The Chamber of Mines Namibia CEO, Veston Malango, says Namibia can unlock thousands of mining jobs and billions in investment if policy uncertainty, licensing delays, and regulatory bottlenecks are urgently resolved.
In his 2025 strategic review, Malango said the country’s mining sector remained well-positioned for growth but warned that delays in approvals and unstable policy signals were constraining projects and discouraging capital.
He said a pipeline of mining projects could attract about US$2.865 billion in investment and create more than 18,000 jobs over the next five years if key obstacles were removed.
Malango said these bottlenecks included shortages of critical skills, delays in regulatory approvals, infrastructure constraints, policy uncertainty and the need to finalise pending mining legislation.
“The Chamber stands ready to engage constructively and proactively with the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy and all stakeholders to advance a shared vision for a resilient, competitive, and inclusive mining sector,” Malango said.
He said Namibia had an opportunity in 2026 to reset relations between the government and the mining industry following the appointment of Modestus Amutse as Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy.
“The change in leadership presents a timely opportunity to reset and deepen collaboration on matters critical to the sector’s long-term sustainability, including policy certainty, investment competitiveness, regulatory efficiency, and local value creation,” Malango said.
Malango also criticised the uncertainty caused by the proposed 51% local ownership requirement for future mining licences announced in 2025.
According to the review, the pronouncement triggered concern among local and foreign investors. It led to temporary suspensions in trading of some companies with Namibian mining interests on the Australian Securities Exchange.
He said Namibia’s performance in the 2025 Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies reflected the impact on investor sentiment.
The country’s Investment Attractiveness Index fell by 10 points from 66 in 2024 to 56 in 2025, while its global ranking dropped from 30th out of 82 jurisdictions to 51st out of 68 jurisdictions.
Despite those concerns, Malango said Namibia still had strong fundamentals, sustained global demand for minerals and a sizeable project pipeline capable of generating employment and export earnings.
“Through continued dialogue, evidence-based advocacy, and practical collaboration, we are confident that together we can unlock sustainable growth, expand employment opportunities, and maximise mining’s contribution to Namibia’s economic development,” Malango said.
