ZimNow News Desk
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Deputy Governor Dr Innocent Matshe is expected to outline the central bank’s role in supporting mining investment when he joins African Mining Week 2026 in Cape Town in October.
Matshe has been confirmed as a speaker at the conference, which will run from October 14 to 16, as Zimbabwe seeks to attract more capital into exploration, production, mineral processing and refining.
His participation comes at a time when Zimbabwe is trying to move beyond raw mineral exports by pushing investment into beneficiation, particularly in lithium and gold.
According to organisers, Matshe will take part in the Central Bank Governors, Finance and Investor Roundtable, where policymakers, investors and financial institutions will discuss ways to unlock capital for Africa’s mining sector.
The session is expected to look at financing models, public-private partnerships and monetary policy measures that can support mining growth across the continent.
Zimbabwe is targeting gold output of 55 tonnes in 2026, up from 50.6 tonnes in 2025 and 38.6 tonnes in 2024.
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The RBZ has been using its gold purchase programme to build reserves while also supporting producers, particularly artisanal and small-scale miners, who account for more than 60 percent of the country’s gold output.
The central bank pays small-scale gold producers partly in foreign currency, a measure meant to help miners buy equipment, improve productivity and keep production in the formal market.
Matshe is also expected to speak during the Unlocking Refining Investment panel, which will focus on funding mineral processing and downstream beneficiation projects in Africa.
Zimbabwe has been pushing miners to invest in local processing capacity as part of a wider strategy to increase export value and retain more benefits from its mineral resources.
Government is targeting about US$1 billion in lithium processing investment ahead of a planned January 2027 ban on lithium concentrate exports.
The policy is meant to force more in-country processing of lithium, one of Zimbabwe’s fastest-growing mineral exports, instead of exporting raw or semi-processed material.
Zimbabwe is also expanding gold refining capacity, with authorities having approved a new refinery in Bulawayo.
At the Cape Town meeting, Matshe is expected to explain how Zimbabwe’s monetary policy, foreign exchange reforms and mining finance initiatives are being positioned to support investment across the mining value chain.
African Mining Week is organised by Energy Capital & Power and brings together governments, financiers and mining companies focused on investment opportunities across the continent.
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