Building a Copper Legacy: The IPO Journey of Kaoko Metals

In this episode, we chat with Gerard O’Donovan, CEO of Kaoko Metals, a company taking a fresh approach to building a copper story through IPO, backed by a technically strong team and a portfolio of new assets in Namibia. Gerard brings significant experience in taking companies to market, and in this conversation we’ll explore why Kaoko has chosen the IPO route, what technically attracted him to these projects, and how his previous listing experience is shaping the strategy this time around. We’ll also get into why building a geology-led board matters, why copper, why now and importantly, how he thinks about jurisdictional risk in Namibia versus the broader African mining landscape. This episode is brought to you by Mining International, a global executive search partner to the mining industry. For bespoke search and advisory services, please visit www.mining-international.org KEY TAKEAWAYS Kaoko Metals chose the IPO route to build a transparent, technically backed copper story in Namibia, raising $6.5 million to fund its exploration efforts. The company prioritises a board with deep geological expertise to navigate early-stage exploration and identify high-value assets effectively. Their flagship Chalcos project in Northwest Namibia shows significant surface mineralization, with copper grades reaching up to 69.6%. Namibia is highlighted as a top-tier mining destination in Africa, offering a stable regulatory environment and strong local support for new investment. BEST MOMENTS "If you want to find an elephant, you have to go to elephant country sometimes, and that's where we've gone to explore." "No one is an expert in all fields... having a bit of humility in this industry is pretty important and reaching out and surrounding yourself with people who know their field well." "The structural deficit [of copper] is growing... it’s driven by the technological world booming. Data centers and AI—that cabling is copper." "Our intention here is to spend money in the ground exploring... we want to start demonstrating scale." GUEST RESOURCES https://kaokometals.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaoko-metals-ltd/ https://x.com/KaokoMetals VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠[email protected]⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ CONTACT METHOD ⁠[email protected]⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/