METALS & MINING: STRATEGIC RESOURCES

Pella is proud of its legacy in mining having founded, co-funded and developed a diverse portfolio of natural resource assets across the African continent.

Pella has developed a track record in creating successful listed entities and acquisition targets and retains an active stake in a number of companies it founded, leveraging off this heritage, expertise and deep knowledge of the industry.

two huge trucks at a desert mining site
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Current Projects

Invested in strategic resources and responsible mining operations

Rainbow Rare Earths logo

Rainbow is focussed on developing two high value projects – Phalaborwa in South Africa and Gakara in Burundi to provide a sustainable and strategic source of rare earth minerals.

Rainbow’s strategy is to become a globally significant and responsible producer of rare earth metals, with a particular focus on Neodymium (Nd) and Praseodymium (Pr) – the fundamental building blocks for the permanent magnets which are driving clean technology to facilitate a greener future.

tharisa logo

Tharisa is an integrated resource group engaged in exploration, mining, processing, and the beneficiation, marketing, sales and logistics of platinum group metals (PGMs) and chrome concentrates.

The goal is to create a circular economy, beneficiating products and producing critical metals for the decarbonisation of global economy.

Trinity Metals

Trinity Metals is committed to the sustainable production of technology metals in Africa.

The largest tin, tantalum and tungsten producer in Rwanda, Trinity Metals holds licences for four mine sites all with long production histories and geological upside. Pella is a co-founder of Piran Resources which merged with Trinity.

Legacy Projects

Petra is a leading diamond mining group with a diversified portfolio of assets which have produced some of the world's most important and valuable diamonds

  • Listed by Adonis in 1997, Petra has transformed from its origins as a diamond exploration junior to a leading independent diamond producer
  • Petra now runs four diamond mines, managing one of the world’s largest diamond resources of ca. 230 Mcts.
  • With an ongoing focus on responsible mining, Petra promotes the positive and sustainable development of the global diamond sector
Alufer logo

Alufer is an independent mining company with significant bauxite assets in the Republic of Guinea.

  • Pella founded Alufer and discovered the Bel Air bauxite deposit – a unique asset close to coast
  • Co-financed the project all the way from grassroots through to production
  • First Ore On Ship successfully executed on time, on budget and with zero lost time injuries in Q3 2018
  • Excellent sustainability initiatives implemented throughout tenure
Chromex Mining logo

Chromex Mining PLC was a dedicated chrome company established to acquire, control, and develop chromite mining and processing facilities.

  • Pella was a founding investor in Chromex Mining –a pure chrome play with assets in South Africa
  • Chromex successfully brought the Stellite mine into production in 2008
  • Acquired by Synergy Africa (now Arafak) in 2010 for US$60m
Golden Rim Resources logo

Golden Rim is advancing a major oxide gold asset in Guinea’s prolific Siguiri Basin.


  • Focused on its flagship Kada licence which has a maiden resource, significant upside potential and attractive attributes for open pit, low strip mining
  • Also holds licences for the 2moz Kouri gold project in Burkina Faso and near term mine development opportunity in Chile.

Desert Lion was a lithium development focused on building Namibia’s first large-scale lithium mine.

  • Pella backed Desert Lion Energy at an early stage of its inception and supported it through exploration and development and its listing on the TSX
  • Proved up an Ni43-101 compliant Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 8.8 Mt
  • Desert Lion was acquired by ASX listed Lepidico in May 2017.

Toro was a gold exploration and development company focused on equatorial Africa.

  • Pella was a seed investor in Toro Gold which discovered and developed the Mako Gold Project in Senegal.
  • Toro financed and built the Mako Mine, and was ramping up to a 2mpta operation.
  • Toro was acquired by Resolute Mining in July 2019 for US$305m
Benzu logo

Benzu had a multi-country, multi-commodity approach, focused on mineral resource exploration and development across Africa

  • Built a diverse portfolio of projects capitalising on first mover advantages, cluster strategies developing critical mass or where Benzu’s team could optimise resource definition
  • Benzu’s in-house team identified, secured and developed a number of projects that were then spun out into separate entities and then individually financed and progressed.

Contact

Talk to us about sustainable development and value creation.