Report on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in Africa: Selected Countries Policy Profile Review on ASM

The African Minerals Development Centre’s (AMDC) work on Artisanal and Small scale Mining (ASM) seeks to support the sector’s recognition as part of a transformation agenda whether at national or regional levels given the multi-faceted nature and complexity of ASM.This study report is meant to be a primer on reviewing mineral policies and regulatory frameworks of several African mining countries to identify the extent to which they support a viable and gender sensitive ASM sector. To review institutional support mechanisms in place, including financing, technical support, and business related support to promote the commercial viability of ASM with subsequent recommendations on policy and institutional measures to improve the viability and gender sensitivity of ASM in African Member States.

The report is further meant to contribute to the design and implementation of ASM work activities and programs for the AMDC in identified areas of the African Mining Vision (AMV) and its Action plan, increase the body of work on policy provision advisory services in ASM to African Governments and other stakeholders as part of efforts to implement the AMV, and contribute to the design and implementation of capacity development materials and programs.The report alludes to how policy orientation within the sector should provide an integrated and holistic framework that speaks to ASM through the entire value/supply chain, socio-economic issues and legal frameworks of formalization and professionalization. AMDC thus aims to address sector challenges by supporting the development of policies, laws and regulations that promote a viable, sustainable, and gender-inclusive ASM sector and, where possible, embeds ASM into broader rural development strategies. The ASM workstream for which this report was done, is guided by the Africa Mining Vision to develop programs to upgrade the knowledge, skills and technologies used in ASM and generally to develop institutional capacities that support a viable ASM sector. A methodological approach and definition of an acceptable number and geographical distribution of countries to focus on, was thus considered in the compilation of this profiling study.

The profiling of ASM in the selected African Countries, reviewed their respective mineral policies and regulatory frameworks, the institutional support mechanisms in place, including financing, technical support, and business related support to promote the commercial viability of ASM. The profiling study is meant to contribute to the design and implementation of ASM work activities and programs for the AMDC in identified areas of the AMV and its Action plan, so as to provide policy advisory services in ASM to African Governments and other stakeholders as part of efforts to implement the AMV. Ultimately, contributing to the design and implementation of capacity development materials and programs including training modules, toolkits and templates for use in capacity development.