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The Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe (AMSZ) says the mine surveying profession is undergoing a major shift, with data integrity, efficiency, and digital integration now at the centre of the surveyor’s evolving role.
By Ryan Chigoche
This message came through strongly during a recent technical visit to Blanket Mine, where AMSZ members explored how technology is being used to improve mining operations and strengthen the role of surveyors in delivering value.
Held at the Gwanda-based gold operation, the visit was part of AMSZ’s ongoing programme to expose its members to best-practice environments.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe, AMSZ Secretary General Takunda Mubaiwa emphasised that surveyors today are no longer just data collectors—they are key players in processing and translating information into financial and operational decisions.
“A surveyor is now much more needed in terms of the input of the data, the processing and the output of the data. Software manipulation is now key. You collect the data—yes—but what are you doing with the data? How is it being integrated to then add up to the financial result—dollars—that make sense to the industry, to the employer, to the service provider, whoever you are then linking up with? And Caledonia is really doing good in that regard, using the JSWIC that they are using. It’s really migrating all systems into one place, one pool, where you can just pool all resources. These guys from planning, these guys from mining—everyone can just feed into the same system without alterations to the integrity of that same data, but being done to the survey grades that we really need to achieve,” he said.
Blanket Mine demonstrated how its integrated software systems, including DESWIC and SynchroMine, are enabling this shift.
These tools support survey data accuracy, risk management, and real-time collaboration across departments.
AMSZ members took a close look at how these platforms are applied to planning, accountability, and audit processes within the operation.
AMSZ President Stewart Gumbi said the visit to Blanket Mine was part of a structured effort to identify learning opportunities across Zimbabwe’s mining sector. He said Blanket provided a strong case study on aligning data, efficiency, and profitability.
“We select these sites for a reason. We have a system of selecting which technical visits to conduct, which sites to visit. Because we want to look at gaps which our members can learn how to close. Blanket Mine has shown us, especially on their production, their profits, their data integrity, and their efficiencies. So, the next technical visit that we are going to do, we are going to try to even surpass this one, because we are also going to analyse the gaps. Some of them were discussed today,” said Gumbi.
He added that the goal is not only to observe these innovations but to help members adopt similar models in their own workplaces, raising standards across the profession.
The technical visit drew a record number of participants—a development AMSZ said reflects growing interest in its work and the critical role surveyors now play in modern mining. The strong engagement also came at a time when the association is making headway on key policy proposals.
AMSZ Vice President Jeremiah Gasiteni said the success of the event had reaffirmed the association’s strategic direction and energised its leadership to push further.
“So it tells you that as an association we are going in the right direction, and it encourages us as the association. It gives us the impetus to continue encouraging our members and ensure our members have got cutting-edge technology that will assist in executing our duties as surveyors,” he said.
AMSZ says it will continue organising technical visits as part of its broader mission to modernise the profession, support innovation, and position mine surveyors as key contributors to Zimbabwe’s mining growth.
