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Govt owes Unki $100 million in unpaid export proceeds

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Govt owes Unki $100 million in unpaid export proceeds

Unki Mines‘ parent company, Valterra Platinum, has revealed that it is owed $100 million in 2025 export proceeds by Zimbabwe’s government, even as the mining giant posted record earnings and dividend payouts for the year, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The company confirmed on Wednesday that the government has started making some payments to clear the arrears, though significant amounts remain outstanding.

Zimbabwe requires all exporters to retain only 70% of their proceeds in foreign currency, with the balance forcibly converted to local currency at official rates.

According to Zimbabwe’s mining chamber, Valterra and its platinum industry peers have faced persistent delayed payments under the retention rule, with the government citing cash flow constraints.

Valterra’s Zimbabwean asset, Unki Mine in Shurugwi, produced 219,700 ounces of PGM concentrates in 2025, representing approximately 7% of the group’s total concentrate output last year. The mine remains a significant contributor to both the company’s portfolio and Zimbabwe’s foreign currency earnings.

However, Unki has faced operational challenges in recent quarters. The mine recorded an 8% year-on-year decline in production during Q3 2025, producing 57,500 ounces compared to 62,500 ounces in the same period of 2024. The company attributed the decrease primarily to lower ore grades in the current mining area, a natural geological challenge in the mine’s lifecycle, alongside concentrator throughput disruptions.

Despite these headwinds, Unki’s position within the Valterra portfolio remains strategically important as the company navigates Zimbabwe’s complex foreign currency regime.

“It’s about $100 million that hasn’t been able to be accessed by us,” CFO Sayurie Naidoo told analysts during a results call. “We have been engaging with the Reserve Bank as well as the Ministry of Finance, and we are receiving some funds in 2026 so far, and we do expect to receive that over the next couple of months.”

The disclosure of Zimbabwe’s unpaid export proceeds came as Valterra announced a remarkable financial performance for 2025, with full-year headline earnings more than doubling to 16.7 billion rand ($1.05 billion), driven by surging platinum prices and aggressive operational cost reductions.

The company declared a final dividend of R43 per share, comprising a R23 base dividend in line with its policy of 40% of headline earnings, plus a R20 special dividend. This brought total dividends for 2025 to approximately R12 billion.

The interim dividend declared in July 2025 of R2.00 per share (200 cents per share) for the six-month period ended 30 June 2025 was paid in August 2025, reflecting the company’s commitment to shareholder returns even as it navigated the Zimbabwean cash lock-up.

The bumper earnings were boosted by a 26% price increase for the platinum group metals basket, as well as 5 billion rand worth of operational and corporate cost savings achieved during the year.

Spot platinum prices more than doubled in 2025 and hit a record $2,757.69 per ounce on January 26, driven by tight supply and rising investment demand for precious metals. The price rally gained additional momentum following the European Union’s policy reversal on its planned 2035 combustion-engine ban, bolstering long-term demand prospects for autocatalyst metals.

The company’s shares surged more than 10% following the results announcement, as investors cheered the combination of record earnings, substantial capital returns, and operational cost discipline.

While the Zimbabwean government’s unpaid export proceeds represent a significant cash flow constraint, Valterra maintains a strong net cash position of R11.5 billion and substantial liquidity headroom of R43 billion. The company generated free cash flow of R20 billion during 2025, underpinning its ability to reward shareholders while engaging with Zimbabwean authorities on the outstanding arrears.

The mining industry continues to advocate for a sustainable solution to Zimbabwe’s foreign currency retention regime, which industry players argue undermines investment certainty and working capital management. For Valterra, resolution of the $100 million arrears would provide additional financial flexibility as it pursues its value-accretive strategic priorities in both South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe Gold Exports Jump 135% as Bullion Price Rally Boosts Earnings

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Zimbabwe Gold Exports Jump 135% as Bullion Price Rally Boosts Earnings

Zimbabwe’s gold exports rose by 135.6 per cent in January 2026 as sustained global bullion price strength continued to support mining revenues and foreign currency inflows, latest data from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) show.

By Ryan Chigoche

In the reported period, bullion export receipts reached US$290,1 million, up from US$123,1 million recorded in January 2025, reflecting the impact of the ongoing global gold price rally.

The strong start to 2026 follows a record-breaking 2025 performance in which Zimbabwe exported 44,7 tonnes of gold valued at US$4,8 billion, accounting for nearly half of the country’s total export earnings.

The high-price environment helped cushion the sector against sharper output weakness, even as production trends at the beginning of 2026 showed mild contraction. Total gold deliveries for January were approximately 3,04 tonnes, slightly below the 3,17 tonnes recorded in January 2025. Artisanal and small-scale miners remained the dominant source of supply, delivering 2,24 tonnes compared to 2,27 tonnes in the same period last year.

Large-scale mining firms contributed 808,4 kg, down from 903,2 kg in January 2025, reflecting the sector’s continued sensitivity to operational and investment dynamics.

Against this production backdrop, international gold markets have maintained exceptional momentum, with prices rising across short- and long-term horizons, reinforcing the value-driven expansion in export earnings despite relatively restrained volume growth.

The metal has nearly doubled in value over the past year and recently traded above US$5 000 per ounce.

Short-term gains stood at 3,5 per cent over the past week and 3,6 per cent over the past month, while year-on-year appreciation reached 74,5 per cent by February 2026.

Market sentiment remains firmly bullish, supported by structural macroeconomic factors, including sustained central bank purchases, geopolitical uncertainty, and persistent concerns over currency stability in major economies.

Analysts view the rally as part of a broader structural supercycle rather than short-lived speculation.

Investment banks have continued revising price forecasts upward. JPMorgan Chase & Co. expects gold could reach about US$6 300 per ounce by the end of 2026, while UBS Group AG projects a baseline price target of US$6 000, with a potential upside scenario of US$7 200 if geopolitical risks escalate.

The outlook is further strengthened by expectations that the United States Federal Reserve may implement two to three interest rate cuts in 2026, a move typically supportive of non-yielding assets such as gold. Rising military tensions in the Middle East have also reinforced safe-haven investment demand.

Despite relatively modest production growth, Zimbabwe’s gold sector is benefiting from the value effect of rising prices, suggesting that export earnings could remain elevated if current global economic and geopolitical conditions persist.

Implementing the Strategic Sourcing Strategy

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Implementing the Strategic Sourcing Strategy

This is the fifth article in the series on Strategic Sourcing. In the previous article, I looked at how to develop an optimum sourcing strategy guided by insights from various analyses conducted by the Strategic Sourcing team viz Spend Analysis, Category profiling, SWOT Analyses, PESTEL Analys, Supplier preferencing analysis, inter alia. This article is about how to put the sourcing strategy into action – implementation of the sourcing strategy to deliver the results expected to drive the business forward.

So far, everything that I have discussed in the previous articles were a buildup to this crucial stage. This is the stage where the efficacy of the sourcing strategy, together with the various analyses conducted as part of strategy development, comes under the real acid test. If the sourcing strategy was predicated on incorrect insights from these analyses, forcing implementation will be a futile exercise because it will yield results that misalign with what the business is trying to achieve. The implementation stage is the actual process of going into the market to acquire the goods or services, adopting new innovations, forging of new relationships, redefining and rethinking of already existing relationships by the sourcing team.  Insights from both internal and external analyses (assuming they are correct) should lead the sourcing team to ask the all-important question at this stage: “Given these insights, what is the optimum way of engaging with the supply market to acquire the goods or services for which the strategy was developed?” This must have been well outlined in the sourcing plan. However, as indicated in the previous article, regardless of how comprehensive the strategy may have been crafted, it may not perfectly address the supply market when we eventually attempt to implement it. Therefore, it must be continuously adjusted and adapted to the changing supply market circumstances that may arise during the actual implementation process in order to keep it relevant.

The Sourcing Strategy Development process if done properly, would have generated a variety of options on how to go to the market, and the sourcing team would have made a choice amongst the following: using direct negotiation, outsourcing versus in-house production, leveraging a full-blown competitive tendering approach or global sourcing. In this case, two common methods viz Request for Proposal and Request for Quotation, are used. Each method chosen will yield optimum results based on the insights guiding such a choice. I will not cover them in any greater detail, but some nuggets below will suffice to guide the readers in making the appropriate choice. Direct negotiation is suited in situations where there is only one supplier in the sourcing market with capabilities worth supporting the business objectives. Suppliers holding such positions normally wield immense power that they normally leverage to dictate just about everything about the deal. However, with creative negotiation, no supplier position is entirely formidable. It all depends on how the sourcing team approach the negotiation and what concessions can they offer in order to influence the supplier to “bend” to the desired position. In such a case and where the situation permits, the sourcing team can opt to directly engage with the supplier in a collaborative approach to negotiate a deal that will result in mutual benefits for both parties.

Outsourcing versus inhouse production is predicated on exhaustive Total Cost analysis which goes beyond the financials but also non financials like availability of technical capacity, volatility of the industry technology inter alia. Request for Proposal (RFP) yields best results where there is no one “iron clad” solution to the problem the business is trying to solve. Rather, the market has many suppliers with technical capacity to provide varied solutions. The nature of the business requirements is such that they can best be left entirely to the ingenuity of the supply market to determine an optimum solution through flexing their innovative muscles and propose a variety of solutions to the business problem and each solution is later evaluated on its own merit. In this case, the sourcing team must come up with a fool proof method of scoring the various aspects of the proposals like cost, quality, ease of implementation, capacity to implement the solution inter alia beforehand and all suppliers participating must know about this evaluation method through the Request for Proposal. This enables them to prepare water tight bids in terms of compliance to the business requirements. On the other hand, a Request for Quotation (RFQ) is a competitive method employed where the business requirements can be perfectly defined in a standard or generic manner to a sufficiently large and capable supply market. In this instance, the only differentiating factor to the bids submitted by the suppliers is price – quality and technical specifications are all standardized and no one supplier can claim superiority of their offer through any other criteria. The choice of one supplier over others is primarily influenced by the lowest price / bid submitted. A precaution must be taken when designing these documents to ensure clarity to the suppliers in a manner intended by the sourcing team. This ensures they submit proposals that will directly solve the problem. Moreover, how the business requirements and evaluation criteria are defined and spelt out in these documents is as important as the responses themselves. It ensures easy comparability of the bids whilst guaranteeing transparency and integrity of the entire process.

The implementation of the sourcing stage is the stage that marks the turning point in the Strategic Sourcing process. The results from this stage is what is going to put the business on the path of a new trajectory. Therefore, care must be taken to ensure the implementation process is pointing in the direction of business goals defined during the early stage of undertaking the strategic sourcing project.

Written by Emmanuel Nzombe (MCIPS, CIPP). He is writing in his own personal capacity.  Drop your feedback to [email protected]

US$28,74m Write-Down as Sibanye-Stillwater Reassesses Mimosa’s Long-Term Economic Outlook

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US$28,74m Write-Down as Sibanye-Stillwater Reassesses Mimosa’s Long-Term Economic Outlook

Sibanye-Stillwater has written down the value of its Zimbabwean platinum operation, Mimosa, by US$28,74 million following a reassessment of long-term life-of-mine economic assumptions, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

Mimosa, currently the country’s second-largest platinum group metals producer, has a life-of-mine profile not expected to extend beyond the next decade, a factor that heightens sensitivity to long-term valuation inputs.

The impairment follows a June 30, 2025, review of the mine’s valuation model, which incorporated rising projections for working and capital costs, as well as the impact of Zimbabwe’s beneficiation tax on future cash flow expectations.

The revised modelling reduced projected net cash inflows, resulting in an interim impairment of property, plant and equipment and a downward adjustment to the group’s equity-accounted investment.

Management indicated that no further impairment indicators were identified during the December 31, 2025, year-end review, suggesting the updated assumptions remain aligned with prevailing operating conditions.

The reassessment was driven largely by escalating cost expectations within the Zimbabwean mining environment. Working and capital costs are now projected to rise beyond earlier inflation assumptions embedded in the valuation framework.

Fiscal considerations also featured in the modelling. The beneficiation tax was factored into long-term cash flow projections, underscoring the growing influence of policy variables on mining asset economics. While the company did not isolate the tax’s specific quantitative impact, it formed part of the broader cost structure shaping future earnings forecasts.

This comes against a backdrop of tightening fiscal measures on mineral exports. Under the 2026 budget framework, exports of unbeneficiated platinum from producers with domestic processing capacity may attract a value-based charge of about 10%, payable in foreign currency. The policy is intended to promote domestic beneficiation and value addition, but it also introduces additional cash flow considerations for upstream platinum group metals producers.

In reassessing the asset, the company applied a weighted average platinum group metal (4E) basket price assumption, alongside a nominal discount rate of 20,67% and an eight-year life-of-mine projection. The recoverable value was estimated at approximately US$138 million.

The relatively elevated discount rate reflects the risk premium typically associated with mining investments exposed to regulatory, currency and operational variables. Higher discount rates reduce the present value of projected earnings, even in supportive commodity price environments.

Operationally, attributable output declined 5% year-on-year to 117 019 4Eoz, largely due to concentrator downtime linked to power outages that affected recovery performance. Lower volumes contributed to an 11% increase in all-in sustaining cost (AISC) to approximately US$1 280 per 4Eoz.

Despite these pressures, financial performance strengthened. Revenue rose to about US$225 million on improved realised platinum group metal prices, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation increased to approximately US$67 million from US$38 million in the previous year.

Capital expenditure declined to around US$22 million from US$34 million, reflecting a more measured investment posture during the period.

Overall, the impairment signals not operational distress, but heightened sensitivity of platinum asset valuations to cost inflation, fiscal adjustments and risk-weighted financial assumptions. In a sector where life-of-mine horizons are tightening, long-term modelling variables are increasingly shaping balance sheet outcomes as much as production performance.

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 25 February 2026

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Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 25 February 2026

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 25 February 2026, from the official gold buyer and exporter Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR).

1 oz = 31.1035 g

CategoryPrice ($/g)Price ($/oz)
SG 90% and above156.864,878.90
SG 85% and above but below 90%155.204,827.26
SG 80% and above but below 85%153.544,775.64
SG 75% and above but below 80%151.884,724.00
Sample 5g and above but below 10g149.394,646.55
Fire Assay CASH157.694,904.71

 

Note: The Fire Assay cash price applies to gold above 100g, with no sample deduction.

A sample of not more than 10g is deducted for the Fire Assay Transfer price.

Government Suspends All Lithium Concentrate and Raw Mineral Exports with Immediate Effect

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Government Suspends All Lithium Concentrate and Raw Mineral Exports with Immediate Effect

The Zimbabwean government has suspended the export of all lithium concentrates and raw minerals with immediate effect until further notice, Minister of Mines and Mining Development Dr. Polite Kambamura announced at a press conference today, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The suspension, which takes effect immediately, applies to all minerals currently in transit, sending a clear signal that the government will no longer tolerate the export of unprocessed mineral wealth.

“The government has suspended the export of all lithium concentrates and raw minerals with immediate effect until further notice,” Minister Kambamura stated. “This suspension includes all minerals currently in transit.”

The Minister directed all regulatory authorities, including the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) and the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), to observe the suspension without exception.

“Government expects the cooperation of the mining industry on this measure, which has been taken in the national interest,” he added. “The Minister of Mines and Mining Development will be engaging the industry in the near future on the new expectations and the way forward.”

Beyond the immediate suspension, Minister Kambamura outlined stringent new requirements governing the export of all other minerals. The message is unambiguous: only compliant producers with approved beneficiation plans will be allowed to export.

“Only mining companies holding valid mining titles and approved beneficiation plans will be authorised to export minerals from the country,” the Minister declared.

In a significant blow to middlemen and speculators, the Minister explicitly barred third-party traders from the export chain.

“Agents and third-party traders are not authorised to export minerals on behalf of mining title holders,” he said.

For export permit applications, companies must now attach:

  1. A recommendation letter from the relevant Provincial Mines Office, clearly stating:
    • Beneficiation capacity
    • Compliance status with Ministry regulations and other statutory requirements
  2. A declaration of the mineral composition of the export consignment

Crucially, the Ministry reserved the right to independently verify these declarations.

“The Ministry may at any time test the export consignment to verify its mineral composition,” Minister Kambamura warned. “No application will be processed without full compliance with the above requirements.”

The Minister issued a stark warning to those who might attempt to circumvent the new regulations.

“ZIMRA, MMCZ, and other regulatory authorities will strictly enforce these requirements,” he said. “Any mineral exports not supported by valid export permits and complete documentation shall be denied clearance and confiscated by the State.”

He also addressed the issue of expired or exhausted permits, which have been exploited by smuggling syndicates in the past.

“The continuous use of an expired export permit or an already exhausted export permit is a serious offence that warrants the withdrawal of future export permits and mining rights,” the Minister warned.

The Rationale: Value Addition and National Interest

Minister Kambamura framed the measures squarely within the government’s broader beneficiation agenda, which has been championed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“Government reiterates that these measures are being implemented in the national interest to enhance local mineral value addition and beneficiation, improve mineral accountability, promote local beneficiation, and maximise value retention within the country,” he said.

The Minister acknowledged that implementation would require engagement with stakeholders.

“The Ministry will continue to engage stakeholders to ensure the smooth implementation of these measures and to support compliant operators,” he stated.

When asked about the duration of the suspension, the Minister indicated that it would depend on industry compliance.

Today’s announcement represents a seismic shift in Zimbabwe’s mining regulatory environment. The immediate suspension of all lithium concentrate exports, including shipments already in transit, will send shockwaves through the sector.

For lithium producers racing to complete processing plants before the previously announced 2027 ban, the timeline has now been dramatically accelerated. Companies without operational beneficiation facilities will be unable to export any material until further notice.

For chrome and other minerals, the new requirements—particularly the barring of third-party traders and the mandatory Provincial Mines Office recommendation—will significantly tighten the export approval process.

The government’s insistence on verifying mineral composition at any time also signals an intensified crackdown on misdeclaration and smuggling, which have plagued the sector.

Minister Kambamura indicated that further engagement with the industry would follow in the coming days. Mining Zimbabwe will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as the situation evolves.

President Mnangagwa Signals End of Raw Mineral Exports

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President Mnangagwa Signals End of Raw Mineral Exports

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has delivered a stark message to the mining industry: the days of shipping raw minerals out of Zimbabwe are numbered, and companies that fail to invest in local processing will be left behind, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking at an annual exporters’ conference in Bulawayo on Friday, the President made it clear that his administration’s industrial policy is built on a single, non-negotiable principle: value addition must happen on Zimbabwean soil.

“In the mining sector, our policy is unequivocal,” President Mnangagwa stated. “Zimbabwe is no longer satisfied with being a supplier of raw minerals. Under my administration, the focus is on local processing, diversifying downstream industries, technology transfer, and stronger linkages across the economy.”

The President’s remarks provide high-level political backing for the government’s aggressive beneficiation drive, which has already been codified in the Finance Act through a series of taxes and deadlines targeting raw mineral exports.

For lithium and chrome producers, the President’s words translate into very concrete fiscal measures already in effect.

Under the Finance Act, exporters of unbeneficiated lithium and chrome concentrates now face a 10 percent export tax on the gross value of their shipments. For chrome, this is layered on top of a 5 percent royalty and a 1 percent MMCZ marketing fee, bringing the total tax burden to 16 percent, all payable before the mineral leaves the country.

For lithium, the pressure is even more acute. The government has set a firm deadline of January 2027, after which the export of lithium concentrates will be totally banned. From that point, all lithium produced in Zimbabwe must be processed locally into higher-value products such as lithium sulphate or lithium carbonate.

The logic is clear: companies that build processing plants in Zimbabwe will thrive; those that continue to ship raw materials will find themselves locked out of the market entirely.

President Mnangagwa urged exporters to think beyond the pit and the border post. He called on businesses to transform Zimbabwean resources into globally competitive products.

“Zimbabwe must, therefore, continue to grow by producing and processing more, toward increased export volumes,” he said. “Exports must be rooted in the country’s natural resource endowments, skills, and enterprise.”

The President emphasized that the goal is not simply to export more, but to export more value. He pointed to the need for synergies across the economy, linking mining with manufacturing, energy, and technology to create a diversified industrial base capable of entering complex global value chains.

While the policy direction is clear, implementation has raised concerns within the industry. Miners argue that the 10 percent unbeneficiated tax, particularly the requirement to pay it upfront before any revenue is received, places an impossible burden on small-scale operators.

For a small chrome miner with a 35-tonne truck, the upfront tax alone amounts to US$647.50—money that must be found before the buyer has paid, and before the mineral has even been shipped. Combined with royalty and MMCZ fees, the total upfront burden exceeds US$1,000 per truck.

The Chamber of Mines has repeatedly called for a review of the valuation methodology, arguing that taxing concentrate based on the price of finished products such as ferrochrome or lithium sulphate is premature when the processing capacity does not yet exist.

President Mnangagwa’s speech acknowledged the need for a balanced approach. While reaffirming the beneficiation agenda, he also spoke of the need to support local enterprise and build capacity. The challenge for policymakers will be to enforce the vision without suffocating the very industry they seek to transform.

Zimbabwe holds approximately 12 percent of the world’s chrome reserves and is Africa’s largest lithium producer. The mining sector contributes the bulk of the country’s foreign currency earnings and remains the most viable engine for rapid industrialisation.

President Mnangagwa’s statement signals that the era of raw mineral exports is drawing to a close. For mining companies, the message is unambiguous: invest in processing, or prepare to exit.

The next twelve months will be critical. Lithium producers are racing to complete processing plants before the 2027 ban. Chrome miners are watching to see whether the government will address the upfront tax burden that currently drives many toward smuggling.

One thing is certain: Zimbabwe’s minerals will increasingly be processed on Zimbabwean soil. The question is whether the transition will be managed in a way that builds a sustainable industry—or simply pushes more trucks across the border at night.

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 24 February 2026

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Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 24 February 2026

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe per gram/ ounce, 24 February 2026, from the official gold buyer and exporter Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR).

1 oz = 31.1035 g

CategoryPrice ($/g)Price ($/oz)
SG 90% and above157.924,911.86
SG 85% and above but below 90%156.254,859.92
SG 80% and above but below 85%154.584,807.98
SG 75% and above but below 80%152.914,756.04
Sample 5g and above but below 10g150.404,677.94
Fire Assay CASH158.764,937.99

 

Note: The Fire Assay cash price applies to gold above 100g, with no sample deduction.

A sample of not more than 10g is deducted for the Fire Assay Transfer price.

ZIDA Urges Swift Rollout of E-Cadastre System as Investor Demand for Clarity Grows

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ZIDA Urges Swift Rollout of E-Cadastre System as Investor Demand for Clarity Grows

The Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) is urging Government and stakeholders to fast-track the full development of the E-Cadastre system, underscoring its growing importance to serious investors, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

For years, the E-Cadastre system has been mooted as a critical reform measure for the mining sector.

At its core, a cadastre system clearly and unambiguously identifies ownership of mining tenements and claims across the country, information that is fundamental for investor confidence.

Despite its significance, progress has been slow. The system has long been affected by delays, leaving the sector reliant on manual records and outdated maps.

However, momentum appears to be building. Last week, Government indicated that the platform is set to be launched this year following inquiries from prospective investors at the recently concluded Mining Indaba.

Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe at a recent event in the capital, ZIDA Chief Executive Officer Tafadzwa Chinamo said the system must now be prioritised, given its strategic role in supporting mining sector growth.

“We don’t want a situation where investors are not sure of the legitimacy and authenticity of the claim that they purport to be holding. So rolling this out, I think the fact that we identified its need in 2014 means that that is where the world is going. So in this day and age, serious investors want that clarity. They want, at the click of a button, to know where their claim stands and ends.”

“Relying on old maps or old information, or just the plan, which is disputed, is also a problem. I think we’re talking to the ministry, to the players, and everyone else involved in this. The last thing that we want is for there to be so many cases in the courts where people are disputing, or the minister is being sued for allocating, perhaps, a claim to another person. So that system is very important,” Chinamo said.

His remarks reflect broader concerns within the industry about security of tenure and dispute resolution, both of which are central to attracting long-term capital.

The E-Cadastre system, designed to enhance transparency, minimise disputes, and modernise the administration of mining claims, has been under development for more than a decade.

Government initially introduced the idea as part of wider mining sector reforms, but implementation was hampered by data verification challenges, equipment requirements, and funding constraints.

In July 2025, authorities moved to accelerate the process by directing all mining title holders to submit survey-grade geographic coordinates. The measure was intended to ensure precise mapping and digital capture of claims, strengthen tenure security, and reduce boundary-related conflicts.

This ongoing data consolidation exercise represents a key preparatory stage for the platform’s rollout. It also positions Zimbabwe to align its cadastre framework more closely with regional and international best practice.

While previous briefings suggested that implementation was imminent, a firm launch date had not been communicated. The latest indications from Government, however, suggest the project has advanced beyond the planning phase. With funding reportedly secured and core infrastructure now in place, the remaining work is largely technical ahead of full deployment.

Once operational, the digital cadastre is expected to streamline mining title administration, reduce litigation, improve transparency, and bolster investor confidence, reinforcing Zimbabwe’s broader efforts to modernise and digitise the management of its mineral resources.

Harmonised regulation, PPPs key to unlocking SADC energy capital — Moyo

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Harmonised regulation, PPPs key to unlocking SADC energy capital — Moyo

Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo has called for stronger public-private partnerships (PPPs) and deeper regional integration to accelerate renewable energy expansion across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

His remarks come at a time when power demand from productive sectors such as mining continues to intensify across the region.

The mining sector, one of Zimbabwe’s largest electricity consumers, relies heavily on stable and affordable power for underground mining, mineral processing, and beneficiation.

As mineral output expands across gold, platinum, and lithium operations, energy security has increasingly become central to sustaining production and driving value addition.

Against this backdrop, Minister Moyo, officially welcoming delegates to the second SADC Sustainable Energy Week in Victoria Falls on Monday, said collective regional action was critical to addressing energy security gaps and unlocking economic growth.

“As a region, we are grappling with the issue of renewable energy expansion, and as a country, we strongly believe in regional integration and the role that both the public and the private sector play in all of it,” said Minister Moyo.

Building on the need for collaboration, he underscored the importance of regulatory alignment across member states, arguing that harmonised systems would strengthen investor confidence and position SADC as a competitive and secure energy investment destination.

“Realising also the importance of regulation, we need to strengthen our regulatory systems through synchronising laws, tariffs, and the application of the system. This will strengthen us as SADC and will make us a regional bloc, as we are superintended by the Southern African Power Pool. A strengthened bloc is easily identifiable as a safe hub for local and international investments and opportunities.”

His remarks resonate strongly with mining and industrial players who continue to cite power reliability as a key determinant of expansion plans. Increased mineral production and beneficiation require both dependable baseload supply and accelerated renewable integration.

In that context, Minister Moyo urged delegates to use the week-long platform not merely for dialogue, but to forge practical partnerships capable of unlocking bankable and scalable energy projects across the region.

Held under the theme Driving Regional Economic Growth through Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency, the high-level gathering seeks to fast-track the transition to sustainable energy systems while reinforcing industrialisation and regional trade.

The programme features plenary sessions, bilateral engagements, and field visits designed to catalyse regional economic growth through coordinated energy initiatives.

During the ministerial segment, Zimbabwe is set to present its Energy Compact alongside other regional ministers. Minister Moyo described the compact as the country’s energy sector blueprint aligned with Vision 2030 and the drive towards attaining upper middle-income status.

Even as the region pushes renewables, he acknowledged that conventional power sources will remain part of the energy mix.

“Our actions and plans as a region must recognise these energy sources, as well as energy efficiency efforts,” he said, adding that efficient energy use across industry and mining is essential to maximise the benefits from available resources.

The event is being hosted by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Energy and Power Development in partnership with the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), reinforcing regional cooperation on clean energy deployment.

As proceedings conclude later this week, Zimbabwe will hand over the hosting baton to Eswatini, represented by Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, His Royal Highness Prince Lonkhokhela Dlamini, with delegates also expected to tour selected sustainable energy sites in Victoria Falls.

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