What we test and verify in Tanzania
Tanzania is one of Africa’s largest gold producers, and much of the gold offered to foreign buyers moves through licensed dealers, brokers and the government’s network of mineral markets. Our work here falls into two parts that are usually combined: testing the gold and verifying the seller.
- On-site gold testing — XRF readings, acid (touchstone) tests and density measurement of bars, doré, nuggets and dust, with calibrated weighing and numbered seals.
- Laboratory assay — a sample drawn under our supervision and delivered to an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory for fire assay, the certificate in your name.
- Witnessed melting — raw or alluvial gold melted into a bar at a licensed facility with our tester present, so the assay belongs to the bar that is sold. See gold smelting and melt sampling.
- Seller verification — company record at BRELA, the dealer’s or broker’s licence with the Mining Commission, authority to sell the lot, and screening of the directors.
- Export document checks — export permit, royalty and inspection records, and the certificate of origin, each confirmed with the office that issued it.
Where our testers work in Tanzania
We are based in Dar es Salaam and travel to the gold. Most of Tanzania’s artisanal and small-scale gold is mined around Lake Victoria and in the west, while export paperwork, vaults and most buyers’ meetings are in Dar es Salaam.
| Area | What we usually do there |
|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam | Testing at vaults, dealers’ offices and before export; document and licence checks; meetings with buyers |
| Mwanza | Testing at dealers and mineral markets; samples to laboratories in the Lake Zone |
| Geita | Testing at the Geita mineral market and small-scale operations; witnessed melts |
| Shinyanga and Kahama | Site visits to small-scale mines and buying centres |
| Mara (Musoma, Tarime) | Site visits and testing at the point of purchase |
| Mbeya (Chunya) and Singida | Site visits on request, scheduled with the client |
How gold is traded in Tanzania: mineral markets and buying centres
Since March 2019, Tanzania has required artisanal and small-scale gold to be traded through government mineral markets and buying centres overseen by the Mining Commission. By May 2026 the network had grown to 44 mineral markets and 120 buying centres, and formal trading reached TSh 4.90 trillion between July 2025 and March 2026, up 73.8% on the year before, according to the Mining Commission’s performance review reported by The Guardian (Tanzania).
For a buyer this matters in one practical way: gold that has passed through a mineral market has a paper trail — a sale record, a royalty receipt and an inspection record — that can be checked. Gold that cannot show that trail needs a closer look at how it reached the seller.
A second rule affects export lots. Since October 2024, Tanzanian miners and gold dealers have been required to offer at least 20% of gold intended for export to the Bank of Tanzania, which has bought gold domestically to build its reserves. A seller’s export plan should account for this; we check that it does.
Checking a Tanzanian gold seller
Every engagement is assessed against the Nairank Global Standard. In Tanzania, the public records sit with these bodies:
- Legal existence — the company is looked up on the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) register. We confirm the registration number, the registered directors and the shareholders against what the seller has told you.
- Licence validity — Tanzanian gold is mined under Primary Mining Licences (PMLs), Mining Licences or Special Mining Licences, and traded under dealer’s and broker’s licences. We confirm the licence on the Mining Commission’s records and the online mining cadastre: current, in the seller’s name, and covering the activity being offered.
- Authority to sell — a broker or agent must show a written mandate from the licensed holder of the gold. We confirm the mandate with the holder, not only with the person presenting it.
The remaining checks — the gold itself, an independent assay, the documents and counterparty screening — are carried out on site and with the issuing offices. See company and licence background check for the detail.
How we test gold in Tanzania
No single test answers every question, so our testers use several together and record each reading. The methods are explained in full in gold testing methods compared.
| Test | What it tells you | Where |
|---|---|---|
| XRF | Surface composition — gold, silver, copper and other metals — in seconds, without damage | On site |
| Acid (touchstone) | A quick reading of fineness on a streak of the metal | On site |
| Density (specific gravity) | Weight in air against weight in water, for the whole piece | On site |
| Drilling or melting and sampling | Metal from inside the piece, so the assay is not of the surface alone | On site or licensed facility |
| Fire assay | The reference measurement of gold content | Accredited laboratory |
Accredited laboratory capacity exists in the country, including ISO/IEC 17025-accredited fire assay in Mwanza. We choose the laboratory for each job and have the certificate issued to you.
Documents a Tanzanian gold export should carry
- BRELA certificate of incorporation and current company extract
- Dealer’s or broker’s licence, and the mining licence of the source where relevant
- Mineral market or buying-centre sale records and royalty receipts
- Export permit issued for the specific consignment
- Assay certificate from the laboratory, and the government inspection record
- Certificate of origin, packing list and the air waybill or shipping document
Each document is confirmed with the office or laboratory that issued it, using contact details we find independently. See how to verify gold deal documents.
How long it takes
A licence and registry check in Tanzania usually takes one to two working days. On-site testing is done on the day of the visit, and XRF, acid and density results are recorded during it. The laboratory sets the fire assay timetable, which we state in the scope. A site visit outside Dar es Salaam is scheduled with you, allowing for travel to Mwanza, Geita or the mine.
Who uses our Tanzania service
- Buyers abroad who want the gold and the seller checked before paying or flying in.
- Sellers and dealers who want an independent test record to show a buyer.
- Refiners checking incoming doré or bars at the point of collection.
- Investors and lenders looking at a small-scale mine or a trading company before funding it.