Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe, Zimpapers Business Hub
Artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) have demonstrated their central role in Zimbabwe’s gold sector, delivering 21.5 tonnes to date towards the country’s 40-tonne annual target, a senior Fidelity Gold Refineries (FGR) official has revealed.
“To date, 21.5 tonnes of gold has been delivered to us (FGR) towards the 40 tonnes targeted for the year,” said Mr Francis Maidza, addressing delegates at the planetGOLD Zimbabwe Annual Stakeholders Conference 2025, which runs under the theme “Building Together for a Sustainable ASGM Sector.”
Official statistics show that gold deliveries surged by 37 percent in the first nine months of the year, reaching 32.98 tonnes, compared to 24.2 tonnes during the same period last year — a performance that firmly positions Zimbabwe on track to meet its 40-tonne national target.
Between 2020 and 2024, the ASM sector has consistently widened its dominance in gold production, outpacing large-scale producers in output.
In 2020, small-scale miners delivered 15 tonnes, compared to 10.5 tonnes from large-scale producers, representing 59 percent of total output.
The upward momentum continued in subsequent years, with 16.5 tonnes delivered in 2021, 17.8 tonnes in 2022, and 18.6 tonnes in 2023, each time surpassing large-scale producers.
The most dramatic gap was recorded in 2024, when artisanal and small-scale miners delivered a remarkable 23.7 tonnes, nearly double the 12.7 tonnes from large-scale operators.
The sector accounted for almost two-thirds of Zimbabwe’s total 36.4 tonnes that year.
Delegates said these figures underscore the ASM sector’s critical contribution to national gold output and its growing role in supporting Zimbabwe’s economic recovery and export earnings.
Bongani Ndlovu