Chamwe Kaira
Tsodilo Resources Limited has verified the presence of significant rare earth elements and critical minerals at its 100%-owned Gcwihaba Metals Project in northwest Botswana.
The company said mineralisation was confirmed at the C26 and C27 targets following diamond core drilling.
These targets were first identified as geophysical anomalies through ground magnetic and gravity surveys.
C26 and C27 are high-grade geological exploration targets, known as skarn anomalies, identified during drilling.
They contain cobalt along with rare earth elements, copper, nickel and vanadium.
Tsodilo said drilling intersected skarn-hosted rare earth mineralisation at depths of between 20 and 50 metres below the surface.
The skarn zones contain a polymetallic assemblage that includes fifteen rare earth elements, as well as copper, cobalt, nickel, vanadium and silver.
The highest grade recorded to date at Gcwihaba was a 1.49% total rare earth oxide intercept at the C27 target. Additional results included copper values of up to 0.41% at C26, cobalt up to 320 parts per million, and silver up to 5.1 grams per tonne at C27.
Based on integrated magnetic and gravity geophysical modelling, constrained by drilling results and geological interpretation, the company has generated a conceptual exploration target of between 81 million and 97 million tonnes using in-house modelling software.
Tsodilo said the C26 and C27 skarns contain all fifteen rare earth elements listed on the 2025 United States Department of the Interior Critical Minerals List, including neodymium and praseodymium.
Five other critical minerals on the list—cobalt, copper, nickel, vanadium and silver, have also been identified, bringing the total to 20 of the 60 minerals classified as critical by the United States.
Rare earth elements are mainly used to produce permanent magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence applications. Global supply remains heavily concentrated in China, while demand is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 9.2% through 2030. Tsodilo cited data showing that the United States imported about 80% of the rare earth elements it consumed in 2024.
The company said its 2026 drilling programme will focus on defining higher-grade rare earth zones and further evaluating the system’s polymetallic potential to support the preparation of an initial mineral resource estimate.
Separately, Tsodilo said it is working with authorities in Namibia and Botswana to promote a proposed railway extension through Divundu to Grootfontein. The rail link would connect the company’s iron and metals projects to the Port of Walvis Bay and improve logistics for future mine development.
Caption
Gcwihaba Skarn Metals Project Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements. This marks the first systematic assessment of rare earth potential at the Gcwihaba Metals Project.
- Photo: Tsodilo Resources
