Investor.
Partner.
Operator.

A specialist alternative asset manager in African mining.

Unamine SARL invests in mining and metals in Africa. We are a specialist firm, operating since 2020, with a defined mandate and a focused commodity platform.

Unamine was founded in 2020 by David Kangai and Wicknell Chivayo, with backing from the Saffran Foundation, to build an enduring mining investment management business. We were early among alternative asset managers in expanding into African critical minerals, and operate a focused rare earth and critical mineral platform centred on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe.

A core element of the mandate is aggregating output from artisanal and small-scale mining and from junior-to-mid-cap operators, alongside direct mine-to-market trading. This places the firm at the point of production, capturing margin across the value chain rather than at a single layer, and gives institutional partners direct, traceable access to physical material. Our approach is built around a safe and legal route to market: we work with operators to formalise and trace ASM output from source through to offtake, so that material reaches regulated buyers through documented, compliant channels.

Our funds target consistent, positive, risk-adjusted returns through market cycles, with disciplined risk management and capital preservation. Portfolio composition follows global supply and demand in mining and metal commodities, rather than any fixed commitment to a single strategy or to a defined geographic perimeter.

Structured positions across the mining value chain.

As an Africa mine investor, we operate at scale and take an active role at every stage of the extractive value chain, using our expertise and financial strength to reduce complexity and bring markets together.

Two jurisdictions with defined mineral endowments.

Research-based analysis, with risk management at every stage.

We invest for long-term value creation through steady, consistent performance and limited use of leverage. Decisions rest on detailed, research-based analysis and thorough due diligence, and every investment decision incorporates risk management through both quantitative and qualitative methods. Risk management has been core to the business since inception.

We believe our embedded, team-based culture, and experience drawn solely from continental Africa, including the political and commercial dynamics of bids and tenders, differentiate us from competitors.

Our partners (executive managing directors) and managing directors derive virtually all of their income from participation in the profits of the entire business globally. This helps limit asymmetric risk between fund investors and our people, and fosters internal cooperation. All professional employees can progress to managing director and executive managing director, a strong incentive and retention mechanism.

1. Assessment

   Geological, metallurgical, legal, and community assessment by the in-house team before capital commitment, with independent verification where warranted.

2. Structuring

   Co-designed operational and commercial structures with defined governance, aligned incentives, and pre-agreed pathways for deployment and realisation.

3. Operating support

   On-site technical, compliance, supply chain, and community engagement, provided by the firm’s professionals rather than external consultants.

4. Offtake and realisation

   Traceable offtake with international buyers, structured to meet the compliance and provenance requirements of downstream manufacturers in regulated markets.

Technical and financial teams.

Our principals combine operating experience in African mining jurisdictions with capital markets and structured finance backgrounds. The long-term interests of fund investors are central to how we run the business and invest for growth.

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David Kangai

Co-Founder & Chief Executive

Mr. Kangai is a co-founder of Unamine. He has 15 years of experience across investment banking, minerals trading, and fund management in Africa, and holds an MBA from INSEAD. He leads mandate structuring, capital deployment, and sovereign engagement across the firm’s jurisdictions.

• Co-Founder
• Mandate structuring
• Sovereign relations

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Wicknell Chivayo

Co-Founder, Advisor & Investor

Mr. Chivayo is a co-founder of Unamine and a Zimbabwean energy and infrastructure entrepreneur who served as a strategic advisor and investor to the firm. As founder of Intratrek Zimbabwe, he secured major government-linked energy contracts including the Gwanda Solar Project (US$172m), Munyati Power Station refurbishment (US$163m), and Gairezi Hydroelectric Project (US$128m). His in-country relationships and project origination capabilities provided the firm with access and guidance in Zimbabwe. He held an investment position in the firm and advised on government relations, strategic partnerships, and large-scale project development.

• Co-Founder
• Advisor
• Investor
• Energy & infrastructure

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Rumbidzai Moyo

Chief Operating Officer

Ms. Moyo is a qualified mining engineer with 18 years of operational leadership across southern Africa. Formerly Production Manager at ZimCoal Ltd, she has led lithium and rare earth programmes in Zimbabwe. She oversees on-site operational teams, supply chain logistics, and environmental compliance.

• Operations
• Production
• Compliance

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Grace Kasongo

Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Kasongo is a capital markets and minerals finance specialist with 14 years in commodity trading, export credit, and project finance. Formerly Head of Trade Finance at Standard Bank Zimbabwe, she is a chartered accountant. She oversees capital deployment, investor reporting, offtake negotiations, and financial risk management.

• Finance
• Offtake structuring
• Risk management

JM

Jean-Blaise Mukendi

Founding Partner, Legal Counsel & ESG

Mr. Mukendi is a founding partner of Unamine and legal counsel to the firm. Born in Bunkonde, Kasai-Central province, he served as president of the bar at the Court of Cassation and was elected to the national parliament in 2018 for the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS). Throughout his career he advocated for the rights of the voiceless and the oppressed. In his capacity at Unamine, he directs the firm’s environmental, social, and governance agenda across its mining operations, with responsibility for benefaction commitments, workforce development, community engagement, and the alignment of portfolio activities with international responsible-mining standards and independent social watch frameworks. He also oversees the firm’s legal affairs in the DRC.

• Founding Partner
• Legal Counsel
• ESG
• Community & Benefaction
• DRC Operations

Enquiries.

Unamine works with a small number of institutional investors and mining joint-venture partners. Introductions are made through existing investors, counsel, or counterparties. Select the route relevant to your matter.