This first blast at the $630-million Gamsberg zinc project, in the Northern Cape, last month signalled the start of the building of a 250 000 t/y opencast zinc mine, concentrator plant and associated infrastructure as part of an integrated three-year $782-million Southern African development by the London-listed and India-rooted Vedanta Resources. It includes a roaster upgrade at the Skorpion Zinc refinery, in Namibia, where Gamsberg’s sulphide ore will be treated and high-grade zinc metal produced for export.