Mining ZimbabweLatest Mining News, Policy and Industry Updates

Kavango Resources PLC, a London-based exploration company, has officially completed its listing on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX), making history as the first pure-play exploration firm to take this route. The move signals growing investor confidence in Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth and dovetails with government efforts to modernize and formalize the gold sector.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Kavango CEO, Ben Turney, described the VFEX listing as more than just a fundraising exercise.

“We are extremely pleased to have completed our listing on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange and to welcome Zimbabwean investors onto our shareholder register,” Turney said.

“Kavango has a bold mission to introduce modern exploration and mining technologies to Zimbabwe’s goldfields. Our listing means Zimbabwean investors can share in the rewards as our business grows in this exciting gold frontier.”

Launched in 2020, VFEX is a U.S. dollar-denominated stock exchange designed to attract global capital while giving local investors access to world-class mining plays. Its incentives—including tax exemptions on dividends and capital gains—make it attractive for investors seeking dollar-based returns.

The success of Caledonia Mining, which operates Blanket Mine, has already shown that VFEX can provide real depth of capital. In fact, Caledonia has raised more on VFEX than on its New York Stock Exchange listing—an endorsement that gave Kavango confidence to take the same path.

Kavango’s listing comes as the company develops its Hillside Gold Project and the Nara Project. But the bigger bet is on Zimbabwe’s under-explored gold belts, where artisanal miners dominate and modern exploration techniques remain limited. Kavango believes that systematic exploration, using geophysics, data analytics, and new geological approaches, could reveal major deposits that past generations of miners left undiscovered.

The VFEX listing not only provides Kavango with capital but also creates strong alignment with Zimbabwean investors—an important step in a country where resource nationalism often shapes mining policy. By bringing locals onto its shareholder register, Kavango strengthens goodwill and builds a stronger case for long-term regulatory support.

While producers like Caledonia have proven VFEX works for established miners, Kavango’s listing will test the market’s ability to support early-stage explorers with no immediate revenues but significant long-term potential. If successful, it could open the door for more junior companies seeking exposure to Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth.

Zimbabwe has set ambitious targets to grow the economy to an upper middle income by 2030, with gold expected to anchor the growth. Attracting foreign companies that bring expertise, technology, and risk capital is central to this vision. Firms like Kavango, which are willing to take bold exploration risks, could be the key to unlocking the next generation of large-scale gold mines.

Zimbabwe’s persistent economic instability, policy uncertainty, and political risk perceptions remain concerns. However, the VFEX—by providing a USD-based, investor-friendly platform—aims to neutralize some of these issues and give both local and foreign investors confidence.

All eyes will now be on how Kavango performs post-listing. If it can replicate even part of Caledonia’s success, it will send a strong message: Zimbabwe’s gold sector is open for business, and the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange is ready to be the financial lifeline driving its next phase of growth.

A journey from Harare to Bulawayo was once a lesson in Zimbabwe’s rich hydrology, a traverse across veins of life that sustained the nation. In 2006, the rivers I crossed were vibrant, flowing entities, their waters a lifeline for communities, livestock, and vast swathes of agricultural land.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Today, that same journey paints a starkly different picture: a desolate panorama of sandbanks, invasive weeds, raw sewage, and a silence that speaks volumes about an impending ecological catastrophe. The story of our dying rivers is the story of a nation jeopardizing its own future.

The crisis announces itself immediately upon leaving the capital. The Mukuvisi River, which threads through Harare, is a tragic opening act. Once a flowing waterway, it is now a choked drain, suffocating under the weight of effluent and water hyacinth. This is not a river; it is a warning. Further west, the situation at Lake Chivero and the Manyame River is even more alarming. These should be crown jewels in our water infrastructure. Instead, they are repositories of pollution and silt, their capacities shrinking visibly from year to year due to unchecked catchment degradation.

As the highway unfolds past Selous, the scale of the disaster becomes terrifyingly clear. The Mupfure River, a crucial tributary feeding into the Manyame system, is heavily silted, its banks eroded by artisanal mining and streambank cultivation. Farmers, desperate for fertile soil, till right to the water’s edge, destabilizing the banks. Miners, desperate for gold, dig directly into the riverbed, altering its course and chemistry.

The narrative intensifies around Kadoma. Here, the Muzvezve River, a name synonymous with gold deposits, has paid the ultimate price for the mineral wealth beneath it. It is now a labyrinth of mining trenches and settling ponds, its flow disrupted and its water contaminated by chemicals. Beyond Kadoma, the great Munyati River, one of Zimbabwe’s major waterways, is a shadow of its former self. Its flow, once powerful and reliable, has been bled dry by extensive agricultural abstractions and mining activities along its tributaries. The same fate has befallen the Sebakwe River in Kwekwe. This river is the sole feeder of the Sebakwe Dam, which supplies water to the cities of Kwekwe and Redcliff. Its accelerated siltation is a direct threat to urban water security, turning stretches that were once perennial into seasonal streams.

Between these major systems lie smaller but equally vital rivers: the Sessami, the Umsweswe, and the Rwizi, which are seldom mentioned but are critical for rural communities and the health of the broader ecosystem. These, too, are drying up, their courses fragmented and polluted.

By the time you reach Gweru, the pattern is inescapable. The Gweru River itself, which gives the city its name, is struggling. Its flow is thin and anaemic, often carrying a cocktail of agricultural and industrial runoff. The vibrant ecosystems it once supported are fading memories.

The journey into Matabeleland reveals the final, most brutal chapter of this story. Rivers that were the very lifeblood of the region — the Shangani, Insiza, Umguza, and Mpopoma — are now mere geographical features on a map, not functioning waterways. For most of the year, they are vast, empty expanses of sand. The Insiza River, which feeds the Insiza Dam, is so heavily silted that the dam’s capacity and lifespan are being drastically reduced. This has dire consequences for Bulawayo’s already precarious water supply. The Umguza River, north of Bulawayo, is similarly degraded, its catchment eroded by overgrazing and deforestation, ensuring that even when rains come, the water runs off the land too quickly, causing erosion instead of recharging the aquifer.

So, what happened? Is this the fault of mining, with its unchecked riverbed operations and chemical pollutants? Or is it agriculture, with its relentless streambank cultivation, abstraction, and deforestation of catchments? The frustrating — and perhaps most important — answer is that it is both.

Experts confirm that this is a crisis of cumulative pressure. An official from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) recently stated, “We are witnessing the collective impact of decades of abuse. From illegal mining operations that churn up riverbeds to widespread streambank cultivation that destroys riparian buffers, our rivers have been assaulted from all sides. They are treated as dumping grounds and sandpits, not the critical natural infrastructure they are.”

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has issued equally grave warnings. “The hydrological profiles of major rivers like Manyame, Sebakwe, and Munyati have been fundamentally altered,” a ZINWA official noted. “Inflows into our major dams are declining at an alarming rate because the catchments are no longer able to hold and release water sustainably. Siltation is our biggest enemy. If a concerted, national effort is not mobilized immediately, we will bequeath to the next generation a landscape of sand where rivers once flowed.”

The truth, though harsh, is simple. The arteries that carry life from Harare to Bulawayo are collapsing. This is no longer a theoretical environmental concern; it is a direct threat to national security, economic stability, and human survival. The debate over whether mining or agriculture is the primary culprit is a dangerous distraction. While we argue, the rivers die.

The call to action must be equally collective and decisive. We need enforced and respected buffer zones along all rivers. We need a moratorium on all riverbed mining, backed by consistent and impartial law enforcement. We need to support farmers with sustainable land-use practices that protect waterways instead of destroying them. Most importantly, we need a national consciousness that views a healthy river not as an obstacle to development, but as its very foundation.

The rivers will not wait for our debates to conclude. They are disappearing now. The question is whether we will act in time to save them, or simply be the generation that watched them die.

Zimbabwe’s gold miners are celebrating as gold prices breached the US$110 per gram mark today, 9 September 2025, translating to more than US$3,400 an ounce.

According to the official buyer, Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR), today’s top price for gold of 90% purity and above stands at US$110.36/g (US$3,431.66/oz), up from yesterday’s US$109.21/g (US$3,395.49/oz). The Fire Assay cash price, which applies to gold above 100g, also climbed from US$109.78/g (US$3,413.45/oz) to US$110.95/g (US$3,449.08/oz).

Other categories showed similar gains:

• SG above 89% but below 90%: from US$108.05/g (US$3,361.59/oz) to US$109.20/g (US$3,397.57/oz).

• SG above 80% but below 85%: from US$106.89/g (US$3,325.06/oz) to US$108.03/g (US$3,361.28/oz).

• SG above 75% but below 80%: from US$105.74/g (US$3,289.34/oz) to US$106.86/g (US$3,324.15/oz).

• Samples below 10g but above 5g: from US$104.01/g (US$3,235.37/oz) to US$105.11/g (US$3,269.48/oz).

The upward swing means more cash for small-scale producers, who supply most of Zimbabwe’s gold deliveries to FGR.

“This is good news for us. Every dollar makes a big difference because costs keep going up. At least now we feel the effort is paying off, zvirikuendeka,” said one small-scale miner from Kwekwe.

With prices now holding above the US$110/g (US$3,400/oz) threshold, miners are “smiling all the way to the bank.” Analysts say the official market could see higher deliveries, strengthening Zimbabwe’s gold output and foreign currency inflows.

An Inyathi gold panner has been remanded in custody after violently disarming a police officer during a clash at Mudge 24 Mine on August 20, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Luckmore Sibanda, 38, appeared before the Inyathi Magistrates’ Court, charged with assaulting a peace officer.

Prosecutors say a police team, including complainant Obert Jakata, arrived at the mine with private security but were confronted by miners armed with axes, machetes, knobkerries, spears, and iron bars.

Sibanda allegedly drove onto the scene in a silver Honda Fit, threatened officers, pinned Jakata to the ground, and seized his service pistol. He reportedly returned the weapon before ordering police to leave.

He was arrested on September 3 at a Nkayi–Bulawayo Road roadblock and returns to court on today, September 9.

Global gold prices are on a record-setting run, driven by renewed investor demand as the US dollar weakens. The metal surged to $3 592/oz in the week ending September 5, underscoring its status as a safe-haven asset in times of market uncertainty.

By Ryan Chigoche

Traditionally, gold strengthens when the dollar falls and retreats when the currency recovers. While there have been exceptions to this pattern in recent years, analysts say the current rally is being reinforced by a mix of economic and geopolitical factors.

Precious metals refiner Heraeus notes that investors increasingly see gold as a more reliable hedge against potential US policy errors than holding dollars.

The company warns that political pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates could lead to monetary missteps that amplify existing fiscal challenges.

This weakening sentiment around the dollar is also part of a broader trend. Heraeus points out that, although still as strong as in the early 2000s on a trade-weighted basis, the currency has come off its recent highs.

Trade frictions stemming from former President Donald Trump’s tariff regimes continue to weigh on global trade relations. Even if the US Supreme Court rules that Trump overreached in imposing reciprocal tariffs, concerns over protectionism and trade deficits are likely to persist, particularly with tariffs on steel, aluminium, and automotive imports remaining in place.

Gold’s rally is not just a speculative play — it is being strongly supported by central banks.

According to World Gold Council (WGC) data, global central banks have been buying gold at a near-record pace in 2025.

Major buyers such as China, Turkey, and India are adding bullion to their reserves as part of efforts to diversify away from the US dollar and strengthen their financial stability.

Heraeus expects this buying trend to continue throughout the year.

Institutional and retail investors are also contributing to the surge.

Gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw inflows of 397 t (12.3%) in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2024.

Physical bar and coin demand climbed 6.4% year-on-year, with India and China accounting for most of the purchases. ETF managers say investors are positioning their portfolios defensively, using gold to guard against currency volatility, inflation, and recession risk.

A similar pattern is emerging in silver. Heraeus reports that the Saudi Central Bank has taken positions worth US$40.6 million in the iShares Silver Trust and Global X Silver Miners ETF, moves seen as part of a broader sovereign wealth fund diversification strategy.

Russia, meanwhile, has announced plans to acquire US$535 million worth of silver over the next three years.

This institutional interest has pushed silver above US$40/oz for the first time in 14 years, with expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts adding further momentum.

In contrast, other precious metals were relatively stable. Platinum and palladium held firm at US$1 382/oz and $1 112/oz, respectively, while rhodium eased by US$50/oz to settle at US$7 675/oz during the same week.

The Government of Zimbabwe says it no longer views the mining sector merely as a consumer of energy. Instead, the sector has evolved into an active co-developer of the country’s energy infrastructure, investing in generation projects to secure its own operations while strengthening national and regional energy security, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

This transformation was highlighted by the Minister of Energy and Power Development, July Moyo, during his address at the 2025 Africa Down Under Mining Conference in Perth, Australia, on Friday.

Over recent years, several leading mining companies have taken bold steps to generate their own power, insulating themselves from Zimbabwe’s decades-long power crisis, which has long challenged industrial operations.

Zimplats, for example, is rolling out a 185 MW solar power project, considered one of the largest private renewable energy initiatives in Southern Africa. Caledonia Mining’s Blanket Mine has commissioned a 12.2 MW solar plant, while Turk Mine now operates on a 4.4 MW solar farm. Beyond mining, the massive Manhize steel plant under Dinson Iron and Steel Company has developed an internal generation capacity of 50 MW, exemplifying how energy self-sufficiency is becoming a strategic priority across industries.

Minister Moyo said these projects underscore a fundamental shift in the mining sector’s role in energy development, driven by Zimbabwe’s unprecedented mining renaissance, which has sparked massive demand for power.

“This reality has redefined the relationship between mining and energy. No longer is mining simply a consumer; it is now a co-developer of energy infrastructure, investing in generation to secure operations while strengthening national and regional energy security,” he said. “These are not isolated projects; they represent a shift towards captive power generation, hybrid energy solutions, and surplus integration into the national grid.”

Minister Moyo further emphasized that Zimbabwe’s energy ambitions extend regionally through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), which enables cross-border electricity trading.

“Energy security is no longer a national agenda; it is regional,” he said. “Zimbabwe is strengthening cross-border transmission with its neighbours, exploiting the existence of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), which is a regional electricity trading platform.”

Within this framework, mining operations can feed surplus power into the regional grid, while mineral processing plants can access reliable cross-border electricity, creating a virtuous cycle of industrial and energy development. The Government’s goal is to achieve 5,432 MW of generation capacity by 2030, including 2,640 MW from renewables, requiring a US$9 billion investment, with 70 percent expected from the private sector.

While mining-led initiatives are expanding, the Government is also pursuing a broader strategy to grow energy capacity beyond individual mining sites. This includes the Kariba Floating Solar Project, the 22 MW Pomona Waste-to-Energy Project, and large-scale solar parks in Matabeleland, Midlands, and Mashonaland West being developed by Independent Power Producers (IPPs), all designed to strengthen Zimbabwe’s renewable energy footprint.

Inviting global investors to participate, Minister Moyo highlighted opportunities ranging from captive power generation and utility-scale renewable projects to grid modernization and the development of energy-mineral industrial parks. He explained that the Government has “disaggregated” the power sector to make it more transparent and attractive to private capital, clearly defining the roles and expectations for independent power producers in generation, transmission, and distribution. Large consumers, including mining companies, can now invest in their own generation capacity and sell excess electricity back to the grid.

These reforms, supported by cost-reflective tariffs and the rollout of prepaid meters, are designed to secure revenue for the state utility, improve electricity supply, and stimulate private investment in renewable energy projects such as solar and mini-hydro. By making the energy sector more predictable and investor-friendly, Zimbabwe is positioning itself as a hub for private capital to build power plants adjacent to mines, establish beneficiation hubs near mineral deposits, and develop regional energy corridors to power industrial growth.

Through these initiatives, the country is creating a framework that not only strengthens mining operations but also integrates them into a broader regional energy strategy, offering investors access to over 300 million people through the Southern African Power Pool, backed by bankable projects and government guarantees.

Burkina Faso has moved to reassure mining investors that its revised mining stake framework is designed to build confidence and encourage long-term investment, not to discourage foreign capital, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking at a recent mining conference, Mamadou Sagnon, Director-General of the Mining Registry, clarified that the government’s intention to acquire equity in mining projects such as West African Resources’ Kiaka gold mine is grounded in a strategic approach that promotes partnership and stability in the sector.

Under the new Mining Code introduced in July 2024, the state automatically holds a 15% free-carried interest in mining projects. In addition, the government may opt to acquire up to 30% paid interest, calculated on exploration and feasibility costs rather than the mine’s overall market valuation.

Sagnon stressed that this model is not coercive. “The goal is to give the state a meaningful role in projects while ensuring investors retain operational control. This strengthens trust and shows that Burkina Faso is committed to a stable, transparent investment environment,” he said.

Burkina Faso, Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer, has been recalibrating its mining policies to increase local participation without undermining investor confidence. The creation of SOPAMIB, a state-owned holding company for mineral assets, reflects the government’s desire to structure its equity interests in a way that enhances governance and provides clarity to partners.

For the Kiaka gold project, where production began in June 2025 with an expected output of 234,000 ounces annually over 20 years, the state requested the option to increase its stake to 35%. Authorities clarified that this move is project-specific and not a blanket approach across all operations.

Mining companies have welcomed the clarification. West African Resources has confirmed that operations at Kiaka, Sanbrado, and Toega remain unaffected, while other miners, such as Orezone Gold, have reported no similar requests from the government regarding their assets.

Analysts note that the government’s messaging is intended to ensure that mining companies feel secure in continuing to commit capital, expand exploration, and develop new mines in Burkina Faso.

By positioning equity participation as a confidence-building measure, Burkina Faso is signaling that it values foreign investment and views partnership as the key to growing its resource sector.

President Ibrahim Traoré’s administration has made mineral resource governance a cornerstone of its economic policy, balancing the need for sovereignty and national benefit with a clear commitment to investor security.