More steps being taken to advance promising South African uranium/gold endowment
24 March 2026

More steps being taken to advance promising South African uranium/gold endowment

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Uranium development company Neo Energy Metals stated in a London Stock Exchange announcement on Tuesday, March 24, that it is negotiating an agreement with Sibanye-Stillwater to secure unrestricted access to the New Beisa Complex uranium and gold site.

Also provided by Neo, headed by CEO Theo Botoulas, was additional information on the development of the New Beisa project and the Henkries Complex mining right application.

The New Beisa project aims to restart uranium and gold mining operations at the former Beatrix 4 shaft while a Henkies Complex mining right application to South Africa's Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) is expected to be approved by December 2026 – a timeline in accordance with the contractual agreement reached with Desert Star Uranium.

The initiatives span South Africa's Free State and Northern Cape provinces.

Access to the New Beisa Complex, Neo stated, would allow certain preparatory work to begin while a Section 11 approval process is under way. Section 11 approval involves mandatory written consent from the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy for the transfer of mining and prospecting rights in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.

Security contractors already appointed are reportedly liaising directly with Sibanye-Stillwater's management amid mineral rights specialists working with Sibanye-Stillwater in parallel to support the implementation of the Section 11 process.

Unnamed quantity surveyors, project managers and contractors are reportedly appointing entities with requisite mining engineering, process engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, environmental, health and safety, and tailings management expertise needed to achieve the targeted medium-term production timeline date of December 2027.

Sibanye-Stillwater Section 11 and Section 102 applications have, Neo reported, been submitted to the DMPR, with approvals required to be completed by June 6. A Section 102 application is a formal request to amend, vary, or extend existing permissions, including prospecting rights and mining rights.

In accordance with the contractual process, the second Section 11, being Neo's own application, would be submitted following approval of Sibanye-Stillwater's Section 11 application process, which the agreement stipulates must be completed by December 6.

To support this, unnamed professional mineral rights consultants had been appointed to ensure that Neo's documentation for the Section 11 application was properly prepared for immediate submission.

While the Section 11 process is under way, executive management is finalising a Neo-Sibanye contracting agreement, which is intended to provide immediate site access to begin certain on-site work as well as analyses to enable Neo to meet the targeted December 2027 medium-term production timeline.

As part of the implementation assessment, Neo is also updating resource statements to reflect the improved operating and price environment.

NEW EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS

A new head governance and legal has been appointed by Neo to support compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements, the establishment of clear policies, and assistance with South Africa and UK secretarial functions.

Two line managers have been appointed, one for the Northern Cape Henkries Complex and another for the Free State New Beisa Complex, and notification was given that the management team would continue to be strengthened and expanded as the company developed.

Incorporated are three new subsidiary companies to complete the implementation assessment at New Beisa, and assist with efficient administration of Henkries.

May is the proposed month for Neo's upcoming AGM in London, where shareholders will be...