Zimbabwe must bring artisanal and small-scale miners into its emerging critical-minerals value chains if responsible mining standards are to extend across the sector, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation (ZELO) says.
By Ryan Chigoche
The call comes as Harare seeks to turn its lithium, nickel, copper, graphite and platinum-group metals into greater investment, processing and value addition, amid a global push to secure energy-transition minerals.
Lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and copper are among those the International Energy Agency identifies as underpinning clean-energy technologies; PGMs also feature in emerging energy applications.
The country is already a significant producer. The US Geological Survey ranked it third globally for platinum and fourth for lithium and palladium in 2024, with nickel, copper and cobalt also produced.
Artisanal and small-scale mining, however, remains a major part of the sector, involving an estimated one million people. That gives ASM a direct stake in the opportunity and raises the question of how smaller producers will fit into the formal supply chains Zimbabwe is seeking to develop.
Speaking during an ESG and Responsible Mining sub-session at the Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba, ZELO Deputy Director Shamiso Mtisi said ASM should form part of these value chains.
“It is important to recognise that the ASM can also play a role in advancing responsible mining standards. Its integration into the critical minerals value chain also remains a key area for us to work on,” Mtisi said.
He pointed to partnerships with large-scale companies as a practical route for bringing smaller operators into more structured production.
“This can be achieved through establishing partnerships between artisanal small-scale miners and large-scale miners,” Mtisi said.
For him, however, integration should go beyond formal recognition. It should also ensure that ASM operations meet environmental, social and governance requirements.
“So, it’s about how do you formalize artisanal mining, and how do you make sure that the artisanal miners also adopt systems and processes that respect the environment, that respect social aspects, that also promote governance issues, and so on,” he said.
That is becoming more relevant as markets place greater emphasis on resilient, transparent and traceable supply chains. The IEA says the ability to track where minerals originate, how they move and who has custody of them is ever more important as countries seek more diversified and responsible supplies. Its 2026 analysis covers copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements.
For Zimbabwe, that puts ESG alongside geology, processing capacity and investment as the country seeks to convert its mineral endowment into internationally competitive supply chains.
The stakes are high. Mining accounts for more than 80% of exports, 19% of government revenues and 12% of GDP, according to figures cited during the discussions—making new value chains important well beyond individual operations.
Zimbabwe has already begun moving up the chain in some minerals. Under National Development Strategy 2, the government is prioritising further beneficiation of lithium into lithium salts, while seeking to move from lithium sulphate towards lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, key components in battery manufacturing. The same strategy targets deeper PGM beneficiation, beyond matte towards platinum, palladium and rhodium.
Mtisi also linked responsible development to water security, climate change and land use, highlighting the environmental pressures that could accompany increased mining.
ZELO is working on just transition and climate-resilient pathways for Zimbabwe, including technical support on ESG and responsible sourcing, water-demand management and policy engagement. It is also working on community monitoring and plans to support water access in mining areas facing water stress.
As Zimbabwe positions itself in highly competitive supply chains, integrating ASM would bring smaller producers into the same responsible-production framework being developed around the country’s broader mineral strategy.
