As Harare hosts the 25th COMESA Summit, the Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe (AMSZ) says the country’s year at the helm can turn a strong national mining story into a regional opportunity for professionals, investors, trade partners and all 21 member states.
By Stewart Gumbi, President, Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe (AMSZ)
A proud moment for Zimbabwe and its mining professionals
On October 22, heads of state and government from across Eastern and Southern Africa will gather in Harare for the 25th Summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). At its close, Zimbabwe will assume the bloc’s chairmanship from Kenya for 2026–2027.
On behalf of the Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe, I warmly welcome this milestone. It is a vote of confidence in our country, and it comes at a time when Zimbabwe’s mining sector has a great deal to offer the region.
The summit theme, “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA”, could hardly be more fitting for our industry. Regional value chains in critical minerals are on the agenda. Minerals are where industrialisation begins, and every mine, plant and railway begins with a survey.
For mine surveyors, this is our moment to show what precise, trusted mining information can do for a whole region.
What Zimbabwe brings to the chair
Zimbabwe takes the chair with a record of reform that other member states can learn from and build on.
Leading on small-scale mining. Zimbabwe is at the forefront of formalising artisanal and small-scale miners and bringing their output into the national economy. Small operators who once worked on the margins are becoming licensed, recorded contributors. That experience is valuable to every COMESA country with a large small-scale sector.
Spearheading responsible mining. Zimbabwe is driving environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, alongside a range of environmental and health initiatives in mining communities. Responsible production is now what international buyers expect, and Zimbabwe is helping set that standard in our region.
Championing the Electronic Mining Cadastre. Through the Computerised Mining Cadastre Information Management System, Zimbabwe is moving its mining titles onto a modern digital register. Under General Notice 01 of 2025, title coordinates are captured by registered mine surveyors using survey-grade instruments. Accurate, digital boundaries mean fewer disputes, faster approvals and greater investor confidence.
A voice in the global surveying community. Through the AMSZ President, Zimbabwe has taken a seat on the Presidium of the International Society for Mine Surveying (ISM), the global hub for mining nations governed by UNESCO. Through it, our mine surveyors share experience and learn from leading mining countries. During the chairmanship, we can bring those lessons home to COMESA and carry the region’s voice to the world.
Zimbabwe is championing value addition and local mineral beneficiation by encouraging investment in domestic processing and using export restrictions to increase the share of mineral wealth retained within the country. Investments in lithium sulphate production provide a tangible example of this strategy, aiming to generate higher-value exports, skilled employment, and opportunities for local suppliers. Zimbabwe’s experience offers a practical example for other African producers seeking to strengthen their participation in mineral value chains. It forms part of a growing continental movement, reflected in beneficiation initiatives and local processing requirements in countries such as Namibia, Ghana and Tanzania, to connect mineral extraction more closely with domestic industrial development. Through its COMESA chairmanship, Zimbabwe could share lessons from this experience and promote regional cooperation on processing facilities, infrastructure and technical skills, helping African economies capture greater value from their mineral resources.
Zimbabwe has plenty to offer COMESA, and our profession stands ready to share it.
Benefits that flow in every direction
The chairmanship is not a gain for one party at another’s expense. Done well, it lifts everyone involved.
For Zimbabwe’s mine surveyors, the region becomes our marketplace. Demand for title verification, digital mapping, production reconciliation, drone and laser-scanning surveys, and mine rehabilitation work is growing across COMESA. Zimbabwean firms can partner with local professionals in other member states. Our graduates can gain experience in new mining environments, and the Zimbabwe School of Mines can host regional short courses and professional development. AMSZ’s provincial register of qualified surveyors gives clients, at home and abroad, an easy way to find the professionals they need.
For Zimbabwe’s mining industry, a higher regional profile means more investment and more partners. Verified boundaries and dependable production data make projects easier to finance. Zimbabwe’s lithium, platinum, chrome and nickel resources can anchor regional processing and battery value chains, keeping more value in Africa. Each new mine, plant, road, railway and power line creates work for engineers, surveyors, contractors and suppliers.
For our trade partners, Zimbabwe offers a more transparent and predictable place to do business. A digital cadastre shows clearly who holds which rights, and where. Independent surveys of pits and stockpiles support accurate reporting of production. Responsibly produced minerals, traceable to a recorded title, are exactly what global manufacturers and buyers are looking for.
For COMESA’s member states, Zimbabwe’s chairmanship is an invitation to cooperate. Members can share methods for cadastre systems, small-scale miner formalisation and ESG, while keeping full control of their own mining laws. A COMESA working group on mine surveying and digital cadastres could develop comparable standards and joint training. Over time, government-led mutual recognition agreements, informed by professional bodies like AMSZ, could let qualified surveyors serve the whole region. Stronger mining records across the bloc will also help curb mineral leakage and grow the revenues that fund development.
A bright future, built together
Zimbabwe’s year at the head of COMESA is a chance to show what African minerals, African skills and African cooperation can achieve together.
The AMSZ pledges its full support. We will offer our technical standards, our training partnerships and our network of registered professionals to the Government, to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, and to our colleagues across the region.
The opportunities ahead are vast: new markets for our surveyors, new investment for our mines, new confidence for our trade partners and a stronger, more integrated COMESA. The foundations are already laid. Now is the time to build on them.
One Market. One Future. Measured, Mapped and Built Together.
Stewart Gumbi is President of the Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe.
