Fortune Projects, a youth-led mining operation in Mangwe District, is gaining national attention for combining responsible gold mining with community support, job creation, school fee assistance, and formal gold deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refinery.
In rural Mangwe District, 63 young miners are quietly rewriting what responsible mining looks like. They pay taxes, employ local youth, support elders, and send children to school, all while delivering every gram of gold to Fidelity Gold Refinery, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Their operation has drawn praise from the Vice President of Zimbabwe and the full backing of the Minister of Industry and Commerce. Now, as winter approaches, they are turning their attention to the most vulnerable.
A Community First
The story of Fortune Projects under Miclas Ndlovu begins not underground, but above it. The group delivers every gram of gold to Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR), meaning taxes already flow into the government coffers from their work. They have pulled 63 young people away from the twin threats of unemployment and substance abuse that haunt Matabeleland South. They have paid primary school fees for five local children. Last Saturday, they donated food hampers to a grieving family at a local funeral.
As winter approaches, the group has called on the community of Bulu Ingwizi Growth Point to come forward with the names of elders who need support. “We want to help before the cold settles in,” said chairman Miclas Ndlovu.
Already, the operation is a model of grassroots development, not waiting for handouts, but digging its own path forward.
From the Top: Endorsements That Matter
The political backing for Fortune Projects runs deep. Vice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga met the group leader, Miclas Ndlovu, at the Ingwizi Community Centre and gave them his full endorsement. He subsequently ordered the Minister of State for Matabeleland South to ensure the project received the necessary support.
At the forefront of this push, however, is Hon. Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndhlovu, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, who also serves as ZANU-PF Chairman for Matabeleland South. Minister Ndhlovu has been instrumental in connecting the youth-led operation with provincial and national authorities, recognising that a community-driven mining project aligned with the ruling party’s development agenda deserves attention.
The Minister of State for Matabeleland South, Honourable Albert Nguluvhe, has already written to the Ministry of Mines in support of Fortune Projects. The Provincial Mining Director’s office, led by Acting PMD Mr. Chancellor Chidziva, has also recommended action.
Now, with a new Permanent Secretary recently appointed at the Ministry of Mines, the group sees a fresh opportunity to formalise its operations and move to full scale.
What Full Formalisation Would Mean
Ndlovu is clear that his group is not asking for favours. “The area we are mining is actually our land; our fathers used to farm here,” he said. “We want to contribute to the achievement of an upper-middle-income economy by 2030. The President has always said, ‘leaving no one and no place behind.’”
Formalisation would allow Fortune Projects to operate at full scale, meaning more gold delivered to Fidelity, more taxes paid, more school fees covered, more funerals supported, and more winter hampers for elders. It would also give them full access to training, banking channels, and legal protections, enabling them to become a model for youth-led mining across Zimbabwe.
“Already they are paying fees for five kids and donating to funerals,” said a community member. “Imagine what they could do if they were formalised.”
Ready for the Next Chapter
For now, the 63 young miners continue their work, digging, delivering, and giving back. They have the endorsement of the Vice President, the full backing of a sitting minister and provincial chairman, and the paper trail of tax payments and Fidelity deliveries. As winter approaches, they are already asking elders to come forward. That is who they are.
The new Permanent Secretary now holds the pen. The letters from the Minister of State and the Provincial Mining Director are on file. And 63 young people are waiting, not with their hands out, but with their hands on their tools and their hearts open to their community.
It is time to let them fly.
