Tanzania is stepping up efforts to restore sovereignty over its gold reserves by requiring large-scale miners to process and trade at least 20% of their product locally.

The decision places the East African country among a rising number of African nations seeking to extract more value from their natural resources and gain more control over their mining sectors.

The policy, which mirrors another gold bill implemented in September 2024, represents a larger move toward resource nationalism, as governments seek to benefit more directly from rising global gold prices.

Tanzania's mining regulator issued a rule requiring mining firms that export gold to donate at least 20% of the commodity to the Central Bank of Tanzania (BoT).

Given the complications in the global gold trade that have caused the commodity price to soar dramatically, Tanzania's push to finalize its 20% gold refining policy in the next 30 days couldn?t have come at a better time.

Mining behemoths like AngloGold Ashanti Plc and Barrick Gold Corporation, the second-largest producer of gold in the world are direct targets of this policy, as per Bloomberg.

Companies that have contracts with the government will be required ?to allocate gold at a rate of not less than 20% of production for smelting, refining, and trading in the country,? said Finance Minister Mwigulu Nchemba in his 2025-26 budget speech on Thursday.

Similarly, Burkina Faso?s push to gain control of its gold mines couldn't have come at a better time.

Burkina Faso?s gold push under Ibrahim Traor?

In June 2025, Burkina Faso formally handed over five gold mining holdings to its state-owned mining corporation, SOPAMIB (Soci?t? de Participation Mini?re du Burkina).

This followed a decree by the country?s junta leader Ibrahim Traor?, who issued it nearly a year after the procedure began in August 2023.

The handover represents a significant move toward complete governmental management and operation of the country's major mining industries.

These developments reflect an increasing regional trend in Africa, where governments are advocating for more ownership, value addition, and control over extractive sectors.

For years, multinational mining firms have dominated African gold production, exporting raw materials and producing little local value.

Burkina Faso?s status as a gold producer has grown significantly over the past two decades, making it one of Africa?s leading gold-producing countries.

The nation ranks fourth in gold production after Ghana, South Africa, and Sudan. Gold is Burkina Faso?s most valuable export, contributing over 70% of export earnings and serving as a cornerstone of its economy. (Business Insider Africa)

Update news