Deep Yellow appoints Zebra Kasete to lead Namibian operations
Deep Yellow Limited has appointed veteran Namibian mining executive Zebra Kasete as Managing Director – Namibia, effective 5 January 2026, to lead the company’s operations as it prepares to construct its flagship Tumas Uranium Project in the Erongo region.
Kasete will be based in Swakopmund and will report directly to Deep Yellow’s global Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
His role includes overseeing the development and eventual operation of the Tumas mine, as well as serving as the company’s country head for Namibia.
The appointment marks a significant step in Deep Yellow’s transition from exploration to production and the company’s effort to strengthen local leadership within its Namibian operations.
Until now, the Namibian business — operating under Reptile Uranium Namibia — was managed under the direct supervision of the Australian executive team led by John Borshoff, with executive directors Andrew Mero and Daryl Butcher overseeing projects and technical matters.
Kasete brings more than 35 years of mining experience across uranium, copper, gold and diamonds.
He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter (formerly Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb), where he led the company through its ownership transition and diversification into critical minerals.
Before that, he was Managing Director of Murowa Diamonds in Zimbabwe and previously spent 25 years with Rio Tinto, beginning as a cadet metallurgist at Rössing Uranium Mine and later holding senior management roles in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Australia and the United States.
A metallurgist by profession, Kasete is a former president of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia and holds an MBA in General and Strategic Management from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.
“I feel privileged to return in this role to where my professional career began, mining uranium in Namibia. Tumas is a very important development for both Deep Yellow and Namibia. For me personally, the opportunity to lead and grow a greenfields uranium project, including building the team that will operate it, is an exciting one that I’m very much looking forward to,” he said.
Deep Yellow’s acting CEO and CFO, Craig Barnes, said Kasete’s appointment strengthens the company’s leadership as it approaches a final investment decision on Tumas.
“Zebra’s credentials to be the leader of Tumas are outstanding. We are very pleased to have secured someone with his depth of experience and local knowledge, which will be invaluable during the construction of Tumas and into operations,” Barnes said. “His appointment is another important milestone as we put the pieces in place ahead of a final investment decision and work toward establishing our flagship project as the fourth uranium mine in Namibia.”
The Tumas Project, located in Namibia’s uranium-rich Erongo region, is expected to become the country’s next producing uranium mine after Rössing, Husab and Langer Heinrich.
Once financed, it will anchor Deep Yellow’s growth strategy and reinforce Namibia’s position as one of the world’s most important uranium producers.
Kasete will be based in Swakopmund and will report directly to Deep Yellow’s global Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
His role includes overseeing the development and eventual operation of the Tumas mine, as well as serving as the company’s country head for Namibia.
The appointment marks a significant step in Deep Yellow’s transition from exploration to production and the company’s effort to strengthen local leadership within its Namibian operations.
Until now, the Namibian business — operating under Reptile Uranium Namibia — was managed under the direct supervision of the Australian executive team led by John Borshoff, with executive directors Andrew Mero and Daryl Butcher overseeing projects and technical matters.
Kasete brings more than 35 years of mining experience across uranium, copper, gold and diamonds.
He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Sinomine Tsumeb Smelter (formerly Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb), where he led the company through its ownership transition and diversification into critical minerals.
Before that, he was Managing Director of Murowa Diamonds in Zimbabwe and previously spent 25 years with Rio Tinto, beginning as a cadet metallurgist at Rössing Uranium Mine and later holding senior management roles in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Australia and the United States.
A metallurgist by profession, Kasete is a former president of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia and holds an MBA in General and Strategic Management from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.
“I feel privileged to return in this role to where my professional career began, mining uranium in Namibia. Tumas is a very important development for both Deep Yellow and Namibia. For me personally, the opportunity to lead and grow a greenfields uranium project, including building the team that will operate it, is an exciting one that I’m very much looking forward to,” he said.
Deep Yellow’s acting CEO and CFO, Craig Barnes, said Kasete’s appointment strengthens the company’s leadership as it approaches a final investment decision on Tumas.
“Zebra’s credentials to be the leader of Tumas are outstanding. We are very pleased to have secured someone with his depth of experience and local knowledge, which will be invaluable during the construction of Tumas and into operations,” Barnes said. “His appointment is another important milestone as we put the pieces in place ahead of a final investment decision and work toward establishing our flagship project as the fourth uranium mine in Namibia.”
The Tumas Project, located in Namibia’s uranium-rich Erongo region, is expected to become the country’s next producing uranium mine after Rössing, Husab and Langer Heinrich.
Once financed, it will anchor Deep Yellow’s growth strategy and reinforce Namibia’s position as one of the world’s most important uranium producers.
