Dzapasi Mashizha is a metallurgical engineer and mining-sector specialist with 20 years’ experience across mineral processing operations, national mineral strategy, and government advisory in Africa. He is currently Mineral Processing Expert at the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum & Gas Board, where he leads national mineral processing capacity building informing beneficiation strategy, guides government and operators on value addition, and engages international partners on sustainable critical-minerals extraction.
His work sits at the intersection of critical minerals, value chains, resource governance and green industrialization. His latest contribution in this space is the co-authored paper “Redefining Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: The Mineral Security Pivot,” repositioning ASM as a development and mineral-security lever has been accepted for presentation at the XXXII International Mineral Processing Congress (IMPC 2026).
Previously, he spent 16 years in mine operations and projects across diamonds, gold and base metals, rising to senior roles, leading capital and technology projects from concept and feasibility through construction and commissioning, including the design of what would be Africa’s first Kimberlite waste-sorting deployment. Also, Co-founder of Mamlakuwth Consultancy offering technical due diligence and advisory support to investors targeting sub-Saharan Africa.
A committed lifelong learner, pursuing Doctor of Engineering (AU) research on modeling cybernetic critical-mineral supply chain risk for African case countries, holds an MBA (UK), a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice (UK), and certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LK). Dzapasi is member of the Operational Research Society (UK), Fellow of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, serving on its Continuing Professional Development Committee and the Zimbabwe Branch Committee.
As an ACCET Research Fellow, Dzapasi is committed to advancing evidence-based research and Africa-led policy dialogue. His research interests span critical-mineral supply-chain risk and resilience, mineral security and ASM formalization, circularity in mining, and systems approaches to resource governance.
Research Interests
- Critical Minerals Value Addition & Mineral Processing
- Critical Mineral Supply Chains & Mineral Security
- Artisanal & Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Governance
- Resource Governance & Green Industrialization
