FAQ
Common questions about mining due diligence and mineral transaction assurance.
Clear, evidence-led answers for buyers, investors and lenders evaluating mineral transactions across Southern Africa.
How do I confirm a mining licence is valid and free of overlaps?
We verify licence status directly against official cadastral and mining registry records, cross-check tenure history, and identify boundary overlaps, revocations or disputes that may not appear on documents presented in a data room.
How can I be sure the seller actually owns the asset?
We trace beneficial ownership through corporate registries, statutory filings and cadastral records to confirm that the counterparty has lawful control and that the ownership chain matches the asset.
Can assay certificates and resource reports be trusted?
We review assay certificates, resource statements and geological reports for laboratory accreditation, chain-of-custody documentation and internal consistency. Where required, we coordinate independent sampling and accredited laboratory testing with documented custody controls.
Why is an independent site visit important?
A site visit by qualified personnel confirms whether the project exists, is operational and matches the representations made. We look for indicators of staged activity, stockpile inconsistencies and operational tempo that documents alone cannot reveal.
How do I tell if a site is genuinely operational?
We assess equipment, infrastructure, workforce patterns, stockpile realism, power and water usage, and environmental signatures against production claims and supporting records.
What risks do intermediaries and brokers present?
Layered or undocumented middlemen can obscure beneficial ownership, inflate pricing and introduce sanctions or compliance exposure. We review mandates, corporate standing and litigation history to map the full counterparty chain.
What export and compliance checks are needed?
We review environmental approvals, mineral export permits, tax clearances and regulatory standing against the applicable jurisdictional framework to identify documentation that may not survive settlement or bank scrutiny.
How do I check for sanctions, litigation or regulatory issues?
We conduct background checks against sanctions lists, litigation records, regulatory actions and adverse media to identify exposure that could affect the transaction or future financing.
How should payment and delivery be structured to reduce risk?
We advise on payment structuring, escrow arrangements, delivery milestones and documentary triggers that tie capital release to verified events rather than to representations alone.
Does due diligence guarantee a project is legitimate?
No. Our findings are evidence-based and limited to the scope agreed with the client. We identify risks, verify facts and recommend safeguards, but we do not guarantee investment outcomes, project performance or the future conduct of counterparties.
Still have questions?
Every transaction is different. Contact us for a confidential discussion about the specific risks in your deal.