A conveyer belt at DRDGold’s Ergo Mine on the East Rand. DRDGold has a R10 billion capital infrastructure investment programme involving five projects aimed at lifting throughput from the company’s two operations, ERGO and Far West Gold Recoveries from around 2.15 million tons per month to 3 million tons per month.
Image: DRDGold
In a transformative move to elevate its gold reclamation operations, DRDGOLD has executed a strategic investment programme over four years to optimise its asset portfolio and fortify its future in the gold mining sector.
At the heart of this initiative is the focus on ERGO, the company's flagship reclamation site, where significant infrastructure enhancements have been made to ensure sustainability and operational efficiency.
The initial phase of the plan led to the establishment of a 60MW solar plant alongside a 187MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at ERGO, which commenced construction in the 2022 financial year. By mid-2025, the project was commissioned.
According to a statement from the miner on Wednesday, an impressive 47% of ERGO's electricity needs are now met through renewable sources, securing energy independence for about 12 hours a day while significantly curtailing carbon emissions.
DRDGOLD also initiated a second phase, known as Vision 2028, centred around a R10 billion capital investment programme. Spanning five pivotal projects, this initiative aims to enhance the tailings storage and throughput capacity across both ERGO and the Far West Gold Recoveries (FWGR) operations.
The goal is ambitious, but the group says it is achievable: to raise the combined throughput from 2,15 million tons per month to 3 million tons, whilst boosting annual gold production to about 6 tons by the year 2028.
As of June 25, 2026, DRDGOLD took another stride in its strategy with the resumption of tailings deposition at the Daggafontein Tailings Storage Facility.
Water was first pumped to the facility on this date, followed by the first deposition of tailings on July 6, marking the completion of the first project within Vision 2028. This facility will bolster operational capacities, adding 120 million tons of tailings storage capability.
Meanwhile, at FWGR, the Driefontein 2 (DP2) plant has begun commissioning, and poured its first gold on July 14, 2026. Once operations reach full capacity, the plant is expected to enhance throughput from 500,000 tons per month to 1,2 million tons per month.
This expansion is further supported by a newly constructed 135-kilometre pipeline network, now nearing completion, which will connect DP2 to the Regional Tailings Storage Facility (RTSF) and the Libanon reclamation area.
The Libanon reclamation pump station, an essential link in this chain, is anticipated to begin construction pending the acquisition of the necessary water usage licence.
The RTSF is designed to be a centrepiece of Vision 2028. Encompassing 800 hectares, this fully lined regional tailings storage facility aims to initially accommodate 1,2 million tons of tailings per month, with potential scalability to 2,4 million tons.
Upon full development, it promises the capacity to store up to 800 million tons of tailings.
The final phase of Vision 2028 includes the establishment of the Withok Tailings Storage Facility at ERGO, which will contribute another 310 million tons of deposition capacity once it receives regulatory approval, aiming for completion by December 2027.
The entire infrastructure overhaul is sequenced to ensure that operational continuity is maintained while progressively scaling up throughput capability.
Putting these pieces together will enable DRDGOLD to enhance its totol throughput capacity to about 2.85 million tons per month, which could translate to an annual production profile between 185,000 to 195,000 ounces, depending on efficiency metrics.
With the commissioning of Withok, an additional 150,000 tons of deposition capacity will push total throughput capacity to the targeted 3 million tons per month.
"We’re now seeing years of planning and investment translate into operating assets,” said CEO Niël Pretorius in a statement.
“Vision 2028 is creating the infrastructure that will support the next generation of DRDGOLD. As each project comes online, we’re not simply adding capacity; we’re strengthening the resilience of the business, improving our ability to generate free cash flow, and creating a platform for long-term shareholder value,” he said.
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