ZANAMACA Expands to Support Small-Scale Miners, Driving Compliance and Inclusive Growth
The Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA) has announced plans to mobilise and engage small-scale miners nationwide as part of its strategy to promote compliance, financial literacy, and inclusive economic growth.
With a membership of over one million spanning all provinces, ZANAMACA has traditionally focused on empowering youth and women in small and medium-sized enterprises. The association is now expanding its reach to include small-scale miners, aiming to strengthen their role in Zambia’s formal economy.
Speaking from ZANAMACA’s headquarters at Workers Compensation House in
Lusaka, President Mupila Kameya said the organisation intends to work closely with the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development to enhance collaboration with the smallscale mining sector.
“We want to create a comprehensive database of small-scale miners, promote financial literacy, and ensure mine safety and environmental safeguards are adhered to,” Kameya said. “Licensing, investment, compliance, and market access are all areas where ZANAMACA can offer tangible support through our cooperative model.”
ZANAMACA already works with various government ministries, pension funds, and the Zambia Development Agency under a memorandum of understanding (MOU). Acting as a one-stop centre, the association provides members with services ranging from business registration to securing investor linkages locally and internationally.
Kameya emphasised that ZANAMACA’s grassroots networks give it a unique ability to help miners meet regulatory requirements, access funding, and improve safety standards in collaboration with both public and private partners.
The organisation has called for:
Sustained engagement with small-scale mining companies
Inclusion of miners in national programmes and consultations
Greater miner participation in ZANAMACA’s collective policy and advocacy efforts
“Our partnership proposal to the Ministry of Mines is a solution for our country and our people,” Kameya added. “By empowering small-scale miners, we are promoting inclusive development and unlocking Zambia’s economic potential.”
ZANAMACA’s entry into the mining sector reflects a broader strategy to integrate informal and semi-formal economic actors into Zambia’s mainstream economy, fostering compliance, investment, and sustainable growth.
PUBLISHER: CONSTANCE
SOURCE: Zambia’s ZANAMACA to Mobilise Small-Scale Miners for Compliance, Funding, and Market Access - Copperbelt Katanga Mining