Zimbabwe’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector is seeking to deepen its engagement with Australian investors, equipment manufacturers and mining-services companies, with the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) using the Africa Down Under 2026 platform to market opportunities in one of the country’s most productive segments of the mining industry, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
ZMF President Henrietta Rushwaya was unable to attend the conference in person, but the Federation’s delegation, led in part by Mashonaland West Chairman Timothy Chizuzu, used the Perth gathering to promote Zimbabwe’s ASM opportunities and highlight areas where Australian capital, technology and expertise could support the sector’s next phase of development.
The engagement focused on mechanisation, mineral processing, geological development, formalisation and access to appropriately structured finance.
The timing is significant.
Zimbabwe’s ASM sector has become a major contributor to national gold production. In 2025, the country recorded 46.73 tonnes of gold deliveries, with small-scale miners accounting for approximately 34.9 tonnes.
ASM therefore contributed roughly three-quarters of Zimbabwe’s recorded gold deliveries during the year, reinforcing the sector’s growing importance to the country’s mining economy.
The figures also strengthen the argument that the next opportunity lies not simply in increasing the number of miners, but in improving the productivity, recovery rates, safety and commercial structure of operations already underway.
“The question is no longer whether Zimbabwe has mining opportunities,” Chizuzu said. “The question is who will partner with us to unlock the next level.”
From Production to Productivity
For ZMF, mechanisation is one of the most immediate opportunities.
Many small-scale mining operations have access to mineralised ground but lack the capital required to acquire compressors, drilling equipment, pumps, generators, loaders, milling equipment and other machinery needed to increase production and improve safety.
That creates an opportunity for Australian equipment manufacturers and mining-services companies to develop commercial models suited to Zimbabwe’s ASM environment.
Potential structures include equipment leasing, hire-purchase arrangements, supplier credit, production-linked financing and joint ventures.
The opportunity is therefore not limited to investors seeking direct ownership of mining assets. Equipment suppliers, contractors and technical-service companies can also participate by providing the machinery and expertise required to move operations from predominantly manual methods towards greater mechanisation.
Recovery Could Be as Important as Mining More
Processing technology is another potential area of investment.
For many small-scale miners, increasing value does not necessarily mean extracting significantly more ore. Better processing and recovery systems can potentially increase the amount of gold recovered from material already being mined.
Modern crushing and milling systems, gravity concentration technology, improved recovery circuits and shared processing facilities could give groups of miners access to technology that may be too expensive for individual operators.
Such facilities could also support the development of commercially viable processing businesses serving multiple mining operations.
Turning Mining Claims into Investment Assets
Geological definition presents another opportunity.
Many small-scale operations have demonstrated mineralisation but lack the detailed geological information required to attract sophisticated investors or develop mines systematically.
Investment in geological mapping, geophysics, drilling, sampling, resource modelling and mine planning could help transform individual mining claims into better-defined and potentially more investable assets.
This creates opportunities for exploration companies, geological consultancies, drilling contractors and mining-technology providers.
The longer-term objective is to move operations away from reliance on historical workings and visible mineralisation towards decisions based on stronger geological information and structured mine planning.
The Need for Appropriate Capital
Access to finance remains one of the sector’s major constraints.
Traditional commercial lending can be difficult for small-scale mining operations because projects may have uncertain production profiles, limited geological information and insufficient conventional collateral.
ZMF is therefore promoting financing approaches that are more closely aligned with mining economics.
These could include equipment finance, joint ventures, production-linked financing, offtake arrangements and project-specific investment structures.
Such models could allow investors to participate in production while giving miners access to the machinery and working capital required to expand operations.
Zimbabwe’s Diaspora as a Link to Australia
The Federation is also looking towards Zimbabweans living and working in Australia as a potential link between the two mining economies.
Australia’s mining industry employs professionals across geology, mining engineering, metallurgy, environmental management, finance, law and other specialist fields — areas where Zimbabwean professionals are also represented.
For ZMF, the diaspora presents an opportunity to connect Zimbabwean mining projects with Australian expertise, suppliers, investors and professional networks.
The contribution could therefore extend beyond remittances to include technical knowledge, business relationships, investment partnerships and the transfer of mining standards and expertise.
Formalisation Must Accompany Growth
The Federation’s drive to attract investment is also linked to the formalisation of ASM.
The sector’s rapid growth has brought significant economic benefits, but it continues to face challenges involving mine safety, environmental management, occupational health, processing efficiency and regulatory compliance.
Greater investment, ZMF argues, should therefore be accompanied by better mining practices.
That includes improved occupational health and safety, responsible water management, environmental protection and progressive rehabilitation.
The challenge is to formalise the sector while retaining the entrepreneurial activity that has enabled ASM to become such an important contributor to national production.
Ball Mine Provides a Developing Model
One of the examples associated with ZMF’s approach is the Ball Mine operation in Mutawatawa.
Through its special-purpose vehicle FS Mining, ZMF partnered with Chinese mining company Anhua Chenxi Mining to establish RR Mining as part of efforts to bring miners into a more structured commercial arrangement following years of conflict and illegal mining activity at the operation.
According to information released by ZMF, hundreds of miners have been registered under the arrangement, with the longer-term target reaching 1,000 participants.
The project also involves the introduction of mining equipment and improved production systems, while gold produced through the arrangement is channelled through a formal structure.
The Ball Mine initiative provides an example of how formalisation, equipment access, technical support and structured gold sales can potentially be combined within a single operating model.
For ZMF, such arrangements could provide a template for addressing some of the structural challenges facing ASM elsewhere in Zimbabwe.
A Changing Regulatory Environment
The Perth engagement comes as Zimbabwe continues to adjust its mining regulatory framework.
In May 2026, Government approved a review of selected mining fees, including reductions affecting mineral dealers, exploration activities and processing-related operations.
Among the announced changes was a reduction in the registration fee for precious-stone dealers from US$15,000 to US$10,000, while the fee for exploration sample export permits was reduced from US$1,875 to US$500.
Government also introduced lower charges for a number of other mining-related activities, including gold jewellery manufacturing and lithium-processing plant registration.
For ASM operators, however, the impact of lower fees will ultimately depend on whether reforms are accompanied by improved access to mining rights, geological information, equipment, finance and markets.
From Conference Engagement to Commercial Opportunities
For ZMF, the objective of its presence in Perth extends beyond conference visibility.
The Federation is seeking to establish connections through which credible Zimbabwean mining opportunities can be introduced to Australian companies capable of providing capital, technology, equipment and technical services.
That could include partnerships involving equipment supply, exploration, processing, environmental services, mine development and structured finance.
Chizuzu encouraged potential partners to go beyond conference discussions and visit Zimbabwe’s mining districts to assess opportunities directly.
Such engagement would allow prospective investors and service providers to examine operations, understand the geological and operating environment, engage miners and interact with relevant Government and investment institutions.
The Investment Opportunity
Zimbabwe’s ASM sector has already demonstrated its ability to produce at significant scale. The next challenge is converting that production capacity into a more mechanised, technically defined, safer and commercially sustainable mining industry.
For Australian companies, the opportunity extends across the mining value chain.
Equipment manufacturers can supply machinery. Exploration companies can help define resources. Processing specialists can improve recovery. Professional-services firms can provide technical expertise. Financial institutions and private investors can develop structures suited to mining operations.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, brings an established mining workforce, significant mineral potential and an ASM sector that is already generating substantial gold production.
With approximately 34.9 tonnes of gold delivered by small-scale miners in 2025, the sector has demonstrated that it is too significant to be treated as a marginal component of Zimbabwe’s mining industry.
The challenge now is to attract the technology, capital and expertise required to turn that production base into a more productive and formalised sector.
