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Following a year of record-shattering performance, Ms Henrietta Rushwaya, the President of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF), has announced that the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector is targeting a monumental 40 tonnes of gold deliveries to the country’s sole buyer and exporter, Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR), in 2026, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
This bold vision is built upon the bedrock of 2025’s transformative results, where ASM deliveries surged by 46.9% to reach 34,875.10 kg, a figure that came remarkably close to the entire national industry’s total output for 2024.
The just-released final data for 2025 reveals a national annual delivery of 46,729.06 kg, a 28.1% increase, decisively smashing the 40-tonne target. The ASM sector was the undisputed engine of this growth, contributing nearly 75% of the total and propelling Zimbabwe’s gold sector to unprecedented heights.
Announcing the ambitious new goal, Ms Rushwaya highlighted strategic reinvestment by miners as the key to future growth.
“The favourable conditions this past year were not just for immediate gain; they were a seed for the future,” she stated. “We have consistently encouraged our miners to plough their earnings back into the growth and development of their operations, to invest in better equipment, explore new trenches, and adopt technologies that allow them to mine lower grades efficiently. This culture of reinvestment is what transforms short-term success into long-term, sustainable production. It is this empowered, forward-looking mindset that makes the 40-tonne target not just possible, but inevitable.”
The staggering growth has transformed the 40-tonne ambition from a bold prediction into a credible national mission, attracting strong political endorsement.
From the halls of Parliament, Hon. Jonah Nyevera of the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development pledged legislative support, directly linking the sector’s ambition to the national vision.
“The ASM sector’s 2025 performance is a clear indicator that we are on the correct path to achieve His Excellency President Mnangagwa’s 2030 vision,” Hon. Nyevera said. “Their success is national success. Parliament’s role is to ensure this momentum is not only maintained but accelerated. We will work tirelessly to refine policies and pass legislation that provides unwavering support to this sector, ensuring its growth directly contributes to our national goal of becoming an empowered and prosperous upper-middle-income economy.”
Mr Dru Edmund Kucherera, Vice President of Miners for Economic Development, framed the target as a political imperative.
“Last year’s figures are not just statistics; they are a mandate from the people,” Kucherera stated. “When artisanal miners, once operating on the margins, deliver growth of nearly 50% and bring us to the cusp of 35 tonnes, they are demonstrating the tangible power of President Mnangagwa’s philosophy—Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. This 40-tonne target for 2026 is the next logical step in our people-led journey to an upper-middle-income economy by 2030. The state has created the space, and the people are delivering beyond expectation.”
Analysts point to a winning combination of market dynamics and smart policy as the catalyst for 2025’s success and the foundation for 2026. Fidelity Gold Refinery’s (FGR) consistent competitive pricing, coupled with the 100% foreign currency retention policy for ASM producers, created a virtuous cycle of formalisation and reinvestment.
“The 46.9% growth is a direct economic response to a fair and profitable system,” explained Wayne Mudamburi, President of the Association of Junior Mining Professionals of Zimbabwe (AJMPZ). “FGR’s pricing gives miners immediate value, and the forex retention allows them to convert earnings into better equipment, mine development, and improved recovery methods. The spectacular 20% month-on-month jump in ASM deliveries from November to December 2025 is proof of this accelerating reinvestment cycle. If these conditions hold, the sector’s trajectory suggests the 40-tonne target is an ambitious yet entirely logical progression.”
With the official 2025 data confirming a historic transformation, the ZMF’s 2026 target sets a new horizon for a sector that has proven its capacity to redefine what is possible for Zimbabwe’s economy.
