Modern Mining May 2024

JUNIOR MINING

Given the sheer size of Bengwenyama, the project will employ roughly 4000 people. Southern Palladium lines up Bengwenyama for construction in 2026

Platinum group metals developer, Southern Palladium, which is lining up its Bengwenyama project on the Eastern limb of the Bushveld for construction in two years’ time, says that presenting its project to investors at the Mining Indaba’s 1-2-1 event, lifted the profile of the project tremendously. By Nelendhre Moodley . meeting.

“ E ven though platinum is probably not the hottest commodity on the market at the moment, the Bengwenyama project garnered significant interest at the 1-2-1 conference. The project is now firmly placed on the radar of numerous potential financiers who attended the 1-2-1 event and the Mining Indaba in February,” MD Johan Odendaal tells Modern Mining . The 1-2-1 Mining Investment global event series connects portfolio managers and analysts from insti tutional funds and private equity groups with mining company management teams for 1-2-1, private in person and online meetings. On 5-6 February 2024, 101 mining companies and over 650 investors joined the 1-2-1 Mining Investment Cape Town. The event is built around two-days of 1-2-1 meetings matching projects to investment capital. Further to this, Mining Indaba - the world’s largest gathering of influential stakeholders in the min ing industry, provided a perfect venue for Southern Palladium Board members to gather for a strategic

“There is so much happening with the project, the company, and the global economy that we took the opportunity to have an intense strategic plan ning session. Importantly, global economic activity has warranted the need for better planning regard ing how we take the Bengwenyama project forward.” Taking Bengwenyama up the value curve Highlighting recent project milestones, Odendaal explains that the A$19 million dollars raised at its list ing on the Australian Stock Exchange in June 2022 assisted the company to kick-start its exploration programme with the aim of reaching Pre-feasibility Study stage by the end of 2024. It subsequently declared a resource which gave it the confidence to apply for a mining right. During 2022 and 2023, Southern Palladium undertook a widespread drilling programme to better understand the Bengwenyama resource. It followed with a closely spaced drilling programme

Southern Palladium’s MD, Johan Odendaal.

Southern Palladium appointed industry heavy-weight Roger Baxter as its new Chairman.

16  MODERN MINING  May 2024