Tonkolili District · Sierra Leone
Responsible gold mining, built on partnership with African communities.
AK Minerals operates a mechanised gold mining project in the Kafe Chiefdom of Sierra Leone, combining disciplined operations with genuine community partnership and environmental stewardship.
- Concession Area
- 4.98 km²
- Licence
- SML 8/25
- District
- Tonkolili
- Mineral
- Gold
About Us
Who We Are
AK Minerals (trading as GIMCL) is a Sierra Leone-registered mining company holding a Mining Licence granted under the Mines and Minerals Development Act, 2023. We bring a disciplined, safety-first approach to gold extraction, drawing on hands-on experience running mechanised mining operations in West Africa.
We work in close partnership with the Kafe Chiefdom, from the Paramount Chief and Section Chief down to the villages nearest our licence area, because a mining project only succeeds when the community it operates alongside shares in its benefits. Our approach is to treat neighbours as partners: transparent about our plans, accountable to local authorities, and committed to leaving the land in good order once mining is complete.
Company Snapshot
- Legal Name
- AK Minerals (t/a GIMCL)
- Licence Type
- Mining Licence
- Certificate No.
- SML 8/25
- Mineral
- Gold
- Regulator
- National Minerals Agency (NMA)
- Registered Address
- 7 Beach Road, Aberdeen, Freetown
Safety First
Mechanised operations run to disciplined safety and maintenance standards, protecting our workforce on site every day.
Regulatory Compliance
Operating within the framework of Sierra Leone’s 2023 Mines and Minerals Development Act, with regular reporting to the National Minerals Agency.
Community Partnership
Formal agreements with local chiefdom authorities and landholders, and a standing channel for community feedback and grievances.
Environmental Stewardship
Closed-loop water management and progressive land rehabilitation carried out throughout the life of the mine, not just at closure.
Project Kafe
The Project
Our licensed concession sits in the Kafe Chiefdom, Kabaia Section, Tonkolili District, within Sierra Leone’s Sula Mountains greenstone belt, an area with a long history of gold mineralisation.
- Location
- Royema-Thonkolie, Kafe Chiefdom, Tonkolili District
- Concession Area
- 4.98 km² (498 hectares)
- Terrain
- Rolling, 100–300 m elevation
- Hydrology
- Seasonal wetlands & Tonkolili River tributaries
- Access
- Via the Makeni–Magburaka Highway; seasonal unpaved roads on site
- Geology
- Archean greenstone belt: alluvial and hard-rock gold targets
How We Operate
Our operating model is mechanised surface mining, run on a seasonal schedule aligned to dry-season access and water availability. The process moves from extraction through to a secure, on-site gold room:
Extraction
Shallow open-pit, selective mining of gold-bearing laterite and gravels.
Haulage
Short haul from the pit to our on-site processing plant.
Gravity Separation
Scrubbing, screening and centrifugal concentration — a chemical-free process.
Recovery
Final recovery and smelting in a secure, on-site gold room.
The project employs a mix of local labour and experienced technical leads, with our workforce scaling with the phase of operations. We favour local hiring and skills development wherever possible.
Sustainability & Community
Operating Responsibly
Mining is a temporary use of the land and a long-term relationship with the people who live on it. Our commitments reflect both.
Community Development Agreement
A formal agreement with the Kafe Chiefdom setting out a community development fund and profit-sharing arrangement, alongside annual surface rent payments to landholders and the chiefdom.
Grievance Mechanism
A standing, formal channel for residents to raise concerns or disputes with the project, so issues are heard and addressed early.
Water Management
A closed-loop water system recycles process water between the plant and settling ponds, with a zero-discharge target during the dry season to protect local waterways.
Progressive Rehabilitation
Backfilling and topsoil replacement follow extraction as it proceeds, not only at mine closure, with revegetation and an EPA-approved closure plan for the site.
Local Employment
Preference for local hiring across our workforce, with skilled roles open to community members alongside our technical leads.
Coexistence & Formalisation
Where our concession overlaps with existing artisanal workings, our approach is coexistence: designated artisanal zones, fair-market purchase of artisanal production, and formal employment pathways for skilled artisanal miners.
“Success relies on converting the community from neighbours to partners.”
Contact
Get in Touch
For enquiries about AK Minerals or Project Kafe, reach us directly.
Email info@ak-minerals.com
Registered Office
7 Beach Road
Aberdeen, Freetown
Sierra Leone
Project Site
Royema-Thonkolie
Kafe Chiefdom, Kabaia Section
Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone
AK Minerals 