Tinotenda Hove – Zimbabwe has stopped foreigners from operating in its small-scale gold mining industry, effective immediately.

Minister of Mines and Mining Development Polite Kambamura made the announcement at a press briefing in Harare last week. He explained that the decision came after concerns over harmful mechanized mining methods used by some foreign investors, plus rising disputes between local communities, artisanal miners, and farmers.

“As of now, the small-scale gold mining sector in Zimbabwe is reserved exclusively for Zimbabwean citizens and entities wholly owned by Zimbabwean citizens,” Kambamura stated.

Under the new rules, no foreign individual, company controlled from abroad, or foreign beneficial owner can obtain, hold, or control mining licenses in the small-scale category. Foreigners are also prohibited from participating in the running or management of these operations, whether directly or through third parties.

Kambamura cautioned that using nominees, proxies, or hidden ownership structures to bypass the policy will be illegal. “Any such arrangements will be subject to cancellation and enforcement action under Zimbabwean law,” he said.

The policy defines a small to medium-scale miner as one producing up to 20kg of gold monthly or with capital investment capped at US$15 million. Mines above those limits will fall under medium or large-scale categories, which remain open to foreign investment.

All individuals and companies currently active in the small and medium-scale gold sector must update their registrations with the Ministry by 1 January 2027.

“The re-registration process shall include, among other requirements: verification of citizenship and beneficial ownership, disclosure of corporate and financing structures, confirmation of compliance with environmental, tax, labour, and mineral marketing laws, and verification of production levels and capital investment thresholds,” Kambamura said.

He warned that “any mining title not re-registered within the prescribed period shall be liable to cancellation or other regulatory action in accordance with applicable law.”

Foreign-owned firms operating in the small-scale space must scale up to large-scale status by hitting more than 20kg in monthly output or raising investment beyond US$15 million before the January 2027 deadline.

The minister also set new staffing requirements, stating that “Zimbabweans must hold 98 per cent of senior and middle management positions at gold mines and other mining operations.”

On foreign-held licenses, Kambamura said rights will only be maintained if production exceeds small-scale thresholds. This must be proven “through verifiable proof of gold deliveries to Government through authorised gold buying and marketing channels.”

He added a warning for dormant projects: “In this vein, we encourage all idle foreign-owned gold mining assets to be developed. Government will be following up on all idle mining assets being held for speculation.”

Going forward, every mining project will need to submit Environmental, Social and Governance frameworks and approved Environmental Impact Assessments before work can start.