The Zimbabwe Miners Federation has thrown its weight behind Government’s mineral beneficiation policy, describing it as a critical pathway for Zimbabwe to unlock greater value from its vast natural resources, as pressure grows to shift from raw exports to value-added production.
Speaking at MINEX 2026 at Gresham Grounds on Thursday, ZMF Midlands chairman Makumba Nyenje said the country must prioritise beneficiation across all minerals if it is to fully benefit from its resource endowment. He stressed that exporting raw minerals continues to deprive the economy of jobs, industrial growth and higher export earnings.
“Every mineral must be beneficiated if Zimbabwe is to realise maximum value,” Nyenje said, underscoring the federation’s alignment with Government policy that seeks to promote local processing, refining and value addition within the mining sector.
Zimbabwe has in recent years moved to tighten its mineral value chain policies, including pushing for in-country processing of key minerals such as lithium and gold, while also maintaining frameworks that centralise gold marketing through the State-owned Fidelity Printers and Refiners. The refinery remains the country’s sole authorised gold buyer and exporter, a model authorities say is designed to curb leakages and improve foreign currency inflows.
The emphasis on beneficiation comes at a time when small-scale miners—represented by ZMF—are playing an increasingly dominant role in gold production. Latest figures show Zimbabwe recorded a historic 46.7 tonnes of gold output in 2025, with artisanal and small-scale miners contributing around 34.9 tonnes, or roughly 75 percent of total deliveries to Fidelity.
The sector has also maintained strong momentum into 2026, with small-scale miners delivering about 2.24 tonnes in January alone, reaffirming their position as the backbone of Zimbabwe’s gold industry.
Against this backdrop, Nyenje said ZMF is intensifying efforts to ensure compliance among small-scale miners, particularly with the Gold Trade Act, urging members to channel their gold through Fidelity to promote transparency and formalisation.
“We are pushing our members to comply with the law and sell through Fidelity Gold Refiners so that the country benefits,” he said.
Policy shifts introduced in the 2026 monetary framework have also sought to strengthen oversight in the gold sector, including revised payment structures for small-scale miners aimed at curbing gold leakages and informal trading channels.
Analysts say the convergence of beneficiation policies and formalisation efforts signals a broader strategy by Government to maximise returns from the mining sector, which remains Zimbabwe’s leading export earner. However, success will depend on infrastructure investment, consistent policy implementation and the ability to support small-scale miners—who now dominate output—in transitioning into fully compliant, value-driven operators.
As MINEX 2026 concludes, the message from industry leaders is clear: Zimbabwe’s mining future lies not just in extraction, but in what it does with its minerals after they leave the ground.
