African Gold Exchange buys gold from licensed small-scale miners in Tanzania at a fair price, recovers gold from their ore without mercury, and traces every gram to the Bank of Tanzania or an accredited refinery. Part of the profit builds a village with clean water, power, a school and a clinic.
Tanzania has a large small-scale mining sector, and most of it works without fair prices, safe processing or a record of where the gold came from.
Dealers typically keep about 30% of a sale, often because they pre-finance the miners and own the equipment.
Mercury recovers only about 40% of the gold in the ore. The rest is lost, and the mercury ends up in the water and in people.
Small-scale mining is reported to produce more than 40% of the country's gold, but much of it travels without a trace of its origin.
The model makes money because it adds real value: it pays miners more, recovers more gold, and turns untraceable gold into gold a central bank will buy. It does not own a mine and does not sell gold in the ground.
Buys gold from licensed miners with assay at intake, at 93.5% of the world price, and sells to the Bank of Tanzania, which pays within 24 hours of assay. About 1,200 kg a year at maturity.
Earns a trading margin of about 2% after royalty and logistics.
A 200-tonne-per-day plant buys ore and recovers about 88% of the gold. Miners are paid 60% of the gold in their ore, against the 40% they recover themselves.
Earns the difference between 88% recovered and 60% paid, after royalty and processing.
Builds and runs the model village and supports miners in getting licensed and organised in cooperatives.
Funded by grants and 10% of AGE's operating profit.
Strict control is the business, not an add-on. Each lot follows the same path, so a bank, a refinery or an auditor can check it.
Only Primary Mining Licence holders or registered cooperatives. ID, licence and site GPS recorded; sanctions screening.
Fire assay and XRF on every lot. Weight, licence and site logged with a lot number, photo and seal.
Bank or mobile-money payments instead of cash wherever possible, with limits and reporting to the Financial Intelligence Unit.
Licensed security company, insurance, CCTV and a two-person rule at the centre.
Sales only to the Bank of Tanzania or LBMA-accredited refineries.
Annual independent audit against the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance.
No gold from conflict areas, protected areas or with child labour. No mercury on site. A supplier is excluded on any red flag.
Planned with the community, the district council and the miners' associations, for about 150 households. Built with EUR 2m of grants and EUR 1m from AGE, and run by the AGE Community Foundation.
We do not take deposits or hold gold for others.
We do not sell gold in the ground or gold-backed securities.
We never ask for or pay advance fees. Treat any such request in our name as fraud.
Investor material is shared only with invited investors and their advisers.
For partnerships with miners' cooperatives, foundations and grant makers, refiners, and invited investors.
info@africangoldexchange.com