A process for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from a nickeliferous oxidic ore by heap leaching, the process including the steps of a) forming the nickeliferous oxidic ore into one or more heaps; b) leaching the ore heap with a leach solution in a leach step wherein the leach solution includes an acid supplemented hypersaline water as the lixiviant, the hypersaline water having a total dissolved solids concentration greater than 30 g/l; and c) recovering the nickel and cobalt from the resultant heap leachate.