In June 2025, Andrada Mining Ltd made waves in Namibia’s mining industry by finalising a landmark agreement to acquire high-grade tin ore from the historic Goantagab site in the northwest.
This move is part of a broader effort to secure critical minerals in a country seeking to diversify its mining sector.
The UK-listed company, best known for its flagship Uis tin mine, signed a five-year Ore Supply and Profit-Sharing Agreement with Goantagab Mining—a subsidiary linked to Birca Mining and Boltbroker Investments.
The deal enables Andrada to process up to 240,000 tonnes of ore annually with an average tin grade of 1.5%. It also includes an exclusive option for Andrada to acquire 100% of Goantagab Mining for US$15 million.
CEO Anthony Viljoen framed the agreement as a strategic step to consolidate Andrada’s role in Namibia’s tin sector.
“This collaboration reaffirms our strategy in creating a mining district for critical minerals in the Erongo,” he noted in June, highlighting plans to develop a new 100-tonne-per-hour jig plant at Uis to process the incoming ore, with production slated to begin in the second half of 2025.
Historic resource with modern plans
Goantagab sits within Namibia’s renowned Damara Belt, a region with a long legacy of mineral exploration. In the 1980s, Gold Fields Namibia drilled the area, reporting a non-JORC resource of over two million tonnes grading 0.95% tin, with richer zones exceeding 1.75% and occasional samples surpassing 17% tin.
While these historic figures helped guide Andrada’s assessment, the company acknowledges it has yet to verify the resource to modern JORC standards—though it plans to do so as part of its phased development strategy.
Following independence, Goantagab saw artisanal activity and small-scale mining under a patchwork of expiring licenses. Andrada’s involvement aims to transition the site from informal operations to large-scale, professionally managed development aligned with contemporary environmental standards and commercial frameworks.
If developed at full scale, the project could create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, from mining and processing roles to transport and local services. While Andrada has highlighted these economic benefits, it has yet to release specific employment targets or timelines, leaving many in the region eager for more detail.
Legal battle over conservation
However, Andrada’s move into Goantagab has not been without controversy. From late 2024 to 2025, the project was embroiled in an intense legal battle over environmental and community concerns. Local conservancies—including Uibasen Twyfelfontein and Doro ! Nawas—joined forces with tourism operator Ultimate Safaris to challenge the mine’s Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC).
Their argument centred on claims that the environmental assessment failed to account for sensitive wildlife, especially the critically endangered desert-adapted black rhinos and that local communities were not adequately consulted. In January 2025, Acting High Court Judge Anne-Doris Hans-Kaumbi issued an interdict halting mining and road construction until formal affidavits and responses were submitted—a clear sign that procedural issues needed to be addressed.
Despite the ruling, reports in May alleged that mining activity had resumed at Goantagab, with ore being removed from the site. Ultimate Safaris responded by filing a contempt of court motion against claimants Timoteus Mashuna and Ottilie Ndimulunde. Conservationists warn that even limited mining operations risk disturbing rhino movement patterns and undermining tourism revenue.
Meanwhile, the miners maintain that they hold valid claims and have complied with licensing requirements, arguing that they are being unfairly blocked from exercising their legitimate rights.
Community tensions and coexistence
The dispute has revealed deeper tensions in Kunene’s conservancy model. These community-managed areas have successfully supported wildlife conservation, tourism jobs, and rural development.
Ultimate Safaris, which runs rhino-tracking lodges in the area, warns that industrial mining threatens the core of this success story by scaring off wildlife and damaging the pristine landscapes tourists come to experience.
On the other hand, small-scale miners argue they provide essential local employment and economic activity in regions often overlooked by large-scale investors. Supporters say mining and tourism can coexist if projects are designed with community input and benefits are shared equitably.
Viljoen has publicly acknowledged these sensitivities. “We recognise the inherent tension at the intersection of mining, tourism and conservation. We continue to engage proactively and transparently with all our relevant stakeholders,” he said in June, signalling the company’s commitment to dialogue and collaboration.
A test for regulation
The Goantagab case is about more than one tin mine. It has become a test of Namibia’s broader approach to regulating small-scale mining in sensitive ecological zones. If the courts find the ECC and licensing process to be flawed, it could compel developers nationwide to improve their environmental assessments and community consultation practices.
Conversely, if existing permits are upheld, it may open the door to faster approvals—but also risk inflaming tensions if local voices feel ignored. Andrada has indicated it expects a resolution soon and doesn’t foresee any immediate supply interruptions from the court process. However, its option to acquire Goantagab Mining outright for $15 million still depends on achieving a stable and legally secure operating environment.
Balancing the future
As Andrada prepares to bring Goantagab ore to its expanded Uis plant, expected online in late 2025, the company faces pressure to model responsible mining that aligns with local priorities and environmental limits. If successful, Goantagab could transition from informal, artisanal operations into a modern, community-friendly enterprise that delivers shared benefits.
But the outcome is far from certain. A protracted legal battle or local backlash could stall progress and undermine investor confidence.
The stakes reach beyond tin, touching on Namibia’s evolving framework for balancing economic growth, environmental protection, and community rights in conservancy areas.
How this high-profile dispute plays out will depend on several interlocking factors. In the immediate term, Namibia’s courts will determine whether the environmental clearance certificate for Goantagab withstands scrutiny.
A finding that the EIA process was flawed could force Andrada and its local partners back to the drawing board for more comprehensive studies and public consultations.
Alternatively, if the court upholds the existing permits, mining could proceed relatively quickly—but at the risk of deepening local resentment if communities feel excluded or conservation concerns are ignored.
There is also potential for a negotiated settlement. Andrada has signalled a willingness to engage with conservancies, traditional authorities, and tourism operators to find shared solutions. This could include altering mine plans to avoid sensitive rhino corridors, limiting trucking routes, or investing in local infrastructure and conservation partnerships to ensure benefits are widely shared.
More broadly, the Goantagab case is emerging as a test for Namibia’s regulatory system. Observers see it as an opportunity to strengthen consultation requirements and to clarify how mining and tourism can coexist in conservancy lands. For now, communities, conservationists, miners, investors—and indeed all of Namibia—are watching to see if Goantagab becomes a model for compromise or a cautionary tale about the challenges of balancing economic development with environmental stewardship in one of the country’s most iconic landscapes.
