The demand for gold is going up, as central banks are increasingly buying gold from local mines as the price in 2025 continues to make gains. Higher gold prices lead to higher market interest in miners, and according to VanEck analysts, gold is holding firm as junior miners are regaining momentum. Now as retail investors discern the present gold opportunity, explorers and producers making well‑timed progress include Lake Victoria Gold (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF), Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX: ORE) (OTCQX: ORZCF), G Mining Ventures Corp. (TSX: GMIN) (OTCQX: GMINF), Galiano Gold Inc. (NYSE-American: GAU) (TSX: GAU), and Perpetua Resources Corp. (NASDAQ: PPTA) (TSX: PPTA).

Even with gold holding firm, shares of gold miners remain deeply discounted, suggesting ample room for a catch‑up move. As the precious metal stays comfortably over the US$3,300 per ounce price point, several analysts are believing in an upcoming US$4,000 price target. With the current gold bull market comfortably underway, analysts are pointing to how mining stocks outshine the physical commodities themselves.

Lake Victoria Gold Progress

Lake Victoria Gold (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF) has moved a critical step closer to near‑term cash flow after confirming that Nyati Resources' processing facility—located on one of the Tembo mining licences—is on track to begin commissioning within the next four to six weeks.

"It was impressive to see the scale and quality of construction firsthand," said David Scott, Managing Director Tanzania & Director of LVG, following a recent site visit. "The Nyati team has delivered a well-engineered plant with strong attention to detail across all critical circuits. With commissioning just weeks away, the site is clearly in the final stages of readiness. This facility will play a key role in enabling our development strategy at Tembo and beyond."

The fully permitted site already hosts an operating 120‑tpd carbon‑in‑pulp plant; construction of a second unit is anticipated to lift total capacity past 600 tpd and add dual regrind mills, high‑capacity leach tanks, and grid‑tied power with standby generation.

Final equipment tests are under way, Run-of-Mine (ROM) pads are stocked with commissioning material, and both companies are negotiating a binding toll‑milling agreement that would give Lake Victoria Gold exclusive access to the facility for Tembo mineralized material while outlining capital contributions and revenue‑sharing terms.

The Nyati milestone dovetails with Lake Victoria Gold's 7,750‑m drill program at Area C, the highest‑grade zone of its fully permitted Imwelo Gold Project 12 km from AngloGold Ashanti's Geita mine.

Drilling Campaign and Future Prospects

Drilling combines 3,750 m of tight‑grid RC work for ore‑waste definition with 4,000 m of step‑out holes targeting strike and depth extensions. Notable hits to date include 6.8 m at 14.6 g/t gold from 33.2 m and 2 m at 7.5 g/t from 22 m, reinforcing Area C as the starter pit and supporting final pit optimisation ahead of a construction decision expected after Q3 2025.

"We've designed this program to maximize Imwelo's short-term production readiness while extending the upside case," said Marc Cernovitch, President and CEO of Lake Victoria Gold. "The drill data will help us finalize early mine scheduling, validate pit design, and potentially unlock high-grade extensions. With Area C now fully defined as our initial production zone, we're making meaningful progress toward becoming Tanzania's next gold producer."

Management is running a parallel 3,000‑m RC campaign at the Tembo Project's Ngula 1 target, where historic intercepts reached 28.57 g/t over 3 m from 54 m,  and 17.6 g/t over 1.5 m from 31m.

Shallow drilling aims to outline early‑feed material for Nyati while mapping a two‑kilometre structural corridor. Should JV processing start as planned, Tembo could generate first revenue even before Imwelo breaks ground, creating a staggered, lower‑risk production ramp.