Namibia’s mining industry has invested more than N$3.4 billion over the past decade in corporate social responsibility and skills development, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah revealed at the official opening of the 2025 Mining Expo and Conference.
Addressing industry leaders and stakeholders in Windhoek, President Nandi-Ndaitwah stated that the N$1.715 billion spent on CSR projects, combined with N$1.781 billion allocated to skills development, reflected the sector’s long-term commitment to the country’s well-being.
“These contributions go far beyond charitable donations,” she said. “They represent strategic investments in the resilience of our people and the inclusive development of our economy.”
The CSR investments have supported a range of initiatives, from schools and clinics to food security and energy systems, while skills programmes have created thousands of job opportunities. In 2024 alone, the sector created 9,437 permanent jobs, with 97% of these positions filled by Namibians. Many companies also run graduate development schemes and internal training, building a pipeline of skilled professionals for the industry.
Despite a global economic contraction of 1.2% in 2024, the mining sector continued to be the backbone of Namibia’s economy.
It generated N$52.3 billion in revenue, contributed 13.3% to GDP, and added over 2,600 new jobs—bringing total direct employment in mining to 20,843.
Equally significant was the industry’s record of procurement.
Mining companies spent N$23.94 billion on goods and services from Namibian businesses in 2024—62% of their total procurement budgets and equivalent to 46.2% of total industry revenue.
“This level of local procurement is a powerful engine for broad-based economic empowerment,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Though government revenue from mining dropped slightly to N$5.62 billion due to lower diamond earnings, the sector still contributed N$3 billion in corporate taxes, N$2.26 billion in royalties, and N$360 million in export levies.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed that mining remains central to Namibia’s development agenda under NDP6. Exploration activity hit a post-independence high of N$1.23 billion in 2024, a 38.1% increase that signalled strong investor confidence.
The uranium and gold sub-sectors were highlighted as key pillars of future growth, with significant projects, such as Langer Heinrich, Tumas, and Etango, now moving forward.
Calling for deeper local participation, she urged Namibian entrepreneurs to utilise the National Database of Mining Goods and Services to tap into procurement opportunities and expand their presence in the value chain.
“Let us continue to work together to unlock the full potential of our mineral wealth—not just for today, but for generations to come,” she concluded.
