Sirius Minerals Strengthens Grassroots Presence Through ASM Cooperative Engagements in Southern Zambia

Sirius Minerals has deepened its on-the-ground engagement in Zambia’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector through strategic field visits and partnership-building initiatives in Kalomo, located within Southern Province.

As part of its commitment to building an inclusive and data-driven mineral trade ecosystem, the Sirius executive team conducted direct engagements with local mining communities, cooperatives, and traditional leadership structures, including the esteemed Simwatachela Royal Establishment. These engagements form part of the company’s broader strategy to better understand the realities, challenges, and opportunities within Zambia’s fragmented ASM landscape.

During the visit, Sirius Minerals also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with three ASM cooperatives operating in the region. These agreements mark an important step toward formal collaboration aimed at improving mineral traceability, market access, and structured trade participation for local miners.

The engagements were not limited to formal agreements alone. The Sirius Team conducted preliminary prospecting and market research activities across multiple mining sites, gaining firsthand insight into operational conditions, mineral types, production dynamics, and informal trade flows. This field immersion provided valuable clarity on the structural gaps that continue to limit ASM miners’ access to fair markets, financing, and technical support.

The visit highlighted the highly fragmented nature of the ASM ecosystem, where many miners operate outside formal systems, often with limited access to verified buyers, compliance frameworks, and value-enhancing services. By engaging directly with cooperatives and traditional leadership, Sirius Minerals was able to closely “marry up” its digital platform vision with real-world mining realities.

Speaking through its field engagement outcomes, the company emphasized that sustainable transformation of the ASM sector cannot be achieved remotely or digitally alone, but must be built through trust, presence, and long-term partnerships at community level.

These early-stage collaborations are expected to serve as pilot nodes for the broader Sirius Mineral Trade Platform (Sirius-MTP™️), enabling structured onboarding of miners, improved mineral verification processes, and strengthened pathways to formal trade markets.

Sirius Minerals noted that its engagements in Kalomo represent a foundational step in its Zambia rollout strategy - one that prioritizes community integration, institutional collaboration, and practical understanding of the mining ecosystem before scale deployment.

As the company continues to expand its footprint across Zambia and beyond, these grassroots partnerships will remain central to its mission of building a transparent, inclusive, and technology-enabled mineral trade infrastructure for Southern Africa.