The Uis Tin Project is one of the world’s largest undeveloped open-cast hard rock tin deposits, discovered by the German geologist Dr Paul with links to the Gesellschaft in 1911.
Another German explorer, August Staunch, who ordered railway workers at Kolmanskop to hunt for diamonds, acquired the tin deposits in 1923.
Staunch formed Namib Tin Mines Limited and claimed all the tin deposits in the Usakos, Karibib, Omaruru, and Uis districts.
The Iron and Steel Corporation of South Africa (Iscor) assumed ownership of the tin deposits in 1958 under its subsidiary Imcor Tin.
By 1980, the mine had become the world’s biggest hard rock tin mine.
The Uis Tin Mine is under three licenses (129, 133, and 134) within a 35-km radius of the Uis town.
License 133, known as the Nainais tin-tantalite deposit, hosts the historic Tin-Tan Mine.
This area has been mined and prospected for tin and tantalite on a stop-start, small-scale basis since the 1920s.
This deposit is located within the Nainais-Kohero Pegmatite Belt, whose pegmatites have an origin of intrusion similar to the neighbouring Uis Pegmatite Belt.
License 134 contains the historic Uis Tin Mine, where production commenced in 1924, and has historic reserves.
The Uis Tin Mine historically exploited Namibia’s most crucial tin deposit, which ranks among the largest of its type in the world.
Between 1930 and 1933, the Solar Development Company investigated the properties but did not purchase them.
Friedrich Krupp AG acquired the Uis tin rights with plans to undertake production on a large scale in 1938.
The company cancelled all mining plans when World War II broke out. The Angus Munro purchased the properties from the Custodian of Enemy Property in 1948.
Uis Tin Mining Company (SWA) Limited began large-scale mining in 1951. In 1958, the Industrial Minerals Mining Corporation
bought Uis and other properties owned by Namib Tin Mines Limited.
Low tin prices in the 1980s led to the closure of the Uis Mine in 1990.
The government started supporting the Small Miners of Uis in 1994 to work on the mine.
In 2001, a project Viability Study document was prepared by Falconbridge and the SMU to support a loan application for ML 129 from the Minerals Development Fund.
The reported results from the exploration work conducted by Falconbridge used resources from test pits, trenches, reverse circulation drilling, core drilling, chip sampling, and bulk sampling.
In 2011, Procomex Company undertook a technical due diligence assessment, culminating in the collection of a bulk sample.
Riverdeep Resources, working with the Small Miners of Uis, compiled historical exploration and production data to enable the small miners to apply for a mining right in 2014.
After acquiring the mining rights in 2014, the Small Miners of Uis partnered with Guinea Fowl Investments Twenty-Seven, a subsidiary of Dwanmin Africa.
The partnership left Guinea Fowl Investments Twenty-Seven with 85% interest in the Uis Tin Project and the Small Miners of Uis with 15%.
Dawnmin Africa is owned 50.5% by Erongo Tin Limited and 49.5% by a consortium of Namibian shareholders comprising Namuis (Pty) Ltd, Havana Investments (Pty) Ltd., and Sweltering Desert Investments (Pty) Ltd.
In 2016, Bushveld Minerals Limited acquired a 49.5% interest in Dawnmin Africa Investments Ltd through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenhills Resources Limited.
The shares acquired belonged to Namuis (Pty) Ltd, Havana Investments (Pty) Ltd., and Sweltering Desert Investments (Pty) Ltd.
Then, in 2017, a newly formed company, AfriTin, acquired Bushveld Minerals Ltd.’s tin assets through Greenhills Resources Limited.
Greenhills Resources became the 100% owner of Afritin Mining Namibia, which had an 85% stake in the Uis Tin Mining Company, with the Small Miners of Uis holding the other 15%.
The Uis Tin Mining Company is the 100% owner of mining license 134.
On January 10, 2023, AfriTin Mining Limited changed its name to Andrada Mining, reflecting the company’s expanding lithium and tantalum resources alongside its existing tin production.
In June 2024, Andrada Mining executed a legally binding agreement to restructure the Uis Tin Mining Company to ensure a more efficient corporate structure in the future.
The company sought to increase ownership interest from 85% to 100% by acquiring the 15% interest currently held by the Small Miners of Uis.
As part of the deal, which went through last week, Andrada Mining will issue Small Miners of Uis ordinary shares valued at N$12 million using a 30-day VWAP on the date before the completion of the acquisition.
Andrada Mining will also pay N$18 million to Small Miners of Uis through 240 monthly payments of N$75.000.
The company also agreed to transfer 85% interest in license 129 to the Small Miners of Uis.
The Small Miners of Uis’ 5% shares in Uis Tin Mining Company will be transferred to Sinco Investments Five (Pty).
Andrada Namibia will then acquire the 5% interest from Sinco, as Sinco has expressed a preference to hold Andrada-listed shares.
Sinco is a locally owned and managed investment company focused on developing mining and construction projects within Namibia.
