Speaking at the Africa Gold Forum during African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 in Cape Town on Thursday, Nhlanhla Terance Mashobane Nkosi, Chief Technical, Governance and Sustainability Officer at Rand Refinery, highlighted the company's investments in advanced traceability technologies and responsible sourcing practices to strengthen its regional operations.

Nkosi emphasized the need to integrate artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM) operations into formal supply chains, noting their significant contribution to African gold production.

“Of the roughly 1,000 tons of gold produced annually across Africa, nearly half originates from the ASGM sector - which makes supporting responsible artisanal mining essential,” Nkosi stated. “We are investing heavily in fingerprint testing, isotopic confirmation and advanced trace technology to guarantee responsible sourcing and complete supply chain transparency.”

Supporting Nkosi’s call for traceability - which underpins regional integration and shared downstream infrastructure - Philippe Cohen, Special Advisor to the Swiss Mining Institute, highlighted emerging regional hubs.

“Traceability is the cornerstone of formalizing the gold sector,” Cohen said. “For example, Egypt is developing a major regional gold hub, and we need to see robust traceability across the continent - especially as such facilities prepare to refine gold from Sudan, South Sudan and neighboring producer nations.”

Keith Nare, Director at the Africa Gold Council, emphasized that true traceability relies heavily on local engagement.

“Mining communities are the absolute backbone of responsible sourcing,” he said, highlighting that recent legal cases involving Tanzanian operations underscore why supply chain auditing matters.

Closing the session, Dr. Innocent Matshe, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, argued that a resilient refining landscape requires unified collaboration across the entire value chain.

“A successful gold refining ecosystem must encompass all key stakeholders - regulators, international markets and producers alike,” he said. “In Zimbabwe, we built another refinery in Bulawayo and have nearly doubled our output. To sustain this momentum, continued policy refinement, regulatory reform and deeper engagement with international financiers remain critical.”