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african-business
17 September 2026· By Mwenendo

A Major Discovery: Tertiary Minerals Hits Rich Silver-Copper Zone in Zambia

IN BRIEF

London-listed exploration firm Tertiary Minerals encounters rich silver-copper mineralization at its Mushima North licence in Zambia, bolstering regional mining momentum.

Read on for the full picture

A Major Discovery: Tertiary Minerals Hits Rich Silver-Copper Zone in Zambia
AI images used for illustrative purposes. All news and stories are factual.
What did Tertiary Minerals discover in Zambia?
Tertiary Minerals reported its highest-grade silver and copper intersection at the Mushima North project in Zambia.
Why are high-grade copper and silver hits important?
High-grade intersections improve project economics, bringing exploration assets closer to commercial viability.
What happens next for the Mushima North project?
The company will perform follow-up drilling and geological studies to determine the overall size of the deposit.

Tertiary Minerals has reported its highest-grade silver and copper intersection to date at the Mushima North project in Zambia, sending a strong signal to the regional mining market about the commercial potential of its copper belt exploration strategy.

According to Lse, for investors, workers and African mining ecosystems, high-grade strikes matter because they alter the underlying economics of an exploration asset.

Higher concentrations of metal per tonne of rock mean lower prospective processing costs and a more viable path toward commercial extraction, boosting local employment prospects and government royalty potential if the asset develops into a producing mine.

High-Grade Mineralisation Found at Mushima North

The exploration results from Mushima North mark a significant step forward for Tertiary Minerals in Zambia, an established mining jurisdiction currently attracting renewed international capital due to global demand for transition metals.

As detailed by Investegate, the drilling campaign yielded substantial silver and copper intercepts, delivering the richest grade profile recorded across the company’s licence portfolio in the country.

Copper remains a vital industrial metal for global electrification, while silver continues to see structural demand across electronics and solar manufacturing.

The discovery validates the company's systematic geological targeting in Zambia, where exploration firms are racing to uncover fresh resources to replenish global supply chains.

Expanding Exploration Horizons Across African Copper Belts

Zambia is Africa's second-largest copper producer, and the government has set an ambitious target to scale annual copper production to 3 million metric tonnes over the coming decade. High-grade intersections from exploration firms like Tertiary Minerals are critical indicators for institutional investors tracking whether the country can meet those targets.

The presence of both silver and copper in a single mineralised system provides dual-commodity exposure, which can help buffer prospective projects against volatile single-metal pricing cycles on global commodity exchanges.

Commercial Viability and Next Steps

While an initial high-grade intersection is a positive technical marker, Tertiary Minerals must now conduct follow-up drilling to define the spatial continuity, width, and overall volume of the deposit.

Exploration companies typically follow initial discovery announcements with step-out drilling and resource modeling to determine whether the mineralised zone holds sufficient scale to warrant a formal economic study.

Market participants will be watching incoming assays and geological updates closely to assess if Mushima North can transition from an early-stage exploration success into a defined, mineable resource target.

#Africa
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AI images used for illustrative purposes. All news and stories are factual.

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