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Zimbabwe is seeking to strengthen its appeal to international mining investors through infrastructure development, regional integration and a more accommodating regulatory environment, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development Dr Celeb Makwiranzou (MP) has said.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Down Under (ADU) 2026 conference in Perth, Makwiranzou said the Government was positioning the country to take advantage of its strategic location within Southern Africa while addressing some of the infrastructure and administrative requirements of major mining investments.

Miners Open to Developing Their Own Power

Energy remains one of the most important considerations for mining investors, particularly as Zimbabwe pursues large-scale projects in energy-intensive commodities.

Makwiranzou said Zimbabwe’s position within the Southern African Development Community gives it access to regional electricity cooperation through the Southern African Power Pool.

“Luckily, we are at the centre of SADC, so we have what we call a power pool for SADC, so we are able to assist in that,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that some mining operations may require dedicated power solutions.

“In some cases, you will find that miners would like to have their own consumption power, so we are open to licensing them to create their own power source,” Makwiranzou said.

The remarks come as mining companies increasingly explore captive generation and other private energy arrangements to secure reliable electricity for large-scale operations.

Infrastructure and Regional Connectivity

Makwiranzou said Zimbabwe’s central location within Southern Africa gives it an advantage as a potential transport link between regional markets and export corridors.

“Being in the centre of SADC, we are like the crossroads of highways going to the various ports in Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, and we are developing those roads to be able to take up the exports out,” he said.

Zimbabwe is also pursuing major regional transport infrastructure projects, including the proposed Lion’s Den–Kafue railway corridor involving Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The project is expected to improve regional rail connectivity and strengthen access to transport routes serving ports and markets across Southern and Eastern Africa, although implementation will depend on financing and the successful execution of the planned infrastructure programme.

For the mining sector, improved rail and road infrastructure remains critical to reducing logistical bottlenecks and improving the movement of minerals, equipment and other mining inputs.

Government Pitches Easier Licensing

Makwiranzou also used the ADU platform to assure potential investors that the Government wants to make it easier for mining companies to establish and operate in Zimbabwe.

“Our licensing is very, very easy. We want people to come, so we don’t stand in their way,” he said.

“We sit with them when we talk with them and assist them wherever possible.”

The Government has been pursuing a number of reforms aimed at improving the administration of the mining sector, including changes to selected mining-related fees and the continued development of a computerised Mining Cadastre Registration System.

The cadastre system is expected to modernise the management of mining titles and help address longstanding challenges associated with overlapping claims and administrative processes.

Its introduction is seen as an important part of efforts to improve transparency and certainty around mineral rights — two issues closely watched by both local and international investors.

Regional Integration and Mineral Value Addition

Makwiranzou said Zimbabwe also sees regional cooperation as central to the future development of its mining industry.

Zimbabwe recently completed its tenure as chair of the Southern African Development Community, with South Africa taking over the chairmanship.

“What this does is it enlarges our market for various goods and services, so we are keen to be part of the regional system,” he said.

Regional integration is becoming increasingly important as African countries seek to move beyond the traditional export of raw minerals and develop processing, manufacturing and mineral-based industries closer to where resources are produced.

Zimbabwe, with significant deposits of lithium, platinum group metals and other strategic minerals, is among the countries expected to play an important role in Southern Africa’s emerging energy-transition mineral value chains.

A regional initiative involving several SADC countries is also seeking to promote environmentally and socially responsible mineral development, beneficiation and stronger regional value chains for minerals critical to the global energy transition.

Investment Message from Perth

Makwiranzou’s message at Africa Down Under was that Zimbabwe wants to combine its substantial mineral potential with improved infrastructure, a modernised mining administration system and deeper regional economic integration.

While infrastructure constraints and regulatory challenges remain important considerations for investors, the Deputy Minister said the Government’s approach is increasingly focused on facilitating investment rather than creating unnecessary barriers.

For Zimbabwe, which is seeking to attract capital into exploration, mining, beneficiation and downstream mineral processing, the challenge will be translating those policy commitments into projects, infrastructure and regulatory certainty on the ground.

At ADU 2026, Makwiranzou’s pitch to international investors was clear: Zimbabwe sees mining as a central pillar of its economic future and wants to position itself as an increasingly accessible destination for global mining capital.

The Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe (ASMZ) is pushing to revive and review the Government Mine Surveyor’s Certificate of Competence, with the association seeking to strengthen the pipeline of qualified professionals serving the mining industry, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

The issue is being discussed at the ongoing ASMZ 41st annual conference in Masvingo, which has brought together mine surveying professionals, academics, Government officials and key players in the mining industry to discuss the profession’s challenges and its future.

Speaking at the conference, ASMZ President Stewart Gumbie said the association would work closely with the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) to review the qualification and ensure a steady pipeline of competent mine surveyors.

“We are also going to be working hand in glove with the School of Mines to revive and review our Certificate of Competence as a measure to ensure that we constantly have a full pipeline of competent personnel to service the mining industry beyond our existence,” Gumbie said.

The proposal received support from the Government, with Chief Government Mining Engineer Michael Munodawafa endorsing the push and describing the certificate as important to both the mining industry and the surveying profession.

“The certificate is a good thing for the industry and the profession. You must continue with it and make sure that it remains relevant to the needs of the industry,” Munodawafa said.

The renewed push comes against a long history of the qualification and previous efforts within the profession to assess whether it remains fit for purpose.

A presentation by the Office of the Chief Government Mine Engineer at an ASMZ symposium in 2024 showed that the first examinations for the Government Mine Surveyor’s Certificate of Competence were held in June 1947. By 2024, 171 certificates had been issued, according to the presentation, averaging about two certificates a year over nearly eight decades.

The figure has previously raised concern within the profession, with the 2024 symposium examining the qualification, its examination procedures and the need to update its syllabus.

Among the issues discussed was the revised 2016 syllabus and the requirement for candidates to pass all eight subjects before obtaining the certificate. Participants also raised concerns that some subjects had become outdated as technology changed the way mine surveying is carried out.

The review of the qualification was already on the association’s agenda in 2024. Ahead of an ASMZ symposium held in Bulawayo that year, the association said it would gather submissions on revising the Mine Surveyors’ Certificate of Competence syllabus, alongside proposed changes to mining regulations and the Mining Bill.

Since then, technology has continued to change the way mine surveying is carried out. At the 2024 symposium, the Zimbabwe School of Mines said its curriculum had been revamped in 2014 to include advanced mathematics and survey methods aligned with the Mine Survey Certificate of Competence.

The school has also incorporated technologies such as RTK GPS, drones and 3D survey software into its training, while identifying robotics and virtual and augmented reality as areas for future development.

It is against these changes that ASMZ is now seeking to revisit the professional qualification, with the proposed review providing an opportunity to consider whether its training and examination requirements remain relevant to the industry.

The current status of the Certificate of Competence, including whether examinations are being conducted, how many candidates are currently taking them and how many certificates have been issued since the 171 recorded in 2024, remains central to understanding the scale of the issue and what the proposed review could mean for Zimbabwe’s mining industry.

Deputy Minister Makwiranzou told Australian investors that raw ore exports are yesterday’s game—offering smelting, refining, and lithium conversion deals to those willing to think beyond the next quarter.

PERTH, Australia — Zimbabwe has identified platinum refining, lithium processing and ferrochrome smelting among key investment gaps it wants international capital to help fill as the country pushes to move further up the mining value chain.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Dr Eng. C. Makwiranzou, outlined the commodity-specific opportunities during the Zimbabwe Mining Investment Seminar at the Africa Down Under 2026 conference in Perth on Thursday.

Rather than making a general call for investment, Makwiranzou detailed opportunities across lithium, platinum group metals, chrome, gold, iron and steel, coal and other minerals, while also identifying patient capital as a critical requirement for Zimbabwe’s beneficiation ambitions.

PGM Refining Opportunity

In the platinum group metals sector, Makwiranzou said Zimbabwe’s growing production base had created opportunities beyond mining and exploration.

With Zimplats, Mimosa, Unki and Karo among the country’s major PGM operations and projects, he said there was scope for further exploration along the under-explored margins of the Great Dyke.

He also identified a gap in downstream processing.

“There is a genuine gap in local refining capacity that is waiting for the right partner,” Makwiranzou said.

Days before travelling to Perth, President Emmerson Mnangagwa officiated at the signing of a Special Mining Lease for the Karo Platinum Project. According to Makwiranzou, the project’s first phase represents an investment of about US$545 million, with more than US$240 million already deployed.

The project is expected to increase Zimbabwe’s platinum group metals output by about 20% over a mine life exceeding 50 years.

Lithium Focus Shifts Towards Processing

Makwiranzou said Zimbabwe was also seeking investment in lithium processing and conversion capacity.

He identified opportunities beyond the country’s established lithium operations and said the Government was actively inviting investors into midstream activities, including spodumene concentration, sulphate production, and hydroxide and carbonate conversion.

“In lithium, beyond the established operations at Bikita, Arcadia, Kamativi, Sandawana and Zulu, we are actively inviting investment into midstream capacity,” he said.

The Deputy Minister said Zimbabwe ultimately wanted to develop further downstream industries, including precursor and cathode material production.

He pointed to the Arcadia lithium sulphate plant, which he said exported Zimbabwe’s first locally produced lithium sulphate in April, as well as additional lithium processing facilities under construction at Kamativi and Sinomine Bikita.

Chrome Smelting Capacity Sought

Zimbabwe is also looking for investment in ferrochrome and chromium alloy production as part of efforts to increase beneficiation of the country’s substantial chrome resources.

Makwiranzou said chrome reserves along the Great Dyke remained significantly under-beneficiated.

“We are actively seeking partners to build ferrochrome and chromium alloy smelting capacity that captures the premium currently exported alongside raw ore,” he said.

The Government is establishing regional beneficiation hubs aligned to mineral endowments, with chrome-producing areas expected to specialise in ferrochrome and chromium alloys, while iron ore regions focus on steel and steel products and lithium districts develop conversion chemistry.

“This is industrial policy with a map attached,” Makwiranzou said.

Opportunities in Gold, Steel and Energy Minerals

The Deputy Minister also highlighted opportunities arising from the formalisation and modernisation of Zimbabwe’s small-scale and artisanal gold mining sector.

Zimbabwe delivered 21.7 tonnes of gold to the national refinery during the first half of 2026, according to figures presented by Makwiranzou, with 14.9 tonnes coming from small-scale and artisanal producers.

He said the sector was creating opportunities in mining equipment, financing, custom milling and off-take arrangements.

In iron and steel, Makwiranzou said the Manhize integrated steel complex was opening downstream and supply-chain opportunities across the region.

He also pointed to coal and coking coal, as well as investment opportunities in clean coal technologies, coal-to-liquid fuel projects, coal-bed methane development and gas exploration.

Zimbabwe is also seeking investment across minerals including tungsten, kyanite, antimony, graphite, rare earth elements and battery-grade nickel.

Patient Capital Identified as Key to Beneficiation

One of the clearest messages from Makwiranzou’s address was that Zimbabwe’s beneficiation ambitions require investors willing to take a longer-term view.

He identified patient capital as a key missing ingredient in the country’s efforts to establish smelters, refineries and mineral conversion facilities.

“A mine can return capital quickly; a smelter, a refinery or a conversion plant cannot,” he said. “The investor Zimbabwe is looking for is the investor whose horizon matches the asset.”

Makwiranzou said Zimbabwe was open to a range of financing structures, including blended finance, project finance, streaming and off-take arrangements, equity joint ventures and private greenfield investment.

Government Promises Follow-Up

Makwiranzou said the Zimbabwean delegation in Perth would follow up on serious expressions of interest raised during Africa Down Under.

“Every serious expression of interest raised with my delegation this week will be followed up in writing, with a named official from my Ministry assigned to walk your team through the specific licence, project or joint-venture structure you wish to pursue,” he said.

He added that where facilitation through the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency was required, the process would be initiated before investors left Perth.

The Deputy Minister’s address signalled a more targeted investment pitch from Zimbabwe, focusing not simply on the country’s mineral wealth but on the specific gaps the Government wants investors to help address.

For Australian mining companies, exploration firms, mining technology providers and investors gathered in Perth, the opportunities identified ranged from under-explored ground and mineral processing to refining, smelting and the infrastructure required to support Zimbabwe’s next phase of mining development.

Zimbabwe is putting its mining investment story directly in front of Australia’s mining, exploration, finance and technology community at Africa Down Under 2026 in Perth.

A high-powered Zimbabwean delegation is engaging investors, mining companies, explorers, financiers and technology providers, bringing together key players across the country’s mining and investment ecosystem — including the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Fidelity Gold Refinery, Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, and other industry stakeholders.

Mining Zimbabwe is also on the ground distributing our latest edition, connecting directly with the people shaping investment decisions, tracking the conversations around Zimbabwe’s mineral potential and giving the industry a platform to tell its story to a global audience.

The message from Zimbabwe is increasingly clear: the opportunity is not only in extracting minerals, but in exploration, beneficiation, value addition, technology, infrastructure, financing and building industries around the country’s mineral resources.

At ADU 2026, Zimbabwe is talking directly to the Australian mining ecosystem about what comes next — from its underexplored geological potential and critical minerals to platinum, lithium, gold, chrome, copper and opportunities across the broader mining value chain.

The real test now is turning conversations into partnerships, enquiries into investment and mineral potential into productive projects.

Africa Down Under runs from 2–4 September 2026 at the Pan Pacific Perth and is recognised as the largest African-focused mining event held outside Africa.

For us at Mining Zimbabwe, being here is about more than covering the event. It is about being present where Zimbabwe’s mining story is being discussed, where investors are asking questions and where the next generation of mining partnerships can begin.

Zimbabwe’s presence at Africa Down Under 2026 demonstrates a coordinated effort to position the country’s mining sector directly within the global investment conversation. With Government, mining institutions, investment agencies, industry bodies and Mining Zimbabwe represented in Perth, the delegation is presenting a broader proposition built around exploration, capital, technology, beneficiation and long-term partnerships.

Gold is coming under renewed pressure after a hawkish message from the US Federal Reserve sent bond yields higher, with the World Gold Council warning that bullion has retreated below its 200-day moving average as markets reassess the outlook for monetary policy.

By Ryan Chigoche

In its September 1 Weekly Markets Monitor, the World Gold Council said Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s message at Jackson Hole jolted markets, triggering a sharp rise in the two-year Treasury yield and sending gold below its 200-day moving average.

The move comes after a strong August for bullion. Gold gained about 10% during the month, its strongest monthly advance since January, before the latest reversal.

On Tuesday, Comex gold for December delivery fell as much as 2.4% to US$4,374.10 an ounce in New York, its lowest level since Aug. 19. Spot gold was down 1.7% at US$4,362.57, according to Bloomberg data reported by Mining.com.

The three-session decline has almost erased gold’s gains for 2026. Bullion remains about 20% below its January record close of US$5,419.83 an ounce.

For Zimbabwe, the price movement is significant because gold remains central to the country’s mining export earnings. Higher international prices have supported the sector’s revenues, while a sustained correction could put pressure on producers’ earnings and investment plans.

The latest weakness, however, comes against a backdrop of continuing geopolitical uncertainty.

The World Gold Council said geopolitical tensions intensified last week, citing expanded sanctions on Iran and escalating trade tensions with Canada. It also noted that US inflation remained sticky while consumer confidence weakened.

Global equities ended mixed, bond yields moved higher and the US dollar strengthened slightly, according to the council.

The combination is important for bullion because higher yields increase the opportunity cost of holding an asset that does not pay interest.

Zimbabwe’s gold exposure

Zimbabwe’s gold sector has benefited from the elevated bullion-price environment as the country seeks to increase production.

The sector’s exposure to global prices means that movements in international bullion markets can have a direct effect on the value of gold sold by local producers.

That exposure is becoming more important as Zimbabwe pursues higher output. The country’s gold industry has also been supported by increased production from both large-scale and artisanal and small-scale miners.

The latest correction therefore creates a different operating environment from the one that prevailed during August’s rally.

For miners, the impact will depend not only on the international gold price but also on production volumes and operating costs. A higher gold price can support margins and investment, while a prolonged decline would increase the importance of cost control and production efficiency.

The global outlook remains mixed.

The World Gold Council’s latest assessment points to tighter monetary-policy expectations as a near-term headwind for gold, while geopolitical risks continue to provide a counterweight.

That leaves Zimbabwean producers exposed to a market being pulled in opposite directions: higher yields and a firmer dollar are weighing on bullion, while geopolitical uncertainty continues to support demand for the metal.

For now, gold remains at historically elevated levels despite the September decline, leaving the latest weakness more a test of the rally than evidence of a fundamental break in the market.

Tharisa is turning to the international debt market to help fund the remaining capital requirements of its US$545 million Karo platinum project in Zimbabwe, potentially removing a major financing hurdle as the mine moves towards first production, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

The South African chrome and platinum producer has mandated DNB Carnegie and HSBC as joint bookrunners, with Absa Bank Limited as co-manager, to hold fixed-income investor meetings this week to test appetite for a new five-year senior secured bond.

The proposed bond would have an initial issue amount of US$300 million and could be issued through Tharisa’s wholly owned subsidiary, Arxo Finance. Proceeds would be directed towards capital expenditure at Karo and general corporate purposes, although the transaction remains subject to market conditions.

The move comes as Tharisa enters a critical phase in the development of Karo, one of the largest undeveloped platinum-group metals projects on Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke.

With development costs estimated at about US$545 million, the project has already absorbed around US$241 million of Tharisa’s capital. A US$300 million bond would therefore cover a substantial portion of the remaining requirement, potentially giving the company the funding capacity to push the project towards completion.

Karo is planned as a large-scale open-pit operation, with Phase 1 production expected to reach about 226,000 ounces of platinum-group metals a year once the mine is ramped up. First ore is targeted for the second half of 2027.

That production would make Karo a significant addition to Zimbabwe’s platinum industry, which is already anchored by Zimplats, Unki and Mimosa. The project would expand the country’s large-scale PGM production base while bringing additional investment into the Great Dyke.

The financing effort also follows progress in securing the project’s long-term operating framework. In August, Tharisa secured a 25-year Special Mining Lease from the Zimbabwean Government covering about 23,903 hectares on the Great Dyke, providing long-term mining tenure as development advances.

With the mining agreement in place, the focus is increasingly shifting from securing the right to mine to securing the capital required to build the operation.

Tharisa has also secured a five-year offtake agreement for Karo concentrate with Valterra Platinum, providing a commercial route for future production and further underpinning the project’s development.

For Tharisa, Karo represents a major expansion beyond its established South African operations. Once fully ramped up, the Zimbabwe project is expected to almost double the company’s annual PGM production to just under 400,000 ounces, compared with 138,300 ounces produced in the 2025 financial year.

That growth, however, requires substantial upfront investment before Karo can generate its own operating cash flow, making access to external financing increasingly important as construction progresses.

Tharisa had cash of US$198.8 million and net cash of US$10.7 million at the end of June, while having already committed significant equity to Karo. The proposed bond would allow the company to supplement its existing resources with debt-market funding rather than relying solely on internal cash generation.

For Zimbabwe, the financing outcome will be closely watched because Karo’s progress is increasingly tied to the availability of capital. A successful US$300 million bond would not represent completion of the project’s entire financing requirement, but it could remove a significant portion of the remaining funding burden and help move Karo closer to construction and first production.

The bond has not yet been raised, however. Tharisa is currently testing investor appetite, with the final size, pricing and completion of the transaction dependent on market conditions.