The planetGOLD Zimbabwe Annual Stakeholders Conference is set to bring together key players from across the mining value chain to accelerate the transition to a formalised, financed and mercury-free artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector.
Scheduled for 28–29 October 2026 at Cresta Lodge in Msasa, Harare, the second annual gathering is themed “Unlocking Responsible Gold Mining in Zimbabwe: Formalisation, Financing, and Technology for a Mercury-Free ASGM Sector.” It will unite government ministries, artisanal and small-scale miners, financial institutions, the private sector, development partners, civil society and technical experts under one roof.
The conference aims to drive practical progress on three interconnected pillars: formalising the largely informal ASGM sector, expanding access to finance so miners can invest in safer equipment and operations, and scaling up mercury-free processing technologies.
Organisers emphasise that collaboration across these areas is essential if Zimbabwe is to transform a sector that currently accounts for a record 75 percent of national gold output while still relying on mercury at an estimated 96 percent of mine sites.
Supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and executed by IMPACT in partnership with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, the five-year planetGOLD Zimbabwe project seeks to support 7,500 men and women across 11 districts — including Filabusi, Gwanda, Zvishavane, Esigodini, Bubi, Kadoma, Chegutu, Bindura, Mazowe and Shamva. Its targets include reducing mercury use by 4.85 tonnes and improving the management of approximately 76,000 hectares of landscape.
Discussions will focus on sharing project updates, tools and lessons learned; examining financing mechanisms that can help miners afford cleaner technology; and exploring how mercury-free methods can be adopted at actual mine sites. Particular attention will be paid to the inclusion of women miners and youth. A key highlight is expected to be the launch of a new publication, A Guide to Reforming Formalisation of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Sector in Zimbabwe, designed to inform policy and practical pathways for bringing more miners into the formal economy.
Project officials have stressed that formalisation must go beyond regulation. It requires support systems that enable miners to comply with the law, access markets and finance, and operate as viable businesses rather than survival activities. Sessions will also address environmental protection, training and sustainable landscape management.
By convening this broad coalition of stakeholders, planetGOLD Zimbabwe aims to strengthen partnerships that can outlast the project itself and embed responsible practices as the norm in the country’s vital ASGM sector — protecting both livelihoods and the environment for the long term.
