Wia Gold has appointed Henk Diederichs as managing director and CEO to lead the company’s development of its flagship Kokoseb gold project in Namibia.
Diederichs will assume the role effective February 1. Following the transition, Executive Chairman Josef El-Raghy will transition to the role of non-executive chairman.
Diederichs is a qualified engineer with more than 20 years’ experience in the mining industry, leading multiple mining projects across various African jurisdictions.
He joins the company from Predictive Discovery where he served as COO. In that role, Diederichs was pivotal in progressing the Bankan gold project through its definitive feasibility study.
The leadership transition comes as Wia progresses its Kokoseb gold project toward a definitive feasibility study, targeted for completion in the second half of 2026.
Wia Chairman Josef El-Raghy said Diederichs’ appointment marks a milestone for the company as it transitions from exploration to development of Kokoseb.
“Henk brings extensive leadership experience and a proven track record in successfully advancing resource projects through feasibility development and into production, particularly across Africa.
“His appointment strengthens Wia’s capability to deliver on its strategy of transforming Kokoseb into a significant, development ready gold asset.”
Diederichs expressed his excitement about leading the Kokoseb project into development.
“I am excited to lead the development and construction of Kokoseb, one of Africa’s most promising and robust gold mining projects,” Diederichs said.
“With the significant progress achieved to date and key milestones ahead, including the completion of the DFS and securing the necessary permits to bring Kokoseb into production, I look forward to building a strong development and operations team in Namibia to deliver a highly value accretive project that benefits all stakeholders.”
