SigraFi Signs Long-Term DRC Gold Supply Deal for 2 Million Artisanal Miners
Updated
Updated · Business Insider Africa · Jun 12
SigraFi Signs Long-Term DRC Gold Supply Deal for 2 Million Artisanal Miners
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider Africa · Jun 12
Summary
SigraFi struck a long-term supply and financing agreement with PeaceGold to expand fully traceable artisanal gold doré exports from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The deal provides structured working capital and refinery-delivery support to mining cooperatives, aiming to open compliant export channels, improve pricing transparency and secure access to accredited international refineries.
PeaceGold, active in the region for more than a decade, has worked to legalise mining operations, cut mercury use and build responsible export pathways in Ituri Province.
The agreement targets a sector that supports about 2 million miners in DRC and roughly 20% of global gold production, as demand rises for traceable, ethically sourced minerals.
Can a Western finance deal transform Congo's artisanal gold sector into an engine for peace?
When other traceability systems fail, how will this partnership stop its gold from funding DRC warlords?
Formalizing 25,000 Miners: The SigraFi-PeaceGold Partnership’s Impact on DRC’s Artisanal Gold Sector
Overview
The SigraFi-PeaceGold partnership introduces an innovative financing and supply model to transform responsible gold sourcing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the insecure Ituri Province. By providing structured working capital and refinery support directly to 11 artisanal mining cooperatives—representing about 25,000 miners—this initiative addresses the economic drivers of informality that keep much of the sector outside formal supply chains. The model aims to make formal market participation more attractive for miners, overcoming challenges like compliance and infrastructure, and marks a significant commercial milestone in establishing traceable, ethical gold exports from the region.