THURSDAY December 18, 2025
By The Tranquility News Correspondent, Tanzania
The story of Gerald Kubanda, who traded a small-scale grain stall for the CEO’s chair at Gekahill Inter Trade Limited, is not merely a tale of individual success; it is a compelling economic manifesto.
His transformation, mirrored by peers like Hamisi Shaaban of Mjasilia Group Company Limited, offers irrefutable evidence that modern mining’s most valuable resource is not the gold beneath the earth, but the prosperity and partnership of the community living on top of it.
For too long, the relationship between extractive industries and host communities has been transactional, often leaving behind a legacy of dependence rather than development.
Barrick Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, through its partnership with the Tanzanian government as Twiga Minerals Corporation, is pioneering a far more strategic model.
It is a model that recognises the Social License to Operate (SLO) as an asset to be continually invested in, not a one-time permit to be taken for granted.
This approach is not an act of sporadic corporate social responsibility; it is a vital, non-negotiable component of long-term operational stability.
The success of Kubanda and Shaaban is the direct result of a robust, structured local content initiative.
Kubanda used a mine-funded mosquito spraying contract to raise capital and formally register his business.
Shaaban, a former casual labourer, identified a market demand for fresh produce among mine staff and built a major horticulture enterprise, now employing over 50 people.
These aren’t hand-outs; they are examples of strategic market creation. The mine acts as a reliable anchor client, de-risking investments for local entrepreneurs and allowing them to formalise, diversify, and grow.
Crucially, this partnership extends beyond mere contracts. The Bulyanhulu model focuses on capacity building, offering expertise in fields like agriculture and beekeeping, along with infrastructure support.
This transforms micro-businesses into formal employers and skilled job creators, enhancing the entire regional economic landscape.
The mine benefits from reliable, high-quality local supply chains, while the community gains asset ownership, sustainable growth, and improved living standards—a critical buffer against social instability.
The youthful entrepreneurs whose stories are highlighted in this initiative are right to call upon their peers to seize these opportunities.
Their achievements are a ‘wakeup call’ not just for local residents, but for every major corporate entity operating in a developing economy.
It illustrates that embedding the host community into the core value chain is the most powerful way to secure a mining operation’s future.
The Bulyanhulu experience is a blueprint now garnering recognition from the Mining Commission.
It proves that by treating local entrepreneurs as partners and beneficiaries, rather than just recipients of charity, a company can foster a powerful synergy.
The ongoing transformation facilitated by Barrick Bulyanhulu is a compelling narrative of hope, resilience, and partnership, demonstrating unequivocally that true success in mining is inextricably tied to the progress of the people who call the area home. This is the gold standard for how to cultivate enduring trustΩ
