Zimbabwe Mining Reform: Decentralization and Artisanal Sector Formalization

Published on December 7, 2025

Zimbabwe’s ambitious drive to transform its mining sector—a vital pillar of the nation’s economy—is gaining significant momentum, spearheaded by a multi-faceted approach aimed at decentralizing operations, empowering local communities, and formalizing the volatile artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector. The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is spearheading this massive overhaul, pushing the industry closer to its goal of achieving $5 billion in annual revenue and creating stable, regulated, and productive environments across all ten provinces.

Decentralization and Provincial Power

A core component of the ministry’s new strategy is radical decentralization. For too long, the administration of mining licenses, claims, and resolutions has been concentrated at the national level, creating bottlenecks and delaying investments. The new policy mandates the establishment of fully functional Provincial Mining Offices across all of Zimbabwe’s provinces.

• Efficiency and Access: These provincial offices will serve as one-stop shops for local miners, providing essential services like registration, dispute resolution, and regulatory oversight closer to the source of mining activity. This reduces the logistical and financial burden on small-scale miners who previously had to travel long distances to the capital.
• Targeted Oversight: The presence of dedicated provincial teams allows the ministry to implement policies that are geographically sensitive and mineral-specific. This will be crucial in areas like Manicaland (known for diamonds and gold), Matabeleland South (gold), and Mashonaland West (platinum and nickel).

The ultimate goal is to move from a top-down control model to a bottom-up empowerment structure, ensuring that provincial governance is strong and capable of enforcing environmental, safety, and labor standards.

The Formalization of Artisanal Mining: A Game Changer

Perhaps the most challenging, yet critical, aspect of the reform is the formalization of the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector. The ASM sector is estimated to contribute a massive percentage of the country’s annual gold output, yet much of it operates informally, leading to issues like:

• Environmental Degradation: Unregulated mining practices often lead to severe soil erosion, river siltation, and the indiscriminate use of harmful chemicals like mercury.
• Safety Hazards: Lack of compliance with safety standards results in frequent accidents and loss of life.
• Revenue Leakage: Informal channels make it difficult for the government to track and tax mineral sales, leading to substantial revenue loss.

The government’s plan to formalize the sector includes several key initiatives:

Issuing Prospecting Licenses: The ministry is streamlining the process for artisanal miners to acquire legitimate prospecting licenses and claims, moving them out of illegal areas and into designated mining zones.

Safety and Compliance Training: Mandatory training programs will be rolled out across the provinces, focusing on safe mining techniques, environmental best practices, and labor standards.

Community Empowerment: The new framework seeks to empower local mining cooperatives and associations, giving them the organizational structure necessary to secure financing, invest in better equipment, and negotiate sales contracts. This transforms individuals working in precarious conditions into regulated, recognized economic actors.

By bringing the ASM sector into the legal fold, the government hopes to increase traceable production, improve worker safety, and, most importantly, channel gold and other minerals through official routes like the gold buyer, Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR), boosting national reserves and transparency.

The Gold Value Chain: From Mine to Market

Central to the success of the $5 billion target is the efficient and transparent management of the gold value chain. The Ministry of Mines is working closely with the relevant regulatory bodies to ensure that the minerals produced through the reformed provincial structure are accurately accounted for.

• Gold Mobilization: The provincial offices will play a key role in mobilizing gold production from small-scale miners, ensuring they are incentivized to sell their gold through official channels rather than illicit markets.
• Infrastructure Investment: The government is pushing for increased investment in mining infrastructure—including processing centers, assaying services, and secure transport networks—to support the decentralized operations. This provides local miners with the tools they need to increase recovery rates and overall profitability.

The entire reform package is underpinned by the government’s recognition that sustainability and local participation are not optional extras, but fundamental requirements for achieving the economic targets. By making the mining sector more accessible, safer, and regulated at the provincial level, Zimbabwe is setting the stage for a dramatic increase in mineral exports and a fairer distribution of wealth generated by its vast natural resources.