Small-scale gold miners under the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) have pledged to deliver over 45 tonnes of gold to the state refinery this year, banking on a new nationwide “cluster mining” model designed to mechanise artisanal operations.
The commitment was made this Thursday during the ZMF 2026 strategic meeting in Harare. The pledge comes at a time when small-scale miners have cemented their role as the backbone of the country’s mining economy, contributing roughly 75 percent of the 46,7 tonnes delivered to the state refinery in the past year.
ZMF president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya told delegates that the sector is prepared to surpass its 2025 contribution of 34,9 tonnes.
“In 2025, we contributed 70 to 75 percent of the gold output produced in Zimbabwe,” Ms. Rushwaya said.
“We are looking forward to increasing our production to nothing less than 45 tonnes as small-scale miners. Combined with large-scale producers, I am confident we will reach a cumulative 55 tonnes in 2026.”
To sustain this growth, the ZMF is aggressively courting international capital. Ms Rushwaya revealed that follow-up meetings are already underway with a Saudi Arabian delegation currently in the country, following an investment mission to the kingdom last December.
“The Saudi group is in Zimbabwe to see how best they can help us increase gold and chrome production. By doing so, they will help us contribute more to the country’s GDP,” she said.
ZMF Treasurer Mr Prosper Shumba announced that the federation would facilitate the installation of “cluster” processing plants in every province.
“We are going to come up with cluster mining and processing plants that we will put in every province,” Mr Shumba said.
“We want to capacitate artisanal miners so they can fund their activities, process their ore efficiently, and bring the final product directly to the formal market.”
As at December 31, 2025, Zimbabwe had surpassed its gold production targets for 2025, with deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) reaching 46,7 tonnes.
Throughout the year, the artisanal and small-scale miners outperformed large-scale mines by a wide margin after delivering 34,9 tonnes. Large-scale mines delivered 11,8 tonnes.-herald
