Young miner blazes trail
NYASHA MAGADHI’S story is one of remarkable passion translated into action.
The 24-year-old geologist and founder of the Young Miners for Economic Development (YMED) has emerged as a leading voice for young people in Zimbabwe’s mining industry.
In the past two years, he has empowered countless youths through his dedication to develop the sector.
His journey into the industry, usually a preserve of more mature people, began with his academic pursuits at the Zimbabwe School of Mines in Bulawayo, where he nurtured a passion for mining, which catapulted him into the industry after graduation.
His desire was not only to succeed but to empower fellow youths as well.
Recognising the potential of his peers, Magadhi advocated crowd-funding initiatives to support and empower other young people venturing into mining.
His dedication and hard work saw him win numerous accolades, including the “Outstanding Prospector and Pager of the Year” award, which was bestowed on him by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development in 2023.
The award was in recognition of the best youthful mining entrepreneur in the country.
Magadhi firmly believes young people play a crucial role in shaping the nation’s future.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, the miner emphasised the importance of perseverance, stating that it can enable anyone to “fly against all the odds”.
“I started off from humble beginnings, but with the progress we have made, it all seems like a joke,” he said.
“It brings a lot of joy seeing that through
YMED, we are now involved in the extraction of quite a number of minerals.
“There are a lot of opportunities for the youths, which the Second Republic has created for us.”
Zimbabwe, he said, is endowed with vast mineral deposits, “meaning youths have a great chance to create their own employment” through participating in the mining sector.
“We are extracting a wide array of minerals, not just gold. This makes us unique because almost 90 percent of youths in mining are into gold extraction. We are into the mining of lithium, gold, copper and many other precious minerals.”
His goal is to begin adding value to the minerals, in line with the Second Republic’s agenda to transform the sector.
“Very soon we are going to begin the process of value addition; after we mine, we want to add value to our minerals, but those services are very expensive. We are, therefore, pleading with our Government to provide processing plants for us, like what they have done at the Makaha Gold Processing Centre.”
Such initiatives, he said, would help reduce costs incurred when adding value to their ores.
“The processing centre will also benefit local youths by creating employment opportunities for them”, he said.
Through YMED, Magadhi has provided opportunities and resources to countless young Zimbabweans, fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation within the mining sector.
His organisation’s impact extends beyond individual empowerment.
YMED plays a significant role in the growth and development of Zimbabwe’s mining industry.
He said he was happy to be providing employment to over 400 young people at his different mining claims around the country.
“I am quite delighted to be among the few locals who are helping others fend for their families. We have managed to create more than 400 employment opportunities for our fellow youths.”
He continued: “As Zimbabwean youths, we have enough resources to generate the income we need on our own. I believe if we are to bring together what we have, we can actually manage to build our own processing centres, which will then minimise the cost of processing our minerals.”
The young miner sees himself as one of the leading employers in the mining industry in future.
“What we are building is a system that will create more employment opportunities for my fellow Zimbabweans, and I believe together we can attain this against all the odds.” ◆ X: @AndyMambo5