By Sukoluhle Ndlovu
Women in Zimbabwe’s small-scale mining sector say high registration costs and strict lending requirements are making it difficult for them to access financial support, despite government efforts to improve funding for artisanal miners.
The concerns come as the government has revived the Mining Industry Loan Fund, which provides equipment financing to registered miners.
Speaking at the second annual PlanetGOLD Zimbabwe stakeholders’ conference, Zimbabwe Artisanal and Small-Scale Women Miners Association programmes coordinator Priscilla Masuku said many women were keen to formalise their operations but lacked the financial resources to do so.
She said registration fees, inspection costs and environmental management requirements were beyond the reach of many women miners, while banks continued to demand collateral and documentation they could not provide.
“Formalisation must offer real benefits: secure mining rights, access to finance, safe working conditions, improved productivity and better markets,” Masuku said.
Masuku also called for simplified licensing procedures, affordable financing, technical training and a dedicated revolving fund for women miners, saying these measures were necessary to help women overcome barriers to formalisation.
Mining Industry Loan Fund acting fund manager Rangarirai Mhazo said the government had revived the facility with Treasury funding to help small-scale miners acquire equipment, including compressors, generators and slurry pumps.
However, only registered miners who meet the required conditions are eligible for assistance.
“If an unregistered miner gets to know that there is support being offered by Government, they are motivated to register so that they can get the support,” Mhazo said.
He said the fund had previously attracted few applicants after becoming inactive, while lengthy approval processes had also discouraged miners from seeking assistance.
The approval procedures have since been reviewed, with applications expected to increase next year.
PlanetGOLD Zimbabwe project manager Nyaradzo Mutonhori said efforts to bring small-scale miners into the formal economy should not be limited to registration and licensing.
“Our approach is that formalisation should be holistic,” she said.
She said miners also needed technical assistance and support to meet environmental requirements, including reducing mercury use in gold processing.
The PlanetGOLD Zimbabwe project seeks to support 7,500 artisanal and small-scale miners while reducing mercury use by 4.85 tonnes.
The project also plans to establish mercury-free gold processing demonstration sites in eight mining districts.
Artisanal and small-scale miners contribute more than half of Zimbabwe’s gold output, but access to affordable financing remains a major challenge for operators seeking to expand their businesses.
