking value from the Project over time, particularly through an improved understanding of potential dry processing pathways and the wider pegmatite system.
“We have received continued and growing expressions of interest in relation to Aftan and are carefully evaluating the range of potential pathways available to Kazera in relation to its interest in the Project. Our focus is on identifying the right long-term route to create value for shareholders while supporting future operational activity, job creation and economic participation within Namibia.”
Against the backdrop of strengthening tantalum and lithium market dynamics, including tantalum prices at multi-decade highs, and continued strategic interest in critical minerals supply chains, Kazera is receiving increasing expressions of interest in relation to Aftan. The Board believes recent technical work relating to dry beneficiation pathways, together with the Project’s broader pegmatite potential, further reinforces Aftan’s strategic relevance and long-term prospects.
Over recent weeks, following the strengthening of the Board, Kazera has reviewed the historical technical and operational information available to it in relation to the Project, together with recently completed technical analysis undertaken by Kazera relating to potential processing pathways and associated commercial considerations.
The Board believes the analysis undertaken has reinforced the Project’s potential significance as a tantalum and lithium opportunity within Namibia’s emerging critical minerals sector, with current tantalum and lithium prices indicating materially enhanced potential project economics.
Recent technical analysis undertaken by Kazera has materially improved the Company’s understanding of potential dry processing routes with minimal water requirements. Based on this work, the Project’s mineralogy appears potentially well suited to dry magnetic, electrostatic and triboelectric separation techniques, which may differentiate the Project from comparable critical minerals projects requiring more conventional water-intensive processing routes.
The Board believes this could prove particularly relevant in Namibia’s arid operating environment and may offer both environmental and economic advantages in relation to any future development pathway.
Kazera is evaluating a number of potential pathways available to it in relation to its interest in Aftan.
Further updates will be provided as appropriate.
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