A rocky road ahead? Critical reflections on the futures of small-scale mining in sub-Saharan Africa

This paper introduces a special issue which explores the dynamics and various development trajectories of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) – low-tech mineral processing and extraction – in sub-Saharan Africa. The papers in this special issue reflect critically on the efforts made over the past two decades to formalize the sector, which has fast become one of the most important economic activities in many rural sections of the region, as well as what lies ahead, given the progress made to date with legalizing and supporting operators. The present paper not only summarizes each contribution but also frames the debates on formalization, industry impacts and perceptions of participants which this special issue touches on, with specific reference to sub-Saharan Africa. Host governments and donors are now at a crossroads: on the one hand, faced with the reality that across the region, ASM is now an integral component of the rural economy, but on the other hand, having in place rigid regulatory and policy frameworks which do not necessarily reflect this reality.