Kuvimba Mining House CEO Trevor Barnard has revealed that the diversified, Mutapa Investment Fund-owned mining giant requires approximately US$950 million to bring its full portfolio of mining operations to optimal production capacity, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at the Gold Symposium during the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (CoMZ)’s Annual Mining Conference and Exhibition 2025 —an event sponsored by Kuvimba, Barnard provided an in-depth overview of the company’s strategic direction, financial needs, and long-term vision for the Zimbabwean mining sector.
“Our vision is to create a better, sustainable future for Zimbabweans,” Barnard said in his opening remarks. “Mining is a long-term industry. You don’t plan for today and tomorrow. You plan 10, 20, even 30 years into the future.”
Barnard explained that Kuvimba’s mission is centred on unlocking the country’s mineral wealth to create enduring value for stakeholders while improving livelihoods across Zimbabwe. He emphasised that these improvements must be sustainable across generations and that every decision taken today must be made with the future in mind.
Outlining Kuvimba’s operational structure, Barnard said the company’s assets are divided into four clusters: gold, energy, bulk minerals, and platinum group metals (PGMs). The gold cluster includes well-known operations like Freda Rebecca Gold Mine and Shamva Gold Mine. In the energy cluster, the company has lithium and nickel assets (Sandawana Mines and Trojan Nickel Mine), though Bindura Nickel Corporation’s Trojan Nickel Mine is currently under care and maintenance. The bulk minerals cluster includes chrome miner ZimAlloys, while PGMs form another important part of Kuvimba’s portfolio—mines include Great Dyke Investment.
In discussing the strategic objectives, Barnard noted that efficient mining asset management, sustainable resource management, and profitability enhancement are key pillars of Kuvimba’s future. These objectives are underpinned by values such as zero harm, integrity, teamwork, resilience, and diversity—principles that guide the company’s operations.
However, the CEO underscored that realising this ambitious vision hinges on one critical factor: funding.
“We require a significant amount of funding to make our businesses work,” Barnard stated. “We’ve done some preliminary work on our funding requirements, and currently we sit around US$950 million required to fund our operations and bring them to full production capacity.”
Barnard also pointed out that resource definition remains a core component of the company’s planning, adding that processing and production capacity development will be vital for expansion.
“We need to make sure we’ve got the right capacity to process and develop all our resources. That’s key,” he said.
Compliance—both regulatory and operational—was another area Barnard highlighted as essential for Kuvimba’s success. “Compliance is not negotiable. We need to support the industry and government in ensuring we operate within a realistic but robust framework,” he said.
Infrastructure development—especially vault infrastructure—was cited as critical not only to Kuvimba but to the mining sector at large. Finally, Barnard stressed the importance of building a competent and cohesive team to drive the company’s success across its diversified operations.
Kuvimba Mining House, whose assets contribute significantly to Zimbabwe’s mining sector, is a flagship for the country’s push toward value addition and beneficiation. However, with the company’s US$950 million capital requirement, the road ahead will depend on attracting investment, securing financing, and executing a long-term development strategy.
