ISS web page for the ENACT policy brief on the Zama Zamas

<div class="print-only"> <div class="container">  </div> </div> <div class="fixed-spacer no-print"> </div> <div class="bg-nav no-print"> [](/enactafrica) <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span> <div id="navbarNavDropdown" class="collapse navbar-collapse"> - [ENACT Observer](/enactafrica/enact-observer) - [Research and policy](/enactafrica/research) - [Policy briefs](/enactafrica/research/policy-briefs) - [Research papers](/enactafrica/research/research-papers) - [Organised Crime Index](/enactafrica/research/organised-crime-index) - [Continental reports](/enactafrica/research/continental-reports) - [INTERPOL reports](/enactafrica/research/interpol-reports) - [Trend reports](/enactafrica/research/trend-reports) - [OCWAR-T](/enactafrica/research/ocwar-t) - [Other](/enactafrica/research/other) - [Events](/enactafrica/events) - [Events](/enactafrica/events) - [Training](/enactafrica/training) - [Media resources](/enactafrica/media-resources) - [Videos](/enactafrica/media-resources/videos) - [Infographics](/enactafrica/media-resources/infographics) - [Explainers](/enactafrica/media-resources/explainers) - [Press releases](/enactafrica/media-resources/press-releases) - [About us](/enactafrica/about-us) - [What we do](/enactafrica/about-us/what-we-do) - [Impact](/enactafrica/impact) [](/search) </div> <div class="body-container"> <div id="page_main_banner" class="container-wide"> <div class="img-container fadeInOpacity" style="background-image: url(https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/images/banners/2019-04-23-zama-zama-policy-brief-content-big.jpg);"> </div> </div> <div class="container-full"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-3 order-2 order-sm-2 order-md-2 order-lg-1 order-xl-1"> <div id="content_col_1" class="mt-5 stick-container"> <div class="side-box sticky no-print"> Published on 23 April 2019 in [Research and policy](/enactafrica/research) / [Policy briefs](/enactafrica/research/policy-briefs) <div class="pb-3 author-list"> <div style="float: left;"> By </div> <div style="margin-left:25px"> <div class="d-inline-block mb-2"> [Alan Martin](/author/alan-martin) </div> </div> </div> ----- <div class="text-end"> <div class="d-inline-block align-top me-3"> Share this: </div> - [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=http://issafrica.org/enactafrica/research/policy-briefs/uncovered-the-dark-world-of-the-zama-zamas) - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http://issafrica.org/enactafrica/research/policy-briefs/uncovered-the-dark-world-of-the-zama-zamas&via=ISSAfrica) - [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Uncovered:%20The%20dark%20world%20of%20the%20Zama%20Zamas%20http://issafrica.org/enactafrica/research/policy-briefs/uncovered-the-dark-world-of-the-zama-zamas&via=ISSAfrica) </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="content_col_2" class="col-lg-6 order-1 order-sm-1 order-md-1 order-lg-2 order-xl-2"> ### Uncovered: The dark world of the Zama Zamas #### Zama Zama outputs exceed R14 billion annually, making South Africa one of the biggest sources of illicit gold in Africa. Illegal artisanal mining in South Africa is among the most lucrative and violent on the African continent, with lost production exceeding R14 billion (about USD$1 billion) a year. Current enforcement and policy responses, which criminalise illegal miners, are misguided, counterproductive and ignore the poverty and socio-economic drivers behind the phenomenon. A more holistic, nuanced and multi-faceted approach is required from government and industry to address the lack of formalisation and the marginalisation of the illegal mining sector. **About the author** Alan Martin is a technical adviser and investigative researcher specialising in illicit ASM gold and diamond supply chains. In the past decade he has examined the political economy and policy drivers behind criminal activity in Dubai, India, Mali, Uganda, Zimbabwe and the Mano River Union region of West Africa. He is based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

<div class="no-print"> <div class="text-center"> [Download](https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2019-04-23-zama-zama-policy-brief%20022.pdf) </div>   </div> </div> <div id="content_col_3" class="col-lg-3 order-3"> <div class="mt-5"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container-full pt-5 no-print"> <div class="heading mb-1"> ###### Related content </div> <div class="mb-4"> [South Africa](/enactafrica/countries/south-africa) </div> <div id="related_append" class="row row-cols-1 row-cols-md-3 g-4"> <div class="col-sm-6 col-md-4 col-lg-3"> [](/enactafrica/research/research-papers/colonialisme-criminel-la-criminalite-organisee-europeenne-en-afrique-etude-preliminaire) <div class="hover-container"> <div class="background"> </div>  </div> <div class="card-body ps-2 pe-2 pt-2"> ###### Colonialisme criminel : La criminalité organisée européenne en Afrique – Étude préliminaire </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 col-md-4 col-lg-3"> [](/enactafrica/research/research-papers/criminal-colonialism-european-organised-crime-in-africa-an-exploratory-study) <div class="hover-container"> <div class="background"> </div>  </div> <div class="card-body ps-2 pe-2 pt-2"> ###### Criminal colonialism: European organised crime in Africa – an exploratory study </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 col-md-4 col-lg-3"> [](/enactafrica/media-resources/videos/enact-live-organised-crime-in-south-africa-finding-solutions-in-a-fast-changing-world) <div class="hover-container"> <div class="background"> </div>  </div> <div class="card-body ps-2 pe-2 pt-2"> ###### ENACT Live: Organised crime in South Africa – finding solutions in a fast-changing world </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 col-md-4 col-lg-3"> [](/enactafrica/research/policy-briefs/corruption-in-sa-municipalities-a-form-of-organised-crime) <div class="hover-container"> <div class="background"> </div>  </div> <div class="card-body ps-2 pe-2 pt-2"> ###### Corruption in SA municipalities: a form of organised crime? </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="top-section"> <div class="container-footer"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-4"> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="footer-subscribe text-lg-end text-md-center text-sm-center text-xs-center"> <div class="mb-4"> [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-security-studies) [](https://www.facebook.com/issafrica) [](https://twitter.com/issafrica) [](https://www.youtube.com/ISSAfricaTV) [Subscribe Now](/subscribe) </div> Creative Commons 4.0 International </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>