UK-Headquartered responsible gold sourcing company SigraFi has entered a long-term partnership with PeaceGold Trading Company to expand the supply of traceable artisanal gold from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, introducing structured financing and accredited refining access for cooperative-based producers.
The agreement is significant because much of the country’s artisanal gold sector remains outside formal international markets. By combining growth capital with compliant export pathways, the partners aim to improve livelihoods, strengthen supply-chain transparency and reduce illicit trade at a time when gold smuggling in the Democratic Republic of Congo has remained a persistent challenge.
Structured finance tied to future deliveries
Under the commercial framework, SigraFi will provide structured working capital through a revolving working capital facility linked to future contracted gold deliveries, alongside refinery-delivery support and logistics coordination. In return, participating cooperatives will supply fully traceable gold doré for delivery into accredited international refining channels.
The companies said the model combines SigraFi’s compliant sourcing, capital structuring, logistics expertise and refinery relationships with PeaceGold’s work to formalise artisanal mining in eastern DRC. The financing mechanism is designed to offer producers more reliable routes to market, greater pricing transparency and improved access to international refining infrastructure.
The partnership also complements broader efforts to modernise the country’s mineral exports, including recent DRC copper shipments through the Lobito Corridor, underscoring increasing investment in secure and transparent export corridors.
Supporting responsible mining communities
Founded in 2013 by Greg Valerio, PeaceGold works alongside local organisations to legalise artisanal mining operations, reduce mercury use and establish compliant export pathways while supporting peace-building and community development.
The initiative currently collaborates with around 11 artisanal mining cooperatives in Ituri Province, representing approximately 25,000 miners and support workers. By linking finance directly to future gold deliveries, the partners hope to reduce reliance on informal traders and help miners retain more value from their production.
SigraFi executives have argued that responsible producers frequently struggle to access compliant export channels, refinery relationships and appropriately structured finance despite growing international demand for traceable minerals.
Formalising a major informal sector
Artisanal and small-scale mining contributes an estimated one-fifth of global gold production and supports millions of livelihoods worldwide. Yet many producers remain excluded from recognised international markets because of financing, compliance and infrastructure barriers.
The SigraFi–PeaceGold partnership seeks to address those obstacles by creating a commercially sustainable model that links responsible production with verified supply chains and accredited refiners. Analysts say the agreement reflects a wider trend as Africa assumes a larger role in global mineral supply chains, increasing demand for ethically sourced commodities and transparent procurement practices.
A potential blueprint for the continent
If successful, the initiative could provide a model for responsible sourcing partnerships elsewhere in Africa and Latin America, where artisanal mining remains a vital source of employment but often lacks access to formal finance and international markets.
Comparable reforms are already under way in other jurisdictions, with Burkina Faso tightening oversight of its gold sector through mining code reforms aimed at capturing greater value from domestic mineral production.
