Mining ZimbabweLatest Mining News, Policy and Industry Updates

Investing in African Mining Indaba confirms that His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, will deliver the Keynote Address in the Opening Ceremony at Investing in African Mining Indaba 2026, scheduled to take place from 9-12 February 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa.

His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema’s attendance underscores Zambia’s renewed positioning at the centre of Africa’s evolving mining and investment landscape.

President Hichilema’s participation comes at a pivotal moment for Zambia’s mining sector, as the country advances a reform agenda focused on building strong foundations through regulatory certainty, transparency, enhanced institutions, and the deployment of game-changing mining technologies to unlock long-term growth. Recent years have seen Zambia prioritise digital licensing systems, improved geological data management, and modernised regulatory frameworks designed to reduce friction for investors while strengthening state oversight.

These reforms are increasingly reflected in global investor sentiment, signalling growing confidence in the country’s policy environment, governance standards, and commitment to predictable, rules-based engagement with industry.

At Mining Indaba 2026, President Hichilema is expected to outline Zambia’s vision for scaling copper and critical mineral production through technology-led efficiencies, responsible investment, and deeper alignment between government strategy and private capital, placing particular emphasis on how innovation – from data-driven exploration to cleaner processing technologies – is reshaping Zambia’s competitiveness at a time of intensified global demand for energy transition minerals.

Mining Indaba provides a platform for direct dialogue between African governments and the global mining and investment community. President Hichilema’s participation reinforces Zambia’s intent to engage openly with investors, partners, and multilateral institutions on the practical steps required to deliver sustainable growth, value addition, and long-term resilience in the mining sector.

About Investing in African Mining Indaba

Investing in African Mining Indaba is Africa’s largest mining investment conference, convening governments, mining companies, investors, and financiers from across the global mining value chain. The annual event provides a platform for policy dialogue, deal facilitation, and investment promotion to support responsible and sustainable mining across Africa.

The High Court in Bulawayo has granted an order for the restoration of possession at Vubachikwe Gold Mine to its registered leaseholder, following an urgent chamber application, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

In a hearing before Honourable Justice Ndhlovu on Monday, 2 February 2026, the court ordered that Mining Lease 16, which incorporates Vubachikwe Mine in Gwanda, be restored to Forbes & Thompson (Bulawayo) (Private) Limited.

The order, issued by consent, directs respondents Moses Langa, Aldonia Gondo, Madodana Sibanda, Taison Mutengeni, Takeson Moyo, and Alot Ndlovu to vacate the mining location. The Minister of Mines and Mining Development was listed as the seventh respondent in the court papers. The Sheriff of the High Court, with the assistance of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, was authorised to implement the order if necessary.

The court granted a spoliation order, a legal remedy used to restore possession to a party that has been dispossessed without due legal process. The matter was resolved through the established judicial system, demonstrating the availability of legal channels for resolving commercial disputes in the mining sector.

Vubachikwe Mine is an established underground gold operation in the Gwanda Greenstone Belt. It is held under Mining Lease 16 by Forbes & Thompson, a subsidiary of Duration Gold Zimbabwe.

The court’s ruling affirms the principle that commercial disputes within the mining sector are subject to and resolved by Zimbabwe’s legal system.

The government’s strategic push to transform Zimbabwe into a regional ferrochrome hub is yielding concrete results, with the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) reporting a striking divergence in the performance of the chrome sector for the 2025 financial year. With sales of high-value ferro-alloys surging ahead while exports of raw chrome ore stagnated, the data underscores a pivotal shift as the nation successfully moves up the value chain to capture more revenue from its mineral wealth, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

For the 2025 financial year, MMCZ sold 433,293 metric tonnes of ferro-alloys, including ferrochrome and ferrosilicon, valued at US$372 million. This represents a substantial 19% increase in volume and an 11% increase in value from the previous year. In contrast, the trade in raw chrome ore concentrates told a different story. MMCZ sold 886,752 metric tonnes of concentrates, generating US$150 million. While export volume increased marginally by less than 1%, the revenue generated fell by 12% year-on-year due to lower global prices.

This impressive growth in ferro-alloy sales is the direct outcome of a deliberate and accelerating government policy. Strategic interventions include linking new chrome mining rights to commitments for building or expanding local smelting capacity, a move designed to incentivise processing plants over mere mining. Furthermore, authorities are actively consulting on implementing a total ban on the export of raw chrome ore, aiming to close policy loopholes and ensure all ore is beneficiated domestically. This framework is already attracting scale, with projects like the Palm River initiative planned to reach a massive capacity of 1 million tonnes of ferrochrome per year.

The strategy’s timing is advantageous, coinciding with a significant realignment in the global ferrochrome market. South Africa, the traditional powerhouse, faces severe production cuts due to high electricity costs and market pressures, with 2025 output potentially halving from 2024 levels. This has created a substantial supply gap, presenting Zimbabwe with a critical window to position itself as a primary alternative source of ferrochrome for key consumers in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Despite the positive trajectory, the sector must navigate persistent challenges to capitalise on this opportunity fully. Unstable and costly electricity supply remains a major constraint for energy-intensive smelting operations. Additionally, infrastructure and logistical bottlenecks can hamper the efficient movement of volumes to ports.

The data confirms Zimbabwe’s chrome strategy is on the right track. By prioritising ferrochrome production, the nation not only earns more from its vast chrome reserves but also creates more jobs, stimulates industrial development, and reduces vulnerability to volatile raw ore prices. With global demand steady and a major competitor retreating, Zimbabwe’s focused policy mix could solidify its role as a growing force in the global ferrochrome market.

Contango Holdings Plc has cleared a key regulatory hurdle at Zimbabwe’s Muchesu coal project. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has approved a revised ownership and operating structure that brings in Pacific Goal Investments Private Limited (PGI) as project operator, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

The approval formalises the transfer of majority control in Monaf Investments (Private) Limited, the company that holds the Muchesu coal asset.

It also brings to a close a restructuring phase aimed at moving the project closer to development.

For Contango, the decision marks a shift from corporate realignment to execution planning.

Located in Binga, Matabeleland North, the Muchesu project hosts a coal resource estimated at more than two billion tonnes.

This places it among Zimbabwe’s largest undeveloped energy assets.

The project is positioned as a long-term mine-to-energy opportunity with national significance.

Confirming completion of the process, Contango announced the Hong Kong firm as the registered executor of the project.

“Contango Holdings Plc, a company focused on unlocking value from the +2 billion tonne Muchesu coal project in Zimbabwe, is pleased to advise the completion of registration with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe for the transfer of 51 percent ownership of Monaf Investments (Private) Limited from Contango to Pacific Goal Investments Private Limited. PGI has also now been registered as the operator of the project.”

Under the revised structure, PGI now holds 51 per cent of Monaf Investments. Contango retains a 24 per cent interest. Lilyone Investments owns 6.5 per cent, while local minority shareholders hold the remaining 18.5 per cent.

Contango has previously indicated that separating ownership from operations was a deliberate move.

The scale of Muchesu requires significant capital and operational depth. Retaining equity while appointing an experienced operator allows the company to manage risk without giving up long-term value.

PGI forms part of the Pacific Goal Group, a Hong Kong-based industrial group with established mining and energy operations in Zimbabwe.

“As previously reported, PGI forms part of the Pacific Goal Group, a Hong Kong-based industrial group with extensive mining and energy operations in Zimbabwe, including a major mine-to-energy industrial park, incorporating two power stations, a graphite processing plant and a nickel smelter.

PGI is co-owned by Mr Wencai Huo, the company’s 20.42 per cent shareholder, and Mr Liu Jun.”

Beyond the ownership changes, Muchesu is increasingly seen as strategically important. This is true at both provincial and national levels. Large coal assets are again drawing attention as Zimbabwe looks to stabilise power supply and support industrial growth.

For Contango, RBZ approval provides regulatory certainty. It also creates a clearer pathway for the project to advance with a partner that has existing mine-to-energy experience in the country.

The Muchesu coal asset has long been regarded as a cornerstone resource in Matabeleland North.

Historical exploration has confirmed a substantial, long-life deposit. Its location places it within reach of regional power demand centres and infrastructure corridors.

If developed, the project could support power generation, industrial energy needs, and broader economic activity over several decades.

In the global race to discover the minerals powering our future, the drill bit is being reinvented. It is no longer just a tool to penetrate rock but the sharp end of a data revolution, guided by AI, powered by autonomy, and accelerated by real-time analytics, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

For a geologically blessed but underexplored nation like Zimbabwe, this presents a profound opportunity. The question is not whether the potential exists in its greenstone belts and vast dykes, but how to unlock it. As prominent geologist Patrick Takaedza argues, the answer lies in strategic partnerships that fuse policy clarity with cutting-edge technology.

“Transformational exploration and discovery will be achieved only if investor confidence is strengthened through transparent, consistent policy implementation and partnerships that operationalise best practice, technical rigour, and community alignment,” Takaedza states.

Zimbabwe’s foundation for a discovery boom is being laid today through deliberate collaboration. Takaedza’s proposed frameworks are designed to tackle the systemic bottlenecks that deter investment.

A cornerstone is modernising the nation’s geological knowledge base. “Co-invest with international partners to systematically fill data gaps,” Takaedza advises, advocating for a Digital Geoscience Hub. This platform would release high-quality public datasets, reducing discovery risk. He pairs this with a call for a Transparent EPO Evaluation Framework, developed by a Joint Government–Industry Technical Committee. “Commit to publicly disclosed timelines for EPO decisions,” he says, highlighting that “clarity and consistency in EPO issuance will build credibility with investors.”

To attract capital to high-risk, frontier regions, Takaedza proposes Government-Backed Exploration Funds. “Establish co-funded exploration vehicles that match private capital in priority underexplored regions,” he explains. Structured as public-private joint ventures, these funds “demonstrate government commitment, leverage private expertise, and derisk frontier work for investors.”

Central to this vision are Quarterly Mining Policy Roundtables. These structured forums would convene government, explorers, artisanal miners, and civil society to “collaboratively resolve policy bottlenecks.” Publishing action plans from these meetings, Takaedza notes, would “reduce policy uncertainty and signal to global markets that Zimbabwe is committed to consultative governance.”

A stable partnership framework attracts the right capital, the kind that brings cutting-edge technology. Takaedza’s plans directly enable this technological leap.

The proposed open-data platforms provide the fuel for AI-powered discovery. Furthermore, Takaedza emphasises Infrastructure Development Agreements. “Collaborate with explorers and development finance institutions to invest in access roads, power, and connectivity, especially in frontier terrains,” he says. This infrastructure “reduces operating costs, increases project viability, and attracts capital.”

Technical alliances are vital for sustainable growth. Takaedza encourages large explorers to “partner with local small-scale miners through contractual arrangements that transfer modern exploration skills, safety practices, and environmental standards.” This “strengthens local economic participation while securing a social licence to operate, a key factor in investor due diligence.”

This shift from concept to action is gaining momentum. The lithium boom, with exports surging and major beneficiation plants underway, proves focused investment yields rapid results.

“The nation’s mineral wealth is documented in world-class deposits,” Takaedza observes. The task is to find the next generation. He concludes that these strategic partnerships are “not just desirable but essential,” creating a virtuous cycle: “policy consistency strengthens investor confidence; investment accelerates exploration; discoveries unlock jobs, revenue, and sustainable development.”

By forging partnerships that ensure policy predictability, data accessibility, and community integration, Zimbabwe is actively building the launchpad for its future. When the next generation of drill rigs starts turning, they will do so on a foundation of collective purpose, drilling into a future built stronger, together.

The country’s leading platinum group metals miner, Zimplats, saw mined volumes rise by 5% in the quarter ended December 2025 compared with the previous quarter, driven by improved underground operations, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

The improvement was underpinned by stronger equipment availability at the underground mining operations, which also supported a 15% increase in year-on-year mined volumes.

Higher open-pit mining rates, combined with enhanced underground productivity, lifted overall mining performance during the quarter.

These gains follow a period of operational challenges underground.

In the prior quarter, the Australian Stock Exchange-listed miner reported that limited availability of trackless mobile machinery, including loaders and underground trucks, had constrained ore extraction and transport, slowing production.

Improved mining delivery flowed through to the processing plants, with milled volumes increasing 3% quarter-on-quarter and 12% year-on-year.

The improvement was further supported by fewer scheduled mill reline shutdowns during the period.

Metallurgical recoveries also benefited from greater operational stability, rising 4% from the previous quarter, though they remained 2% below the prior comparable period due to lower milled grades.

As a result, 6E concentrate production reached 169,086 ounces, up 7% from the prior quarter. Metal in final product also rose sharply, climbing 22% quarter-on-quarter and 35% year-on-year, supported by higher mill throughput and the treatment of accumulated concentrate inventories.

Ore grades were broadly stable on a quarter-on-quarter basis, with the 6E head grade holding steady. However, grades declined 3% year-on-year, reflecting a change in the ore mix following depletion of higher-grade ore from the Rukodzi Mine and the introduction of lower-grade material from open-pit operations.

On the cost front, total operating expenses rose 4% quarter-on-quarter and 22% year-on-year, driven by higher labour costs, increased open-pit activity, and maintenance expenditure. Transfers from closing stocks released US$5.7 million of inventory accumulated in the prior quarter.

Operating cash costs per 6E ounce improved 6% quarter-on-quarter to US$1,009, although they were 8% higher than the prior comparable period, showing that operational efficiencies partly offset rising input costs.

Capital Projects Drive Future Growth

Building on operational stability, Zimplats advanced its major growth and sustaining capital projects during the quarter. The Mupani Mine remains on track for full-scale production of 3.6 million tonnes per annum by FY2029, with US$360 million spent at period end against a total budget of US$386 million.

The smelter expansion and sulphur dioxide abatement project also progressed as planned, with cumulative expenditure of US$466 million against a US$544 million budget. The 45 MW Phase 2A solar power project remains on track for completion in H1 FY2027, which will increase total installed solar capacity to 80 MW. US$24 million has been spent so far against a total budget of US$54 million.

Phase 2 of the tailings storage facility expansion at the Selous Metallurgical Complex advanced during the period, complementing the substantially complete Phase 1. Together, the two phases will secure concentrator operations through FY2049, with US$7 million spent against a US$18 million budget.

On the exploration front, Zimplats also completed a surface core drilling programme at the Bimha and Mupani mining footprints in the reported quarter.

Twenty-four holes totalling 7,074 metres were drilled to upgrade reserve confidence levels and guide decline development, positioning the company to sustain production targets in the coming years.

Meanwhile, the miner’s production increase in the quarter comes as the global platinum group metals market outlook remains positive.

The World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) expects PGM demand to strengthen in 2026, driven by automotive catalysts, hydrogen applications, and investment flows, while supply growth remains constrained.