The Government of Zimbabwe will next year embark on an ambitious 12-month mineral exploration programme to assess three major copper deposits in Mashonaland West, as authorities intensify efforts to revive the country’s copper sector and unlock untapped mineral resources.
The exploration campaign will focus on the Mhangura-Silverside, Makonde and Sanyati copper blocks within the state-reserved MSW-004 area, with the objective of establishing updated resource estimates and evaluating the economic potential of deposits that were previously mined but never comprehensively explored.
The programme will be led by the state-owned Mining Promotion Corporation (MPC), which plans to deploy advanced exploration technologies, including aeromagnetic and geophysical surveys, to generate accurate data on the country’s remaining copper resources.
According to MPC Chief Executive Officer Tapiwa Nyamutukwa, the initiative is intended to provide a clearer understanding of Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth and create a stronger foundation for attracting investment into the copper sector.
The exploration programme is expected to play a key role in the possible revival of former mining communities such as Mhangura, whose economy suffered a significant decline following the closure of its copper mining operations more than two decades ago.
The copper assessment project forms part of a broader mining sector transformation strategy adopted by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development following a recent strategic review of the industry.
Government is simultaneously pursuing policies aimed at maximizing value from Zimbabwe’s 63 known mineral resources through increased exploration, beneficiation and modernization. Among the key reforms is a planned ban on the export of raw lithium concentrates from January 2027, a measure designed to promote local processing into higher-value products such as lithium sulphate.
Authorities are also advancing the digitisation of the country’s mining cadastre system, which will manage more than 60,000 mining titles, improve transparency, reduce administrative bottlenecks and accelerate investment approvals.
In addition, mining companies will be required to submit rolling five- to ten-year development plans to strengthen the national geological database and improve resource planning.
Government believes the combined measures will provide a more accurate picture of Zimbabwe’s mineral endowment, support informed investment decisions and strengthen the mining sector’s contribution to economic growth and industrialisation.
The planned assessment of the Mhangura-Silverside, Makonde and Sanyati deposits is expected to provide critical geological information that could pave the way for renewed copper mining activity and fresh investment in one of Zimbabwe’s historically significant mining regions. 
