Enhancing Safety and Health in Zambia’s Artisanal Mining Sector

Engaging the Zimba Women Silica Mining Group in Kankoyo, Mufulira

In April 2025, we engaged the Zimba Women Small-Scale Silica Mining Group in Kankoyo, Mufulira, through a joint initiative with Safety Foundation Zambia. The dialogue aimed to address persistent challenges faced by women working in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Supported by the OAK Foundation, this engagement forms part of our broader efforts to promote social and economic justice in resource-dependent communities.

What Came Up

Several structural and operational concerns were raised during the consultation, including:

• The prevalence of child labour at mining sites
• Lack of formal registration, limiting access to rights and protections
• Uneconomical pricing structures, often shaped by unregulated middlemen
• Transparency issues in leadership and financial transactions
• Unsafe working conditions, including a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Poor infrastructure, with mining areas remaining inaccessible due to unmaintained roads

Support and Next Steps

In response, the team acknowledged these barriers and emphasised the importance of formalising operations through proper registration. This step will not only improve working conditions but also enhance the group’s legitimacy and negotiating power within the mining value chain.

A key outcome of the engagement was a commitment to facilitate dialogue with Mopani Copper Mines, encouraging the company to procure silica directly from the Zimba Women group, in line with its local content policy. This is expected to boost local economic opportunities and support the long-term sustainability of women-led mining ventures.

Looking Ahead

This engagement reflects a broader mission to strengthen safety, equity, and accountability in Zambia’s ASM sector. While early steps are promising, the work ahead remains critical—especially in addressing child protection, occupational health risks, and weak governance mechanisms.

With continued support from Safety Foundation Zambia and the OAK Foundation, efforts are underway to build a fairer, safer, and more inclusive mining future for women in communities like Kankoyo.