Betterbrands, a Zimbabwean gold buyer, delivered 18.8 tonnes of gold to Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) in the first nine months of 2026, with the metal valued at more than US$1.9 billion, according to 263Chat. The company said the deliveries reflect its role in the country's formal gold market.
The firm also stated that its total deliveries since 2021 have reached 91.8 tonnes. 263Chat notes, however, that the annual figures the company provided do not add up to that cumulative total.
Why it matters
Zimbabwe's gold sector is dominated by small-scale producers, and the government has been trying to pull more of that output into official channels. Betterbrands' reported volumes suggest licensed buyers are capturing a meaningful share of the trade, though the discrepancy in the company's own figures is a reminder that such disclosures are not independently audited in the reporting.
The numbers also matter for the state. Gold delivered through FGR is the route by which the country records exports and collects related revenue. When a single buyer moves nearly 19 tonnes in nine months, its performance has a direct bearing on official totals.
Company credits government policy for performance
Fradreck Kunaka, chief executive of Betterbrands Jewelry, linked the company's results in part to government measures designed to improve gold trading and support production.
According to 263Chat, Kunaka said better buying arrangements, wider access to the formal market and steps to ease the operating environment had helped firms like Betterbrands increase their contribution to the industry.
Zimbabwe has rolled out several incentives to encourage deliveries through official channels. In June 2024, the government zero-rated gold deliveries to FGR for value-added tax purposes. In March 2025, Fidelity lowered the minimum threshold for its 5% gold-delivery incentive from 20 kilogrammes to 500 grammes, a change that brought smaller deliveries into the scheme.
Small-scale miners drive national output
Artisanal and small-scale miners continue to account for the bulk of Zimbabwe's gold deliveries. The country recorded 46.7 tonnes in 2025, with small-scale producers responsible for 34.9 tonnes and large-scale miners for 11.8 tonnes, according to figures reported in January 2026 and cited by 263Chat.
That split explains why policy has focused on the lower end of the market. Buyers that can serve scattered, smaller producers — and pay them promptly through formal channels — are central to the government's effort to reduce side-selling.
Betterbrands was founded by businessman Pedzai "Scott" Sakupwanya and is expanding beyond buying. Mining Zimbabwe reported in March 2026 that the company's gold refinery in Bulawayo had been completed and was waiting for an official opening.
Kunaka said the company would keep working with miners, suppliers and regulators to widen formal trading and support growth in the sector.
What to watch
The outlook for buyers like Betterbrands will depend on international gold prices, national production levels, investment in the sector and progress in curbing informal trading. How much domestic refining contributes will hinge on the Bulawayo plant's operating capacity and on securing reliable supplies of ore and gold.
