A processing business, not a speculative dig.
Base Aurum captures a structural value gap in African gold — starting in Kenya's Migori belt, with a model now being replicated across East Africa: ready supply, reopening regulatory windows, and little or no certified competing infrastructure.
The gold metal is saturated. The gold trade is not.
Supply of metal, liquidity and price discovery are world-class and crowded. But trust, provenance, processing and certified testing in African gold still barely exist — and that is where the value sits.
Properly processed, certified gold consistently commands far more than raw ore sold to middlemen. Base Aurum captures that margin directly, by owning the processing and verification step that the corridor is missing.
The value gap between raw ore sold to middlemen and properly processed, certified gold — the margin our processing step unlocks.
A narrow first-mover window
Four conditions rarely line up at once. Right now, in Nyatike, they do.
Regulatory reopening
In 2024 Kenya lifted a four-year freeze on new mining licences — the most significant sector shift in years.
Zero competing infrastructure
No certified leaching plant or testing lab operates within 45km of our Osiri site.
Ready supply
500+ active artisanal miners produce gold daily with nowhere to process it properly.
Land secured
The one-acre Osiri site is promoter-owned — the largest greenfield risk is already removed.
From national trade down to one catchment
Indicative market context, narrowing to the corridor Base Aurum serves first.
USD 180M+
Kenya gold market — all gold mined and traded nationally.
USD 37M
Migori County trade — the county's artisanal mining sector.
~USD 1.4M
Nyatike catchment — Osiri and a 30km radius, where we are the only credible operator.
Three revenue streams, one supply chain
The assay laboratory earns from day one — before the plant reaches full capacity — giving early cash flow to cover operating costs.
Ore processing
Miners bring ore; we leach, extract the gold and return product, minus a processing fee.
Laboratory / assay
Certified fire-assay, spectroscopic and density testing for miners, traders and buyers.
Gold purchase & resale
Buy processed gold at transparent, spot-linked rates; resell to licensed dealers and exporters.
Africa refines too little of its own gold.
Most African gold leaves the continent raw, with the refining margin captured abroad. As Kenya formalises its sector and builds domestic refining capacity, certified, traceable, locally-processed gold is exactly what premium buyers increasingly require.
Base Aurum is positioned at that pivot point — turning informal ore into processed, certified gold that can move into legitimate, higher-value markets rather than leaking out unprocessed.
Who we're looking to partner with
The land is secured, the market already exists, and the regulatory window is open — what's required now is construction capital and the right partners.
Investors
Equity partners to fund the facility build-out and commissioning. Full financial models, legal documentation and site access are shared under a signed NDA.
Design-partner buyers
Refiners and jewellers who want verified, traceable, ethically-processed gold and are willing to pilot certified sourcing with us.
Pilot sellers
Licensed Kenyan exporters and mining cooperatives seeking a fair, transparent processing and buying partner.
Finance partners
DFIs and impact funds interested in backing responsible, mercury-free gold processing and ASM finance.