Zimbabwe's fragile power supply cripples gold output

Zimbabwe's gold mining industry has warned that persistent electricity shortages and unplanned outages continue to threaten production, despite the sector's growing contribution to the economy and export earnings.

Speaking at the Gold Symposium in Victoria Falls during the annual conference of the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, Gold Producers Association chairman Qubeka Nkomo said unreliable power supplies remain one of the biggest operational challenges facing gold producers.

The symposium was hosted by Mutapa Gold Resources as part of the broader mining industry gathering.

Nkomo said mines that are not connected to dedicated power lines continue to bear the brunt of load-shedding programmes, resulting in frequent disruptions to production schedules.

"Our power supply to gold projects remains fragile, with some projects not connected to dedicated power lines being subjected to load shedding," he said.

He noted that, beyond scheduled power cuts, unscheduled outages were causing even greater difficulties for mining operations.

"The unscheduled power outages, as you can imagine, result in production stoppages and output losses," Nkomo said.

The concerns come at a time when Zimbabwe is seeking to expand gold production and increase export earnings from the sector. Gold remains the country's largest single mineral export and is expected to play a central role in driving mining sector growth this year.

However, mining companies have repeatedly warned that unreliable electricity supplies are undermining productivity, increasing operating costs and discouraging investment.

Frequent power interruptions can halt milling, processing and underground operations, while forcing mines to rely on costly diesel-powered generators to maintain production.

Industry leaders have argued that stable and predictable electricity supplies are essential if Zimbabwe is to achieve its ambitious gold production targets and sustain the growth recorded in recent years.

The latest concerns also add to broader challenges facing the mining sector, including foreign currency shortages, rising operational costs and the need for significant capital investment to support expansion and beneficiation projects.

As Government and industry push to increase mineral output and attract new investment, miners say improving power generation and transmission infrastructure remains critical to unlocking the sector's full potential and preventing further production losses.