GoldBod, Better Brands Zimbabwe Commences Engagement on ASM Formalization in Ghana
The Ghana Gold Board, in collaboration with Better Brands Zimbabwe, has commenced engagements aimed at advancing the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Ghana, with a strong focus on financing and structural support for miners.
Central to the discussions is the proposed establishment of a dedicated financing center to support artisanal miners, particularly those engaged in hard rock mining, by improving access to capital, equipment, and technical services.
In addition to financial support, machinery such as mills, explosives, generators, fuel, and other essential mining equipment will be provided to optimize gold recovery and improve operational efficiency.
The initiative seeks to tackle one of the sector’s most persistent challenges—limited access to formal financing—which has long constrained productivity and kept many operators within the informal mining space.
Stakeholders involved in the engagement, led by the CEO of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, Esq., indicated that the financing center will function as a hub for tailored financial solutions, including credit facilities, equipment access, and operational support.
By addressing capital gaps, the model is expected to encourage miners to transition into regulated systems while adopting safer, more efficient, and environmentally responsible mining practices.
GoldBod, Ghana’s state-backed gold trading and regulatory institution, has been at the forefront of efforts to enhance traceability, ensure fair pricing, and curb illicit gold trade across the country.
The engagement with Better Brands Zimbabwe reflects a growing trend of leveraging private sector expertise and cross-border partnerships to strengthen Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining value chain.
Better Brands Zimbabwe is expected to contribute technical and market-oriented insights, particularly in gold aggregation and supply chain structuring, to help create reliable and transparent market access for small-scale miners in Ghana.
Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale mining sector remains a significant contributor to national gold output but continues to face challenges related to informality, environmental management, and regulatory compliance, especially within hard rock mining, which requires higher levels of investment and technical capacity.
The proposed financing center, together with the planned technical and operational support, is therefore seen as a critical step toward unlocking productivity, improving compliance, and increasing official gold deliveries through formal channels. It is also expected to support broader national efforts to maximize value from the gold sector while safeguarding livelihoods.
At the meeting, timelines were set for site selection, mobilization, and other preparatory activities, with implementation expected to begin within the next few months.
Since its establishment, GoldBod has been engaging investors and stakeholders across the mining sector to implement strategic reforms aimed at strengthening Ghana’s gold industry.
Within one year, these reforms have already yielded results that experts describe as instrumental in supporting Ghana’s gold accumulation initiatives and increasing foreign exchange inflows.
Better Brands Zimbabwe is a prominent multi-sector conglomerate operating in Zimbabwe and several other African countries, with significant expertise in the mining sector.
The company serves as the Zimbabwean government's single largest gold-buying agent, primarily aggregating gold produced by artisanal and small-scale miners.
It has extensive experience in providing financial, technical, and operational support to small-scale miners, enabling them to maximize production output while improving efficiency and sustainability.
