Sabi Gold Mine doubles output

…as ZMDC accelerates turnaround strategy

Staff Writer

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s state-owned mining group, the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), says its Sabi Gold Mine has doubled annual production to 448kg after exiting judicial management, marking one of the sector’s most notable recovery stories in recent years.

The mine, once facing collapse, has now stabilised operations and restored profitability following a structured rescue process.

ZMDC General Manager Blessed Chitambira said the turnaround reflects broader reforms aimed at repositioning the corporation as a key player in Zimbabwe’s mineral strategy and export earnings outlook.

“The Corporation successfully removed Sabi Gold Mine from judicial management, and the mine has doubled its production to 448kg of gold per annum, a significant achievement from where the company almost folded,” Chitambira said.

Judicial management, a court-supervised mechanism for distressed firms, is typically a last resort before liquidation. Sabi’s exit signals renewed investor confidence, improved financial controls, and operational recovery.

The mine now represents a stable, high-yield asset contributing to local employment and regional economic activity.

The rebound comes as ZMDC intensifies efforts to grow output across its portfolio in support of Zimbabwe’s push toward upper-middle-income status by 2030. The corporation is targeting growth not only in gold mining but also in base metals as it seeks to diversify revenue streams and mitigate commodity-specific risks.

One of the next major steps in ZMDC’s expansion is the planned reopening of the Golden Kopje Mine in Chinhoyi in 2025.

Chitambira said the project is expected to add roughly 200kg of gold annually once operations resume, helping lift overall national production at a time when Zimbabwe is trying to increase exports and strengthen foreign-currency receipts.

The corporation is also advancing work at Sanyati Copper Mines, a once-prominent asset that has been idle for years. Exploration programmes conducted with a strategic partner have delivered “pleasing results,” according to Chitambira, laying the groundwork for the mine’s full revival.

“Production is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2027,” he said, noting that a return to copper output would diversify ZMDC’s portfolio and reduce the country’s dependence on imports of the industrial metal.

The momentum across projects comes after ZMDC’s removal from international sanctions lists in 2024, a development executives say has widened access to global markets and improved prospects for fresh investment.

The corporation is now engaging potential strategic partners, exploring opportunities to access new technology, and positioning its mines for higher productivity.

Chitambira said ZMDC is accelerating efforts to ensure its operations align with Zimbabwe’s economic development agenda. “The future is looking bright as we leave no one and no place behind,” he said, echoing the government’s inclusive growth philosophy.

Sabi Gold Mine’s recovery stands out as the clearest signal of ZMDC’s renewed operational capability. From the brink of collapse, the mine has become a key contributor to the corporation’s financial turnaround and a model for how state mining assets can be restructured and returned to profitability.

As ZMDC pushes ahead with new projects and asset revivals, the corporation is positioning itself to assume a larger role in Zimbabwe’s mining-led growth trajectory, a critical pillar of the country’s medium-term economic ambitions.