The Next Frontier of Copper: Scaling Responsibly in Zambia

In this episode, we chat with Ricus Grimbeek, an experienced mining executive with more than three decades of leadership across major mining operations and Executive Chair of Makor Resources, a company focused on building a district-scale copper platform in Zambia. Throughout the conversation, we explore what attracted Ricus to Makor at this stage of his career, why he believes Zambia remains one of the most misunderstood copper opportunities globally, and how long-term consolidation strategies differ from the traditional junior mining model. We also discuss the realities of building scalable mining businesses, the importance of social licence and stakeholder alignment, and what separates projects with genuine scale potential from those driven purely by market narrative. In addition, Ricus shares his thoughts on one of mining’s biggest long-term challenges, responsibly integrating artisanal and small-scale mining into the broader mining economy through initiatives like Mine-Hive and why the industry must rethink how future copper supply is discovered, developed, and delivered if it’s going to meet growing global demand over the coming decades. 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 True project scale in modern copper mining often relies on consolidating smaller, high-grade deposits across a specific district to feed a central processing facility, rather than searching for one rare mega-deposit. Securing a social license to operate is a privilege that must be actively earned from day one through genuine, hands-on community engagement, rather than treated as a distant, compliance-driven metric. The artisanal and small-scale mining sectors comprise ninety percent of the global mining workforce but remain severely underrepresented and locked out of crucial developmental capital. Mining company failures typically stem from systemic human leadership gaps and unaddressed operational risks during the execution phase, rather than a failure to find resources. BEST MOMENTS “We actually get asked to come and operate in certain communities because of the way we operate." "True scale in a lot of places will look like that... it's not necessarily going to be the one large, big asset that that makes a company." "You don't necessarily need to spend millions of dollars to make a big difference in people's lives" "Artisanal and small-scale mining is basically ninety percent of the mining industry's workforce... and they are totally underrepresented and they really struggle to get access to capital. GUEST RESOURCES https://www.makorresources.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/makorresources/ https://www.instagram.com/makorresources/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbitMzJC4TAd5ZY5f2toaHA 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/