Ethical Gold Mining Zambia
Mining with Integrity for a Better Future
WE CARE ABOUT PEOPLE AND NATURE
Our approach avoids harmful chemicals and focuses on positive impact.
Our ultra-fine base material (0.07–0.4 mm) contains natural rock dust, offering excellent structure, water retention, and nutrient efficiency without costly additives. Combined with biochar, compost and microorganisms, TerraNova restores depleted land and supports sustainable farming.
What was once waste becomes a carbon-positive, high-performance soil – ethical, ecological, and profitable.
A patent application secures the uniqueness of our process. In Zambia, TerraNova is distributed free of charge to local farmers. Surplus crops are sold via a secured offtaker, generating income while boosting food security. And since only a small part of our licensed land is used for mining, large areas can be repurposed for regenerative agriculture.
Zambia
At Bootup, we believe that true leadership is not built on control, but on loyalty.
Loyalty unites people, sustains purpose, and carries vision through every challenge. It is the invisible bond that allows individuals to stand together — in trust, in service, and in the shared belief that progress belongs to all.
For us, loyalty is more than a value; it is the foundation of our culture. It guides every decision — from the mine site to the boardroom, from local communities to national partnerships.
When loyalty leads, people rise — and with them, entire regions and generations rise as well.
This is the spirit of Bootup:
To lead with integrity, to serve with loyalty, and to build a nation where unity gives birth to prosperity.
Where loyalty leads, people rise.
Team
Loyalty leads. People rise.
Michel Mwamba Gschwendtner
Founder & CEO
Leopold Gschwendtner
Managing Director
Jesco von Puttkamer
Executive Director
James Matches
Chief Guardian & Executive Counselor
Murad Sultanov
Chief Mineral & Recovery Officer
Jones Mwewa
Mine Manager
Guthrie Krunic
Mine Development Manager
Essau Chimbi
Maintenance Manager
Lovemore Drawanda
Resource Geologist
Simon Longwe
Mine Geologist
Fikrat Mammadov
Production Process Manager
Klaus Lahrmann
Mining Construction Project Manager
William Musopelo
Production Planning & Civil Engineering
Joseph Mulenga
Production Planning & Welder
Genevieve Hoare
Mine Engineer Community Officer
Winter Mondo
Lead Logistics, Purchase & Storage Officer
Aishi Adhikary
Chief Executive Assistant
Chiku Phiri
Personal Assitant CEO
Mulenga Sinyngwe Matches
Head Finance Officer
Olena Badolova
Lead Finance Officer
Allen Rozario
Senior Finance Analyst
Amon Yumba
Finance Accountant
Michael J. Bräuer
Chief Administration & Soil Officer
Kiran Shylaja
Soil Development Officer
Sidney Jani
Head Administration Officer
Vester K. Kalilanji
Head HR Officer
Lisa Peake
Executive Manager
Tionge Mumba
Office Manager
Mapheto Malanda
Systems & Infrastructure Officer
Sam Sichilalu
Mining Construction Consultant
Christopher Banda
License Partner
Steven Nkando
License Partner
Stone Vaasa
International Logistics Manager
Shutai Zhang
Asia Procurement Manager
Elmar Grandy
Gold Trading & LBMA Partner
Oliver Haeggberg
Geology & Report Partner
what is invisible to others.
We build what others don’t dare to imagine.
Our vision is not born from comfort – it is shaped by the raw reality of life.
We’ve known what it means to start from nothing, to carry weight no child should carry, to rise through darkness.
That’s why our vision is clear:
To create a world where value is shared, not hoarded. Where those who build, also reap.
We are building systems that empower – not exploit.
We are designing opportunities that lift – not trap.
And we are doing it with those who were never invited to the table – by building our own table.
Bootup Africa exists to unlock potential – in people, in land, in legacy.
Not for one. Not for few. But for the many who still wait to be seen.
We are here to transform realities – starting with our own.
And we will not stop until well-being, dignity, and ownership are no longer rare, but normal.
That’s not a dream. That’s our promise.
Impact
what is invisible to others.
Our DNA – Forged in Fire
"Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others"
We are not a company. We are a story of survival.
Our founder didn’t read about hardship – he lived it.
Adopted at the age of eight. Raised through storms most men don’t recover from.
And yet: He chose not bitterness, but vision.
Not control, but trust. Not greed, but sharing.
We have no polished origin story.
We have scars.
But that’s exactly why we stand.
Our DNA was not built in comfort – it was forged in fire.
We faced betrayal, hunger, breakdowns.
But through every fall, we rose tighter, stronger, clearer.
And from day one, Bootup Africa was never about one man.
It was about creating space for others to rise too.
While others fight over one nut,
we bring the whole bowl – and make sure everyone gets more than one.
“Others divide one nut among many. We bring the bowl and feed the tribe.”
That’s our deal.
We don’t lead to win – we lead so others can win too.
We don’t harvest alone – we plant with others, and reap together.
Only one rule: We rise together – or not at all.
That’s why Bootup Africa stands.
And that’s why it cannot fall.
collaboration and balance.