A Caterpillar 789-series rigid dump truck exits one of the three pits at the $400-million Gamsberg zinc project of diversified miner Vedanta. The London-listed, India-rooted Vedanta is ready to launch Phase 1 of the mine in the lead-up to achieving its production target of 600 000 t/y. In Phase 1, four-million tons of ore will be produced a year from Gamsberg’s openpit and 250 000 t/y of zinc in metal concentrate from its concentrator plant. Thus far, 72-million tons of overburden has been prestripped. Gamsberg, which has the potential to trigger a new wave of industrial and economic development in the Northern Cape, has employed more than 3 000 people during construction over the past two years.