Infrastructure works supporting the development of the Kikonge Gold Mine Project in Mufumbwe District, North-Western Province, are 80 per cent complete, with ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc (ZCCM-IH) having injected US$2 million towards the development of the project.
The investment was highlighted during a stakeholder engagement meeting held on 14 September 2026, which was jointly hosted by ZCCM-IH and the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development with mining cooperatives and other stakeholders in Mufumbwe District. The meeting focused on developments at the Kikonge Mining Project, the formalisation of gold mining activities and opportunities for local participation in the sector.
ZCCM-IH Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kakenenwa Muyangwa, said the investment was being directed towards key infrastructure, equipment and amenities to support mining and processing activities at Kikonge. Mr Muyangwa disclosed that construction of the main access road to the Kikonge Mine was approximately 80 per cent complete, while construction of a dam was underway. He added that ZCCM-IH was also supporting the project with mineral processing equipment to enhance mining and gold processing activities.
“The investment in Kikonge is part of ZCCM-IH’s commitment to supporting the formalisation and sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale mining in Zambia, while creating an enabling environment for increased local participation in the gold value chain,” Mr Muyangwa said.
Speaking at the same engagement, Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary, Dr Hapenga Kabeta, said illegal gold mining activities at Kikonge had been stopped following the deployment of military personnel. Dr Kabeta said Government had historically not benefited adequately from the country’s gold resources, with significant quantities of the mineral being traded through illegal markets.
He said Government, through ZCCM-IH, was putting systems in place to ensure that gold produced at Kikonge and elsewhere in the country was formally purchased and traded. “This will help improve accountability in gold production and trading while ensuring that more value from the country’s gold resources is retained within the formal economy,” Dr Kabeta said.
The Permanent Secretary further emphasised the importance of bringing artisanal and small-scale gold mining activities into the formal economy, noting that this would create greater opportunities for Government, mining cooperatives and local communities to benefit from the country’s mineral resources.