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Zimbabwe’s Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon. Winston Chitando, and Tafadzwa Chinamo, CEO of the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), are set to headline an investment forum on the sidelines of the flagship Africa Down Under (ADU) conference in Perth this Thursday, aiming to lure Australian capital to the southern African nation’s burgeoning mining sector, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
They will be joined by Ben Turney, CEO of London-listed Kavango Resources PLC (LSE:KAV), who will provide a boots-on-the-ground perspective of the opportunity, framing Zimbabwe as a new frontier for exploration and production.
The event, “Mine to Market, Unlocking Zimbabwe’s Mining Value Chain Potential,” comes as Harare intensifies its efforts to attract foreign investment to modernize its mining industry, a critical engine for its economic growth ambitions.
The forum’s pitch hinges on a compelling narrative of untapped potential, a message recently echoed by industry observers. Scott North, a corporate development strategist, drew a direct parallel to historically prolific gold regions, suggesting Zimbabwe presents a rare first-mover advantage.
“Imagine the WA goldfields 70 years ago—before modern mechanized mining,” North stated in a social media post. “Imagine entire gold belts underexplored, with the opportunity to consolidate them. That’s the opportunity Kavango Resources has in Zimbabwe right now: a genuine first-mover position in a country that has seen little modern exploration.”
North’s comments underscore a growing sentiment among a cohort of junior miners that Zimbabwe, often overlooked due to past political risk, now offers some of the most promising and undervalued geology accessible to foreign firms.
Turney’s Kavango is at the forefront of this movement. After spending time with Turney in Perth, North said he is “convinced they are building a serious gold producer,” signaling strong confidence in both the company’s strategy and the jurisdiction’s potential.
The Perth forum represents a strategic move by Zimbabwean officials to directly engage with the deep-pocketed and technically sophisticated Australian mining community. Minister Chitando is expected to outline policy reforms and development plans, while Chinamo will detail the streamlined investment processes under ZIDA, designed to fast-track project approvals.
For Australian miners and financiers, the message will be clear: Zimbabwe is open for business, and the early movers, as history shows in mining, stand to gain the most.
The investment breakfast will be held at the Novotel Perth Langley Hotel on September 4, 2025, from 09:30 to 12:30 AWST.
