Village is a diversified mid tier mining company with producing gold and antimony mines, and a major platinum exploration project. 

Currently Village produces just under 200,000 ounces of gold per annum, is completing an acquisition that will expand production to approximately 250,000 ounces per annum, and is completing the bankable feasibility study for the world-class Lesego platinum project containing in excess of 42m ounces of platinum group elements in its ore-body that can be mined from shallow depths near surface.

Focussed on the gold sector in South Africa, Village seeks to create self sustaining, socially responsible mining businesses. This is achieved by a strategy of identifying and acquiring undervalued mining assets assets and applying the Village team’s strong track-record of “turn-around” skills to bring the assets to greater profitability. 

Another crucial part of the Village strategy is to exit mining assets once turnaround has been achieved and value unlocked. Village was one of the top performing shares on the JSE in 2010 and its strong BEE credentials continue to position it well to take advantage of opportunities in Southern Africa.

Umbono is currently one of the largest shareholders of Village and manages the Lesego Platinum bankable feasibility project on it's behalf.

Further information is available at: www.villagemainreef.co.za

Sunbird Energy listed on the ASX in January 2012 having completed an over-subscribed capital raising in December 2011 to develop the company’s approximately 2 million acres of “coal bed methane” (CBM) mineral rights in South Africa and Botswana.

Sunbird’s portfolio of five CBM projects exist in different geological settings and independent resource estimates for the portfolio indicate a “best estimate” of total Gas-In-Place of 5.3 Tcf, and up to a “high estimate” of 29.2 Tcf. Sunbird expects to make a significant contribution to the energy requirements of the Southern African region over the next decade.

With the funds from its IPO, the company is currently conducting a phased exploration program that will delineate the resource base and demonstrate the commercial potential of its portfolio of CBM assets. At the same time, Sunbird is actively seeking further acquisitions to increase its acreage position and to remain the dominant CBM player in the Southern African region.

Sunbird maintains a strategic alliance with Umbono who also provide management and technical services and serve as a joint venture partner in the South African assets. 

Further information is available at: www.sunbirdenergy.com.au

Sephaku Holdings is an black-controlled, industrial minerals exploration and development company with key projects in the cement and fluorspar sectors. Umbono exchanged an asset known as Umbono Fluorspar Wallmansthal for shares in the listed Sephaku entity and remains a strategic shareholder of Sephaku.

Further information is available at: www.sephakuholdings.co.za

Umbono owns a controlling interest in the Waterberg Coal Project located in the Waterberg Coalfield in north-eastern South Africa, near the town of Lephalale. The project is within 4.5km from rail infrastructure and within 2km of Eskom’s Matimba Power Station and within 7km of the under-construction Medupi Power Station. Exxaro’s Grootegeluk Coal Mine, the largest open-cast coal mine in South Africa, is located 10km west of the project area.

The Project covers a total of 2,028 Ha over two farms (Eendracht and Groothoek). SRK issued a SAMREC compliant resource statement confirming an 800 million ton in situ resource. RSV Enco subsequently completed a conceptual study on mine development. Work to date points to the deposit containing significant potential volumes of both thermal and metallurgical (PCI) coal products.

In total, including historical drilling performed by the previous owners Iscor Coal (now Exxaro), some 87 drill holes covering approximately 10,000 meters of drilling have been completed on the project.