BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-As Malawi doubles down on its Agriculture, Tourism, Mining ((ATM) strategy and recently expands it to include manufacturing,attention is once again turning to the country’s vast but underutilized mineral wealth.
Among these, gemstones remain one of the most undervalued and under-regulated sectors.
In the lead-up to the upcoming National Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Symposium (NASSMS), our journalist Chisomo Phiri spoke with one of the sector’s most vocal innovators,Yamikani Jimusole, GG GIA, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yami Gemstone Lab & Exports (YAGLE).
As one of the few accredited gemologists in the country,Jimusole is leading efforts to introduce a national gemstone certification and appraisal system.
INNOVATION WITHOUT SUPPORT
Yami Gemstone Lab & Exports (YAGLE), founded in 2018 by Jimusole, a GIA-certified gemologist, is spearheading a critical innovation: the development of gemstone certification, grading, and valuation systems for Malawi.
This solution is not merely technical—it’s transformational.
“Gemstones are assets, just like cars and real estate. But in Malawi, they’re sold with no documentation, leaving them severely undervalued,” said Jimusole.
As one of the few accredited gemologists in country and across Africa, Jimusole said it was deeply troubling to see the country grappling with poverty, foreign exchange shortages, and joblessness—despite holding some of the rarest and most valuable gemstones on Earth, including rubies, Padparadscha sapphires, blue zircon, spinel, and grandidierite.
“That contradiction is what drove me to come up with the certification and appraisal innovation.
“We cannot continue exporting poverty while sitting on wealth.” he explained.
YAGLE’s broader vision includes establishing a state-of-the-art gemstone laboratory and a Gemological and Entrepreneurship Institute—initiatives designed to raise incomes for miners, increase government royalties, reduce smuggling, and enable gemstones to serve as collateral in formal financial systems.
Yet despite its transformative potential, the initiative remains unsupported by government institutions.
INSTITUTIONAL INERTIA BLOCKS PROGRESS
In 2022, YAGLE submitted 63 assorted gemstones to the Ministry of Mining for appraisal.
What followed was a vague, two-page document—evidence of the absence of a functioning certification and appraisal system.
At the time, the Ministry did have an accredited gemologist,Rodrick Phiri, on staff.
However, despite his professional standing, no grading, certification, or valuation frameworks were implemented before his retirement in 2024.
Since then, the Ministry—and government more broadly—has operated without a single accredited gemologist, a critical capacity gap that remains unresolved.
Then, in February 2025, the Ministry suspended all gemstone export permits, citing widespread undervaluation.
A 21-day moratorium has now extended beyond four months.
“The ban was a wake-up call for the country—but for us, it was vindication.Everything we had been warning about for years was finally acknowledged, publicly and officially yet to date, no new structure has been introduced to resolve the problem,” said Jimusole.
GEMSTONE WEALTH, LOCKED AND UNTAPPED
YAGLE holds a sizable inventory of rough and cut gemstones—from aquamarine and garnets to high-quality rose quartz—conservatively worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
But without certification, this wealth remains frozen. The company submitted formal requests for appraisal and certification in April and May 2024.No response has been received.
In May 2025, after failing to get traction from key government stakeholders, YAGLE escalated the matter to the Presidential Delivery Unit—an entity tasked with fast-tracking high-priority interventions.
While the unit has yet to respond, the company remains hopeful for a positive outcome.This delay hurts more than one company. Proper certification would:
Unlock trade value for private miners
Increase government tax revenue and royalties
Improve transparency and curb smuggling
Attract local and international investment
Instead, Malawi continues to export rough stones with minimal value addition, forfeiting control and revenue to foreign buyers.
OPPORTUNITIES MISSED
YAGLE’s inability to certify and liquidate its gemstone inventory has led to tangible missed opportunities—both personal and national:
1.In 2025, Yamikani Jimusole was selected to attend the Africa Start-Up Forum in Morocco, a gathering of top entrepreneurs from across the continent.
2.He was also awarded a Jewelry Design Scholarship by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for their London campus—an opportunity that would have made him Malawi’s first formally accredited jewelry designer.
Both prospects were missed—not because of a lack of merit—but due to a systemic failure to recognize and support certified gemstone inventory as legitimate capital.
These weren’t just personal milestones—they were opportunities for:
Branding Malawi on a global stage
Attracting partnerships in jewelry manufacturing
Elevating local talent into global markets
SYMPOSIUMS VS. REALITY
Malawi will host the National Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Symposium (NASSMS) from July 14–15, 2025, under the theme:
“Revolutionizing Malawi’s Economy through Mineral-Driven Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship for Growth.”
While the theme is promising, the ground reality paints a different picture.
If transformative innovations like YAGLE’s gemstone certification system—which could uplift the entire industry—are ignored, who exactly is being empowered?
“We have always believed in Malawi’s gemstone potential — but our biggest challenge has not been geology. It has been bureaucracy,” said Jimusole.
AMBITION WITHOUT INFRASTRUCTURE: THE GAP BETWEEN PLANS AND READINESS
The Minister of Mining has announced ambitious plans, including:
1.Transforming NEEF into an investment bank for women and youth in mining
2.Launching a Minerals Auction Week
3 Collaborating with local banks and the Export Development Fund (EDF) to establish marketing centres
4.Introducing scanners at export zones to curb smuggling and enhance transparency
These are commendable steps—but without investing first in gemstone laboratories, certified gemologists, and traceability systems, they remain symbolic rather than transformative.
No miner can access loans using uncertified gemstones as collateral.
No auction can determine fair prices without proper appraisal.
No scanner can authenticate what hasn’t been scientifically graded.
THE COST OF DELAY
YAGLE’s investors—many of whom have supported the company for years—are losing confidence. But this is not just a private setback.
The cost to Malawi includes:
Reduced exports and foreign exchange earnings
Fewer job opportunities in mining, lapidary, and jewelry
Stalled industrialization and infrastructure growth
Declining investor confidence
Direct loss of revenue through lower taxes and royalties
This inertia undermines national goals, including the ATM Strategy and Malawi 2063, both of which identify mining as a transformational pillar of the economy.
“Malawi’s gemstone sector is not short on potential—it is short on policy responsiveness, institutional coordination, and operational integrity. If authorities are truly serious about the ATM Strategy and Malawi 2063, then they must urgently support—not stall—the private sector players leading the charge, he added.
CONCLUSION:
A BILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY LEFT IN THE ROUGH
YAGLE’s journey reflects Malawi’s broader potential—rich in resources, innovation, and talent, but hindered by policy delays and institutional inertia.
The gemstone industry, if professionally managed and supported by robust certification systems, has the potential to generate over $1 billion annually.
That revenue could fund hospitals, schools, roads, and jobs.
Moreover, YAGLE’s work directly supports several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:
SDG 1: No Poverty
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Yet, without clear institutional support, these ambitions risk remaining just that—ambitions.
It is time to move from policy rhetoric to real action.
If Malawi is serious about the ATM Strategy, Malawi 2063, and the SDGs, it must begin by unlocking the potential of pioneers like YAGLE.
YAGLE stands ready to lead—but it cannot do so alone.
