Privately owned mining house Upward Spiral 1471 (Pty) Ltd (www.UpwardSpiral1471.co.za) is set to commence full-scale mining at its recently acquired Snake Road Mining Right in Benoni on the East Rand.

The proposed mining operation will target an established gold-bearing reef that laterally extends from the Snake Road area to Upward Spiral’s Van Ryn surface mining operation in Benoni.

Exploration work began in late 2025 following the successful transfer of mining rights and associated licences from the previous operator. Once regulatory approvals were finalised, Upward Spiral 1471 initiated exploration, geological modelling and detailed open-cast planning.

“The Snake Road mine represents a controlled, compliant and sustainable mining development that balances production with safety, environmental responsibility and meaningful community participation,” said Jackie Pahad, Managing Director, Upward Spiral 1471. “This project allows us to unlock value from an established mineral resource while creating long-term benefits for surrounding communities.”

Historically, the site had been used primarily for aggregate mining, with only limited gold extraction through surface-level reef picking. However, the current gold price environment has enabled Upward Spiral 1471 to pursue a selective, lower-impact mining approach.

“The flexibility of this operation is one of its key strengths,” said Thabang Masuku, Metallurgical Manager. “At the planned production rate, the mine is economically sound, and should conditions justify it, we can expand throughput by installing a second mill, doubling monthly processing capacity while maximising value during favourable gold-price cycles.”

The Snake Road Project is a near-surface, conventional gold mining operation with a well-defined development plan and an inferred mineral resource estimated at approximately 128,603 oz of gold. The operation is designed to scale production in response to economic and financial conditions, with peak output expected to increase from 579 troy ounces to up to 1,158 oz of gold per month under favourable market conditions.

Critically, the operation is projected to be profitable, with earnings ensuring long-term environmental stewardship through dedicated funding for rehabilitation and a strong commitment to safety. The defined resource base supports an initial 10-year mine life, with potential for increased scale and accelerated production if a second processing plant is added. This profile represents a small to mid-tier, financially sustainable gold mining project.

In order to limit the environmental impact of the operation, Upward Spiral 1471 will not build a tailings dam at Snake Road but will instead blend its filtered tailings from incorporated belt filter with sand dump cleanup of another rehabilitation programme for maintaining viable grades to be subjected to toll treatment and safe disposal at much larger volume. The process water will be acquired from filtered water and thickener overflow water circulated.

The project is expected to create sustainable employment and will employ approximately 68 permanent staff, with employment increasing as operations expand.

While smaller than some of the company’s larger operations, the Snake Road plant will operate on continuous shift cycles, creating stable long-term employment.

The majority of employees will be recruited from surrounding communities, including through and graduate development and skills-training programmes.

The operation is fully licensed, with mining rights formally transferred and all amendments approved by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR). Compliance includes environmental authorisations, water-use and waste-management approvals, updated environmental management programmes and applicable air-emissions licensing.

“Our approach is to exceed regulatory requirements rather than meet the minimum,” said Pahad, “Strong governance and responsible mining are fundamental to our long-term strategy.”

With construction already underway and plant commissioning targeted for later this year, Snake Road represents another step in Upward Spiral 1471’s commitment to responsible resource development and delivering economic value while leaving behind land that is safe, stable and productive for future generations.