The continued surge in gold prices has significantly transformed Zimbabwe’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, driving a wave of formalisation, mechanisation, and professionalisation across the country, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
According to Young Miners Foundation Chief Executive Officer Payne Farai Kupfuwa, improved prices and payment systems from Fidelity Gold Refinery have gone a long way in unlocking growth opportunities in the ASM sector.
“The high gold prices and improved payments from Fidelity Gold Refinery have gone a long way, of course, in terms of the development of artisanal and small-scale mining,” Kupfuwa said in an interview with Mining Zimbabwe.
He said the improved pricing model, which saw gold buying prices surpassing US$104 per gram in mid-June, has given small-scale miners the financial muscle to comply with statutory obligations, invest in modern equipment, and improve working conditions at their sites.
“Participants can now regularise their paperwork and also abide by statutory instruments like the environmental impact assessments and every other obligation that is required by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development,” he said. “Because the returns will be good enough and the financial resources will be available.”
Kupfuwa said the rise in gold prices has been instrumental in mechanisation, with miners now able to acquire modern and efficient tools that increase production and reduce losses. “People can now buy equipment… mechanised equipment that will bolster efficiency against production,” he said.
Access to financial resources has also made it possible for small-scale miners to adopt technology, especially for security and production purposes. “We now have participants in the ASM adopting technology because of the financial capacity that they now have, especially those technological advancements to do with the security issues in their small-scale mines.”
With miners now able to procure consumables, reinforce shafts, and install safety systems, Kupfuwa believes the sector is on a trajectory to grow from small-scale to medium- or even large-scale status.
“The prices will assist in growth because miners now have capacity to establish or to bolster production levels and increase their labour capacity,” he said. “We have also seen an increase in employment… they can now employ professionals from universities and semi-skilled members because they will have capacity to pay them.”
Kupfuwa also pointed out that some small-scale miners are now attending international and regional mining conferences, networking and exchanging ideas with their peers from other countries. “We now see some small-scale miners… attending programmes that are regional, that are international, where they can also connect and network with other participants.”
He said the growth in ASM is also contributing to a safer and more environmentally responsible mining sector. “Accidents will also be reduced because safety measures are now being set at the mining sites… shafts are being reinforced, and every other element of safety, health, and environment is now being put into place.”
The gold boom has not only uplifted Zimbabwe’s ASM sector but is pushing miners into adopting formal structures, hiring professionals, and contributing meaningfully to the national economy.
As of June 16, 2025, Fidelity Gold Refinery was buying gold at over US$100 per gram, depending on grade and assay method — with spot prices reaching as high as US$104.92/g. These prices, coupled with consistent and transparent payments, have given the sector the credibility and confidence it has long needed.
Kupfuwa’s remarks paint a picture of a once-marginalised sector now stepping up — driven by price incentives, but also by a growing desire to operate responsibly, professionally, and profitably.
