Zimbabwe has introduced new regulations prohibiting foreign individuals and companies from participating in small‑scale gold mining, as part of a broader strategy to increase local ownership and retain greater value from its mineral sector.
Under the policy, small‑scale mining operations – defined as producing less than 20 kilograms of gold per month and with capital investment below US$15 million – will be reserved exclusively for Zimbabwean citizens. Foreign operators currently active in the segment must either significantly scale up investment and production or exit the sector by January 2027.
The government indicated that the measures are intended to protect local employment, empower domestic miners, and ensure a larger share of mining revenues remains within the country. Small‑scale miners account for approximately 65% of Zimbabwe’s gold output, underscoring the importance of the segment to the national economy.
The move forms part of a wider policy shift toward resource‑driven industrialisation, with Zimbabwe also tightening restrictions on raw mineral exports. In the lithium sector, authorities have accelerated a planned ban on the export of unprocessed concentrate, now requiring companies to establish domestic processing capacity before exports can resume.
Together, the gold and lithium policies reflect Zimbabwe’s broader objective of transitioning from a raw‑material exporter to a minerals processing and manufacturing hub, in line with a growing trend across resource‑rich African nations to increase downstream value addition.
