Rwanda Eyes Bold Plan to Turn Working Mines into Underground Tourism Hotspots
A fascinating new vision is quietly taking shape beneath the rolling hills of Rwanda, where mining operators are drawing up ambitious plans to convert their modern underground tunnels into vibrant tourism attractions once mineral extraction comes to an end. The initiative is designed to safeguard the country's mining heritage while unlocking fresh economic opportunities for surrounding communities, and it carries intriguing implications for the wider African travel trade.
At the heart of this emerging concept lies Bashyamba Mine, operated by GAMICO in Nyarugenge District, which already boasts an impressive network of roughly 20 kilometres of underground tunnels. Elsewhere, DUMAC, which holds a mining concession in Rwamagana District, operates a system of underground routes stretching 300 metres in length and plunging to a vertical depth of 200 metres. Adding further momentum, Trinity Metals has rolled out an advanced drilling programme at Nyakabingo Mine in Rulindo District, aimed at broadening mineral resources and reinforcing long-term tungsten production. That exercise involves deep drill holes reaching down to around 850 metres beneath the surface.
Bashyamba Mine alone holds an estimated 3.5 million tonnes of mineral reserves, enough to sustain roughly 35 years of activity at a depth of 80 metres. Should the operator succeed in extending the decline to 400 metres, the mine's productive life could stretch to a remarkable 100 years. But it is what happens beyond mining that is capturing the imagination of tourism strategists and industry watchers across the continent.
GAMICO Managing Director Evode Imena has confirmed that the company is actively exploring how these subterranean spaces might be reinvented once mineral extraction winds down. Speaking of the initiative, he described the tunnels as untapped assets capable of generating lasting economic value through tourism, recreation and hospitality. The vision includes guided heritage tours through the tunnels, recreational facilities and even unique accommodation concepts designed to draw visitors keen to experience Rwanda's mining story from within the earth itself.
To turn ambition into reality, the company has issued a tender inviting consultants to carry out feasibility studies and recommend how the tunnels could be repurposed over the next 25 to 50 years. Imena stressed the importance of bringing in experienced specialists to determine what these underground assets could realistically become once operations cease. Interestingly, he also emphasised that mining and tourism could coexist during a transition period, with tourism activities taking shape in the upper sections of the mining area while extraction continues safely below. The broader ambition, he added, is to ensure that mining infrastructure keeps contributing meaningfully to local economies long after the minerals are exhausted.
Catherine Kantengwa, Division Manager for Mining Cadastre and Digital Information at the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, praised GAMICO's efforts around professionalism, mechanisation and responsible mining during its five years of operation, underlining that innovative post-mining strategies are becoming an increasingly important part of the industry conversation.
Rwanda's plans are far from unprecedented. Across the world, former and historic mining sites have been beautifully reinvented as tourism attractions. In Australia, guided tours take visitors deep into silver, lead and zinc tunnels, while Sovereign Hill offers an immersive glimpse into life during the gold rush. Closer to home, South Africa already welcomes visitors into former gold and diamond mines, providing a proven model of how mining tourism can enrich a destination's overall appeal. Bolivia, meanwhile, is renowned for its historic silver mines, where travellers can walk through both active and abandoned tunnels. In the United Kingdom, former coal mines have been transformed into interactive heritage experiences, often led by retired miners whose personal stories bring the industrial past vividly to life.
For Africa's travel industry, Rwanda's initiative signals a compelling new frontier in experiential and heritage tourism. As destinations across the continent look for fresh ways to diversify their offerings and appeal to increasingly curious travellers, the idea of blending industrial storytelling with adventure and hospitality could open up entirely new market segments. Tour operators, destination management companies and hospitality investors would do well to keep a close watch on Kigali's next moves, as Rwanda continues to demonstrate its knack for turning bold ideas into globally competitive tourism products.
