By Tadiwa Shunje
MASHAVA- Fidelity Gold Refinery has expanded its gold buying network in Masvingo Province with the opening of a new branch in Mashava, a move aimed at making it easier for small-scale miners to sell their gold through formal channels while accessing competitive international prices and services.
The announcement was made during an engagement meeting with small-scale miners at Bere community hall in Mashava on July 16, 2026, where miners were also issued with gold cards that can help them build a financial record and access loans from participating financial institutions.
Fidelity Gold Refinery Public relations consultant Kundai Mudzviti said the Mashava branch was established to bring services closer to miners, reduce transport costs and encourage more gold deliveries through formal channels.
They noted that despite Mashava’s rich gold deposits, deliveries from local miners remain low compared to the area’s mining potential.
She also said miners who sell through Fidelity were paid according to international gold prices and that the buying centre uses modern equipment to accurately determine the weight and purity of gold.
She also said they accept gold from as little as five grams.
“We have established a new centre here in Mashava Campus at ZB Bank so that it can be easy for you to get our services, but we are seeing that the deliveries are very low here. You have many mines in Mashava, we are expecting more deliveries. We buy your gold using the international market, and also we start from five grams,” she said.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Bere Murombe Mahwekwe urged miners to support the formal gold marketing system saying selling through Fidelity would benefit miners, local communities and also the country as a whole.
He said increased gold deliveries would strengthen the country’s economy and contribute to the stability of Zimbabwe’s gold-backed currency while promoting responsible mining practices.
“Gold should benefit the nation, miners and the people living in this area. Let us mine peacefully without violence and sell our gold to Fidelity where we are assured of fair trading. When we all do that, both the country and the miners benefit,” he said.
One of the miners Dambudzo Mudakari welcomed the establishment of the buying centre saying it had reduced the burden of travelling to Masvingo to sell gold.Mudakari said gold mining had enabled her to support her family and send her children to boarding schools.
“This programme is a good initiative because we can now sell our gold here in Mashava instead of travelling to Masvingo. It saves us both time and transport costs,” she said.
Some miners, however, expressed concern over payment methods, saying they previously received a combination of ZiG and US dollars for their gold.Responding to the concerns, Gold Mobilization Manager Francis Maidza clarified that the refinery now pays miners entirely in US dollars using international market prices.
“We now pay miners in US dollars based on international market rates so that they receive the full value of their gold,” he said.
He added that expanding buying centres was part of Fidelity’s strategy to formalize artisanal and small-scale mining, improve gold deliveries and ensure miners receive fair value while gaining access to financial services.
He said the company also plans to extend its buying network into Manicaland.
The new buying centre is located at ZB Bank on the Great Zimbabwe University Mashava Campus.
It is Fidelity`s third buying point in Masvingo Province after the Masvingo CBD branch at ZB bank and the Ngundu branch at Zimpost.
