Ghana orders Newmont, AngloGold Ashanti and Zijin to transfer mining operations to local contractors

Mining regulator sets December 2026 deadline for compliance with new local ownership rules or face sanctions.

Ghana's Minerals Commission has instructed international mining companies Newmont, AngloGold Ashanti and China-owned Zijin to transfer their mining operations to local contractors by December 2026 or face sanctions, according to five sources with direct knowledge of the matter and documents seen by Reuters¹².

The three companies currently operate their mines with their own staff and are the only major miners in Ghana still doing so, two government officials and three mining executives said¹². The directive affects AngloGold Ashanti's smaller Iduapriem gold mine, while almost all other large miners in the country have already transitioned to contract mining¹².

Ghana, Africa's top gold producer, revised its local ownership rules in January 2025, requiring all miners to switch to contract mining¹². Under the regulations, surface mining must be undertaken by fully Ghanaian-owned firms, while underground mining must be carried out by companies with at least 50% Ghanaian ownership¹².

The Minerals Commission sent separate letters to Newmont, AngloGold Ashanti and Zijin in October 2024 and January 2025 requesting full compliance with the contract mining requirements by December 2026, according to the letters seen by Reuters¹².

The move forms part of a broader trend across Africa, where governments have been tightening mining regulations to extract more revenue amid rising prices for minerals and metals¹². Mali ended a nearly two-year dispute with Barrick in November 2024 over enforcement of its new mining code¹².