Kazera Global says it is receiving growing expressions of interest in its Aftan tantalum and lithium project in southern Namibia as the company intensifies its strategic review of the asset amid rising global demand for critical minerals.
The AIM-listed company said recent technical analysis and reviews of historical operational data have reinforced management’s view that Aftan could emerge as a strategically important tantalum and lithium project within Namibia’s expanding critical minerals sector.
Kazera said the review highlighted potential low-water dry beneficiation processing routes that may significantly improve the project’s long-term commercial attractiveness in Namibia’s arid environment.
According to the company, the mineralogy at Aftan appears potentially suited to dry magnetic, electrostatic and triboelectric separation techniques, which could reduce dependence on conventional water-intensive processing methods commonly used at comparable projects.
The company believes this may provide both environmental and economic advantages as Namibia positions itself as an emerging supplier of responsibly developed critical minerals.
Kazera further said recent technical work has also highlighted broader district-scale exploration upside across the licence area.
While historical drilling and mineral resource estimation focused on only three pegmatites, the company said at least 13 known mineralised pegmatites exist within the broader project area, with large sections of the licence remaining relatively underexplored.
The company is now evaluating a range of strategic pathways for its interest in Aftan, including potential partnerships and development structures to advance the project with minimal or no additional capital requirements from Kazera shareholders.
Kazera said it has held discussions with several interested parties involved in critical minerals exploration, mine development, downstream processing and supply chains.
The strategic review follows strengthening market conditions for tantalum, with Kazera noting that tantalum prices are currently trading at multi-decade highs amid increasing global strategic focus on critical minerals.
Non-executive director Paul Dulieu said the company had been actively evaluating technically capable and financially robust partners to unlock value from the group’s asset base.
“In relation to Aftan, reviewing historical technical and operational information together with recent technical analysis has reinforced our view regarding the Project’s broader potential and strategic relevance within the critical minerals sector,” Dulieu said.
“Importantly, the work undertaken has highlighted what we believe may be a more capital-efficient route to unlocking value from the Project over time, particularly through an improved understanding of potential dry processing pathways and the wider pegmatite system.”
Kazera said it remains focused on identifying a long-term route that can support operational activity, job creation, and broader economic participation in Namibia.
The company is also continuing arbitration-related legal proceedings against Hebei Xinjian Construction, following an earlier binding arbitration ruling in Kazera’s favour regarding payment obligations under a previous transaction with Aftan.
Kazera said it retained legal title to the issued shares in Aftan as security pending full payment under the original agreement and remains confident in its legal position while proceedings continue in Namibia.
