PRESS rELEASE: SigraFi signs long-term responsible gold supply deal with PeaceGold in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Partnership combines structured growth capital, compliant refinery access, and traceable artisanal gold supply from cooperative-based producers in the DRC. 

SigraFi Ltd, the UK-headquartered responsible gold sourcing and offtake company, today announced the signing of an agreement with PeaceGold Trading Company Ltd for a long-term artisanal gold supply and growth-capital partnership in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The agreement establishes a commercial framework under which SigraFi will provide structured working capital and refinery-delivery support in exchange for a contracted supply of fully traceable gold doré sourced from cooperative-based producers in Ituri Province for delivery into accredited international refining channels.

The partnership combines SigraFi’s compliant sourcing, logistics coordination, refinery access, and capital structuring capabilities with PeaceGold’s long-standing work supporting the formalisation of artisanal gold production in eastern DRC.

Founded by Greg Valerio MBE, PeaceGold has worked with mining communities in eastern DRC since 2013, alongside UK-based charity Peace Direct and Centre Résolution Conflits, to support the legalisation of artisanal gold mining operations, reduce the use of mercury in gold processing, and establish compliant export pathways for producers.

Under the framework, SigraFi will support the scaling of supply operations through a revolving working capital facility linked to future contracted gold deliveries. The structure is intended to provide producers with reliable routes to market, improved pricing transparency, and access to international refining infrastructure while enabling SigraFi and its counterparties to access vetted and traceable artisanal gold supply.

“This partnership demonstrates the power of SigraFi’s model to unlock gold responsibly from small-scale gold producers and deliver it into the international gold supply chain, with all the benefits that provides,” said Zara Shirwan, Co-Founder and Director of Strategy at SigraFi.

“Everyone knows the potential within the artisanal and small-scale gold sector, but producers are often constrained by limited access to compliant export channels, refinery relationships, and appropriately structured financing, and that’s where we come in. We facilitate responsible operators to participate more effectively in the international gold market through long-term commercial partnerships.”

Commenting on the agreement, Greg Valerio MBE, PeaceGold Founder, said:

"PeaceGold is the holy grail of responsible sourcing, demonstrating in action that the integration of peace-building and conflict resolution are not optional add-ons but the fundamental foundation of transformative supply chains. We work with extraordinarily resilient, professional and dedicated cooperatives and communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo - people who are willing to do it right yet are consistently denied the opportunity. By making capital available to community-based operations in fragile economies, SigraFi is leading the way in returning value back into the hands of the communities that create it. This is what makes them a great financial partner - their vision of a better future transcends the hurdles that many others would stop at; they're committed to working around challenges on the ground. Together, we're redefining what responsible gold sourcing looks like." 

Artisanal and small-scale mining now produces an estimated 20% of the world’s gold (up from 4% in the 1990s) and is worth an estimated $100 billion USD annually at current prices, supporting the livelihoods of more than 15 million people worldwide. Yet much of the sector operates outside formal international supply chains, constrained by compliance, financing and infrastructure barriers.

Stefan Allesch-Taylor, Co-Founder and Executive Chair at SigraFi, added:

“With global gold mine production flatlining over the past seven years, bringing MSME and artisanal gold producers into internationally recognised supply chain standards is both a humanitarian and national interest imperative. In the DRC, there are an estimated 2 million artisanal gold miners and gold reserves exceeding $100bn. The opportunity for SigraFi and its DRC production partners is crystal clear.”

SigraFi stated that the PeaceGold framework forms part of a broader strategy to establish compliant sourcing and growth-capital partnerships with responsible artisanal and small-scale gold producers across Africa and Latin America.

About SigraFi

SigraFi Ltd is a UK-registered gold offtake company (company number 16897706) that provides interest-free growth capital to Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) gold producers in exchange for a contracted gold supply at a fixed-percentage discount to spot. The gold is refined into investment-grade bullion. SigraFi sources from established producers, miners, tollers, and aggregators across Africa, Latin America, and other producing regions; it does not finance start-ups or exploration. SigraFi’s Know-Your-Gold compliance framework is aligned with OECD due diligence guidance, the World Gold Council's Responsible Gold Mining Principles, and the LBMA's Responsible Gold Guidance, and its counterparty vetting is consistent with UK, European, and UAE regulatory obligations.

About PeaceGold

PeaceGold Trading Company Ltd is a UK-registered company (company number 17049727) and the commercial vehicle of the PeaceGold programme founded by Greg Valerio MBE. Since 2013, in partnership with UK-based charity Peace Direct and the Centre Résolution Conflits, PeaceGold has worked with mining communities in eastern DRC to legalise artisanal gold operations, eliminate mercury from gold processing and establish a compliant export platform. Gregory Valerio was awarded an MBE in 2016 for services to Fairtrade and the rights of artisanal miners.

Sources:

• 15 million people employed by artisanal and small-scale gold mining: https://www.unep.org/globalmercurypartnership/what-we-do/artisanal-and-small-scale-gold-mining-asgm
• 20% of the world’s gold is now produced by artisanal and small-scale miners; up from 4% in the 1990s: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2025/02/14/a-new-era-of-renewal-in-artisanal-mining
• Global gold production has largely flatlined over the past seven years: https://www.gold.org/goldhub/gold-focus/2026/01/you-asked-we-answered-mined-gold-production-peaking