How to Find and Check Gold Sellers in East Africa

The challenge in gold sourcing is not finding someone who says they have gold. It is establishing whether the person controls genuine material, has authority to offer it and can perform the proposed transaction on lawful, verifiable terms. No single certificate or video settles all three questions.

This guide is for buyers assessing opportunities in Kenya, Tanzania and nearby markets. Requirements differ by country, so use the checks below as a process rather than a substitute for local legal and regulatory advice.

Start with the actual selling entity

Ask for the legal name, registration details and the name of the person authorised to negotiate. Determine whether the contact is the owner, miner, licensed dealer, agent or exporter. A mandate from a seller does not automatically establish that the seller owns the material or holds every permission needed for the proposed transaction.

Check corporate details through the relevant official registry. Where a public register is incomplete, contact the government office using independently obtained contact details. The name on the offer should be reconciled with the entity that will sign the contract and receive payment. A different name is a question to resolve in writing, not automatically proof of fraud.

Check the permission needed for the claimed activity

A mining right, trading permission and consignment export authorisation are not interchangeable. Kenya's State Department for Mining explains that mineral dealing rights and mineral export approvals are separate administrative matters, and its published FAQs distinguish domestic permits from export eligibility. Tanzania's Mining Commission publishes the categories of mineral licences and its export procedures.

Do not assume that every seller must possess all licences personally. The legal obligations depend on who mines, deals, owns, transports and exports. Instead, map each role to the actual entity responsible and verify its current authority with the issuing body.

For Kenya see the official licensing overview and Mining Cadastre Portal. For Tanzania consult the Mining Commission and its licence guidance.

Confirm that the offered material can be inspected

Request a material description, approximate weight, current holding location, proposed form of inspection and any earlier assay results. Photographs and videos can help describe a lot but cannot prove continuous custody or current ownership. A sample sent by a third party may not represent the material ultimately delivered.

Agree a sampling plan that identifies the lot, witnesses, sealing, custody and test method. Depending on the material, XRF analysis can help with initial screening, while a representative Fire Assay may be more appropriate for quantifying gold content. Ask the laboratory what its report does and does not establish.

Examine the commercial terms

A quote should identify the party selling, the material and quantity, the price reference, payable basis, delivery point, inspection and acceptance process, and payment conditions. Investigate unusually attractive offers, unexplained fees or requests to transfer funds to unrelated accounts. No single price discount proves dishonesty, but an offer must be commercially explainable and supported by evidence.

Where an escrow arrangement is suggested, independently verify the appointed provider and written release provisions. Never infer that an intermediary, broker or introducing company guarantees the payment solely because it facilitated contact.

Match the export file to the same lot

If the transaction is cross-border, identify the exporter of record and review the current requirements for that country and destination. Compare company names, licence details, lot identity, weight, assay references and shipping documents. A certificate from a previous shipment should not be accepted as evidence of a new consignment.

When to pause

Pause when the seller's identity or authority cannot be confirmed; when sampling is prevented without a credible explanation; when reports cannot be traced to the material; when a payment account belongs to an unexplained third party; or when the parties are pushed to dispatch or release funds before unresolved material questions are addressed. Record the concern and the evidence requested. A written explanation can resolve some differences; an unresolved fundamental contradiction should prevent commitment.

How Bilex fits into the process

Bilex's core service is independent precious-metals testing. It can also assess a buyer's gold sourcing requirement and discuss introductions or specific commercial roles under an agreed mandate. Being introduced to a seller does not remove the need for the buyer's own checks.

Next step: Prepare a sourcing brief stating material form, quantity, required specification, preferred origin, inspection location, destination and timeline before submitting it to Bilex.

Sources: Kenya mineral licensing; Kenya Ministry FAQ; Tanzania Mining Commission; OECD due diligence guidance.