Reclaiming the Golden Craft: The story of African gold in jewellery making

By Engineer Martin January and Engineer Paul Matshona

For centuries, Africa has been known as the “continent of gold.”

From the golden treasures of ancient Nubia and the Mali Empire’s legendary wealth under Mansa Musa to the gleaming ornaments traded across the Indian Ocean, gold has always represented the heartbeat of African civilization.

It has been a symbol of divinity, power, and identity; adorning kings and queens, marking life’s milestones, and circulating as a store of value long before the arrival of modern currencies.

Yet beneath this long history lies a paradox. Africa produces nearly one-quarter of the world’s gold (leads with 1,010 tonnes of gold, driven by Ghana, Mali, and South Africa.

China (380t) and Russia (330t) are the world’s top national producers, but less than 5% of it is transformed into finished jewellery or decorative art on the continent.

Nowhere is this paradox more vivid than in Zimbabwe, a nation blessed with some of the richest greenstone belts on Earth but still struggling to translate mineral wealth into cultural and economic value.

This article traces the intertwined journey of gold and jewellery in Africa, situating Zimbabwe as a microcosm of both the continent’s heritage and its unrealised potential.

Africa’s Ancient Goldsmithing Traditions

Goldsmithing is among Africa’s oldest and most refined arts. Archaeological findings across the continent testify to metallurgical expertise that predates much of Europe’s.

In Ghana, the Akan people mastered lost-wax casting techniques to craft intricate gold weights; miniature sculptures that served as both currency and storytelling media.

In Nigeria, the Benin bronzes fused gold and copper in royal regalia, while in Ethiopia, early Christian artisans fashioned elaborate crosses and crowns that symbolised divine kingship.

Southern Africa’s own metallurgical heritage is equally profound. The discovery of gold artefacts at Mapungubwe (circa 1200 AD), near the Limpopo River, reveals an ancient trading civilization linked to the Swahili Coast, India, and Arabia.

Gold leaf-covered rhinoceroses, sceptres, and beads unearthed there demonstrate both technical sophistication and aesthetic sensibility.

This legacy continued into the era of Great Zimbabwe, where gold served as a medium of exchange and an emblem of power.

Traders from Sofala and Kilwa exchanged glass beads and textiles for gold mined from Zimbabwe’s hills, a testament to the region’s centrality in the medieval global economy.

Gold was not merely ornamental; it was cosmological. Among the Shona, gold represented Chiedza; the light of creation; believed to connect earthly wealth with ancestral blessing.

This spiritual symbolism, embedded in gold jewellery and regalia, underscores how deeply the metal was woven into the continent’s cultural fabric.

Foreign Extraction and the Disruption of Craft

The arrival of European powers in the nineteenth century radically altered the African gold story.

Colonialism replaced artistry with extraction. Instead of crafting gold into ornaments, Europeans extracted it as ore.

The founding of mining empires in South Africa’s Witwatersrand, Ghana’s Ashanti Belt, and Southern Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe) transformed gold from a cultural asset into a commodity of empire.

Colonial authorities introduced wage labour systems, expropriated mineral rights, and prohibited Africans from owning or processing gold independently.

The indigenous goldsmiths who once adorned royal courts were forced into menial mining roles. The artistry that once defined gold’s social meaning was systematically displaced. Zimbabwe’s foreign mining sector, structured under the Mines and Minerals Act of 1961, institutionalised this disconnection.

While gold output rose dramatically, local beneficiation and jewellery-making almost disappeared. Gold left the country as bullion, enriching foreign markets and leaving behind a legacy of economic dependency.

Zimbabwe’s Geological Wealth: A Foundation for Renaissancei

Zimbabwe’s mineral geology is one of the most favourable in Africa. The country sits atop vast Archean and Proterozoic greenstone belts rich in auriferous quartz veins.

The major gold-bearing zones; the Gwanda, Mazowe-Bindura, Kadoma, and Kwekwe-Shurugwi belts; have sustained mining for over a century. Today, over 4,000 registered gold deposits are known across Zimbabwe, from small reef operations to major mines such as Blanket Mine, Freda Rebecca, Shamva, and Renco.

Recent data highlight the country’s strong production performance: (1) in 2022, Zimbabwe produced 37.3 tonnes of gold; (2) in 2024, output reached 36.48 tonnes, exceeding the national target of 35 tonnes and ; (3) by July 2025, deliveries to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s Fidelity Gold Refinery had already surpassed 24 tonnes, putting the country on track for a record-breaking 40 tonnes annually.

Crucially, the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) subsector contributes between 60–70% of this production, underscoring the role of thousands of informal miners as custodians of the country’s gold wealth. Despite these impressive figures, Zimbabwe’s value addition remains minimal.

Less than 2% of mined gold is converted into jewellery locally. The remainder is exported as semi-processed or refined bullion, meaning that the nation forfeits billions in potential value addition each year.

The Missing Link: From Extraction to Adornment

The gap between mining and jewellery production in Zimbabwe is rooted in three interrelated constraints: skills, infrastructure, and institutional coordination.

1. Skills Deficiency

While Zimbabwe possesses world-class mining engineers and metallurgists, it lacks skilled goldsmiths, jewellery designers, casters, and finishers. Most small-scale miners and artisans have practical knowledge of smelting but little formal training in design, alloying, or modern production techniques.

1. Infrastructure and Equipment

Jewellery making demands precise equipment; from induction furnaces and rolling mills to CAD/CAM design software and 3D printers. These tools are scarce or prohibitively expensive.

Many artisanal workshops rely on rudimentary hand tools, which limit the consistency, finish, and quality necessary for competitive markets.

1. Institutional Disconnect

While institutions like the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) and the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) promote beneficiation, coordination remains weak.

There is limited synergy between training institutions, regulatory agencies, and private entrepreneurs.

Consequently, Zimbabwe’s gold economy remains trapped at the extraction level; producing raw material but failing to transform it into cultural or commercial capital.

While institutions such as Aurex have made notable progress in developing jewellery products, the persistent shortage of skilled labour continues to hinder growth in the sector.

Reviving the Craft: Skills Development for a Golden Future

Bridging the skills gap is the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s gold-jewellery renaissance.

Sustainable development in this sector requires investment not only in mines but in people; the artisans, designers, and engineers who transform raw gold into cultural heritage and marketable art.

1. Establishing Specialised Training Institutions

Zimbabwe should establish Jewellery and Goldsmithing Schools in partnership with existing institutions like ZSM and local polytechnics. These centres could offer modular certificates in goldsmithing, jewellery design, gem-setting, alloy science, and hallmarking. Curricula must blend technical metallurgy with cultural design principles, ensuring that Zimbabwean jewellery reflects both precision and identity.

For example, integrating local languages and culture motifs into CAD training could foster a signature national style. The ZSM has developed a curriculum for jewellery making; however, substantial stakeholder support is required to fully implement and operationalize the training programme.

1. Apprenticeships and Mentorships

A revival of the guild model; pairing experienced artisans with apprentices; can reintroduce hands-on craftsmanship. Government and private players should provide stipends, tool kits, and mentorship networks for young jewellers.

1. Technology-Enabled Learning

Digital design platforms and virtual workshops can expand access to training. Through online modules in CAD/CAM design and 3D printing, rural artisans can participate in global learning networks without leaving their communities.

1. Shared Jewellery Hubs and Incubation Centres

Establishing co-working jewellery hubs in mining towns like Kwekwe, Gwanda, and Kadoma can provide shared access to expensive equipment such as casting machines, polishing lathes, and hallmarking tools. These hubs could operate under public-private partnerships with MMCZ, Fidelity Gold Refinery, and development partners.

ZSM is developing a dedicated workspace for local jewellery makers, where students trained in gemstone cutting and polishing can collaborate with jewellery design students to create signature pieces that reflect Zimbabwe’s identity. This initiative aims to foster strong beneficiation and promote the growth of the national gemstone and jewellery sector.

1. Certification and Hallmarking

To penetrate international markets, Zimbabwe must develop a credible national hallmarking system that assures purity and traceability. Training in assay, metrology, and quality control will build consumer trust in “Made in Zimbabwe” jewellery.

1. Entrepreneurship and Market Access

Beyond technical skills, artisans need business acumen. Courses in pricing, marketing, branding, and e-commerce would enable jewellers to reach regional and global buyers. Digital platforms could link local producers with diaspora and fair-trade markets under “ethical gold” labels.

Cultural and Economic Significance: Reclaiming the Narrative

Re-establishing Zimbabwe’s gold jewellery industry is not merely an economic endeavour; it is a cultural and identity project.

Gold jewellery has historically communicated social belonging, gender, and spirituality. In many African societies, ornaments signified status and life stages, from marriage to chieftaincy. Reconnecting with this symbolism allows contemporary Zimbabwean designers to infuse jewellery with meaning beyond aesthetics.

Economically, the potential is vast. If even 10% of Zimbabwe’s annual gold output were transformed into finished jewellery domestically, the sector could generate thousands of skilled jobs and contribute over US$500 million annually in value-added exports.

Goldsmithing enterprises could serve as anchors for youth and women empowerment, especially in mining districts. The cultural economy thus becomes a driver of inclusive growth, merging art, technology, and industry.

Women and Youth: The New Custodians of the Golden Craft

Women and youth stand at the centre of this transformation. Across Zimbabwe, female mining cooperatives; from Karoi, to Gwanda; are increasingly exploring beneficiation through small-scale refining and ornament design.

Their participation addresses both gender inequality and economic exclusion.

Youth, meanwhile, bring innovation. With exposure design software, and social media marketing, young Zimbabweans can fuse tradition with modernity; producing jewellery that appeals to both local and international markets.

Initiatives such as Women in Mining Zimbabwe and ZSM’s Gemstone and Jewellery Centre already provide foundations for inclusive training and mentorship. Empowering these demographics is not only socially just but strategically wise: they are the agents of cultural renewal and market disruption.

Policy Directions for a Golden Renaissance

Realising Zimbabwe’s potential requires deliberate policy reform. The government’s Beneficiation and Value Addition Strategy should move beyond rhetoric to create measurable incentives for local processing. Key actions include:

1. Duty waivers and tax rebates on jewellery-making equipment.
2. Public-private funding for jewellery hubs and training centres.
3. Local procurement requirements mandating a percentage of mined gold to be allocated for domestic value addition.
4. Integration of goldsmithing into Education 5.0, ensuring innovation and industrialisation within the education system.
5. Marketing Zimbabwean Gold Jewellery under a national brand (e.g., “ZimGold Creations”) that combines authenticity, ethical sourcing, and artistry.

International partnerships with organisations such as the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC), UNIDO, and the Responsible Jewellery Council could provide technical support and global certification pathways.

Restoring Gold’s African Soul

Gold’s journey through Africa; from the royal workshops of ancient empires to the mechanised shafts of colonial mines; mirrors the continent’s broader struggle for self-definition. For Zimbabwe, the challenge and opportunity lie in transforming gold from a symbol of extraction into one of creation.

By investing in skills, technology, and cultural identity, Zimbabwe can reclaim its rightful place as both a producer and a designer of gold; restoring the artistry that once made Great Zimbabwe a beacon of African civilisation. The story of gold, therefore, is not only about metal; it is about memory, mastery, and meaning.

As Zimbabwe enters the next chapter of its mining and manufacturing evolution, the ultimate measure of progress will not be the tonnes exported, but the beauty crafted, the livelihoods created, and the pride restored.

Gold, in its purest sense, is more than wealth; it is heritage reimagined.