KoBold Metals has refocused its search in Namibia from copper to lithium, the mineral now seen as indispensable for the next generation of electric vehicle batteries and large-scale energy storage.
The artificial intelligence-driven explorer, backed by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and other global investors, already runs some 60 projects across four continents.
With demand for lithium projected to triple by 2030, Namibia is fast becoming one of its most essential frontiers.
Initially attracted by nickel and copper targets, KoBold is now pursuing lithium-bearing pegmatites that could transform the country’s position in the global battery supply chain.
This shift places Namibia alongside Zambia, where KoBold’s flagship Mingomba copper project is advancing toward mine development, as a cornerstone of the company’s African strategy.
At the centre of this new push lies EPL 9049, a block measuring 1,381 hectares (13.81 km²)—roughly the size of 2,000 football fields—located about 45 kilometres southwest of Warmbad in the Karas Region.
While modest compared to Namibia’s giant uranium and diamond licences, it is significant enough to host trenching, geophysical surveys and exploratory drilling.
KoBold Metals Namibia (Pty) Ltd has applied for the licence and submitted a Draft Environmental Management Plan (EMP) in late 2024 as part of its bid to secure an Environmental Clearance Certificate from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
The licence, once granted, will permit exploration for base and rare metals, nuclear fuel minerals, precious metals and, most importantly, lithium.
KoBold’s EMP establishes a framework for exploration with a minimal footprint.
Activities will include trenching up to five metres deep, as well as geochemical and geophysical surveys—some of which will be conducted using airborne methods—and eventual drilling.
Campsites and access tracks will be temporary, with water use kept to a minimum through supply from NamWater or existing boreholes, and waste disposal handled by licensed operators.
The EMP also highlights biodiversity protections within the Nama Karoo biome, which is home to a diverse array of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, despite its sparse vegetation.
Workers will receive training in environmental awareness, wildlife encounters, dust and noise control, and emergency response.
Rehabilitation is built into the plan, ensuring that trenches are backfilled, topsoil is replaced, and erosion is controlled, regardless of whether a viable deposit is confirmed.
EPL 9049 also sits in a landscape rich with archaeological and cultural heritage.
A Phase 1 Heritage Impact Assessment identified prehistoric traces, including Middle Miocene fossil sites, rock art, ostrich eggshell fragments, and burial grounds, on the broader area.
The Karas region also bears the legacy of early colonial settlements and battles such as Sandfontein (1914) and Norechab (1906).
Within the licence itself, assessors recorded a family graveyard and a small German war cemetery.
Although not formally protected under national heritage registers, KoBold has pledged to enforce “chance-find” procedures, requiring work to stop immediately should archaeological or cultural artefacts be uncovered.
Namibia’s Exclusive Prospecting Licences are the backbone of its mineral governance, granting exclusive exploration rights for a period of three years, with possible renewals for up to seven years.
They are intended to encourage explorers to conduct feasibility studies and ultimately pursue mining.
The system is strictly enforced: in 2021, for instance, the High Court ruled against the Ministry of Mines and Energy in the Deep-South Resources case (EPL 3140), blocking the reallocation of the Haib copper licence because proper exploration had not advanced.
KoBold’s applications go beyond EPL 9049.
The company has lodged bids for a cluster of other licences—EPLs 9048, 9050, 9053, 9054, 9056, 9058, 9060, 9061, 9063 and 9064—suggesting a broad ambition across Namibia’s southern mineral belt.
KoBold’s arrival reinforces Namibia’s growing status as a hotspot for battery minerals.
KoBold brings not only financial muscle but also a high-tech edge, using big data and AI modelling to uncover hidden deposits.
If EPL 9049 and its sister licences deliver results, Namibia could strengthen its claim as a global hub for the energy transition—supplying lithium alongside its world-class uranium, diamond and copper production.
For KoBold, the Karas ground is more than a compact licence.
At 1,381 hectares, it serves as a proving ground for its ability to combine cutting-edge exploration with ecological responsibility, cultural respect, and Namibia’s vision of a sustainable, low-carbon future.
