THE Young Miners Foundation (YMF) is syndicating young miners into formalised enterprises as it moves to promote professional and sustainable business practices in the small-scale mining sector.
The initiative comes as small-scale miners’ contributions to gold deliveries surged by nearly 47% to 34,87 tonnes last year, as rising gold prices attracted increased activity from artisanal miners.
The move is aimed at helping young miners transition from informal operations to structured businesses that can pool resources, access markets, and operate more professionally, while contributing more effectively to Zimbabwe’s growing gold output.
Consequently, small-scale miners are now the driving force behind Zimbabwe’s gold production.
In an interview with NewsDay Business, YMF chief executive officer Payne Kupfuwa said the foundation was encouraging young miners to form clusters to pool resources, share equipment, and collectively access markets, which “builds scale and professionalism”.
The foundation is assisting in creating syndicates, groupings, and registered companies for young miners.
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“Recently, we trained 40 young people in gemstone cutting and polishing at the Zimbabwe School of Mines, financed by the United Nations Mining Corporation of Zimbabwe,” Kupfuwa said.
“After the training, we grouped them into four different companies under the Companies Act, and they are now running those companies in groups of 10.
“Such field syndication, clustering and grouping into formalised enterprises give them room to conduct business in a more structured and professional manner.”
He said the newly formed companies recently showcased their products at a United Nations programme on women in tourism held in Victoria Falls.
Kupfuwa said the foundation also organises field days to expose young miners to successful mining enterprises.
“They learn and take notes to see how a formalised small-scale mining enterprise is run by a young person and to better understand how such businesses operate,” he said.
YMF has also invited key stakeholders in the mining industry, policy-makers, and suppliers across the mining value chain to exhibit their products to young miners.
“At the Young Miners Foundation, we focus on shifting the mindset from dig and sell to build and manage,” Kupfuwa said.
“We are saying mining should be treated as a business, not merely as a profit-driven activity or a risk-free scheme, as we seek to rewrite and redefine the small-scale mining narrative.”
These efforts come as Zimbabwe’s 2026 gold delivery target is set at 50 tonnes, up from last year’s record-breaking 46,7 tonnes.
To support the target, Fidelity Gold Refinery has introduced several initiatives backed by government policies and strategic investments.