President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says implementation of the mining industry’s commitment to facilitate more than US$2.86 billion in new mining operations and create more than 18,000 direct jobs has already begun, describing it as an encouraging sign that commitments made through the Namibia Public-Private Forum (NamPPF) are being translated into action.
Speaking at the official opening of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia’s Mining Expo and Conference in Windhoek on Wednesday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said she was pleased that the mining sector had already moved beyond commitments and into implementation.
“I am happy to note that implementation has already started. The mining industry committed itself to facilitating more than US$2.86 billion in new mining operations and creating over 18,000 direct jobs. I am pleased that implementation has already begun,” she said.
The commitments were made during the inaugural Namibia Public-Private Forum in 2025, which brought together the government and the private sector to identify measures to stimulate economic growth, attract investment, and create employment.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said the progress reflects this year’s conference theme, “From Dialogue to Delivery: Assessing Progress in Creating Mining-led Economic Growth and Employment Opportunities since Namibia’s Public-Private Forum,” which focuses on turning commitments into measurable outcomes.
“The time has come for us to move from discussions to implementation while taking stock of the outcomes achieved since the launch of the Namibia Public-Private Forum in 2025,” she said.
She said the early implementation was encouraging and underscored the importance of continued collaboration between government and the private sector in advancing Namibia’s development agenda.
The President linked the progress to the Eighth Administration’s broader economic strategy, under which mining has been designated the government’s number one economic enabler in support of the national objective of creating 500,000 jobs over the next five years through the implementation of the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6).
“The mining sector is identified as one of the 8th economic enablers, not just the one but number one. The mining sector is identified as number one of the 8th economic enablers towards achieving our target of creating 500,000 jobs over the next five years through the implementation of the NDP6,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
The President also acknowledged the mining industry’s continued contribution to the national economy, referring to figures presented by the Chamber of Mines showing that the sector contributes about 14% of Namibia’s gross domestic product and paid approximately N$7.8 billion in taxes, which she said reflected the industry’s resilience and the confidence investors continue to place in Namibia.
She said the progress already being recorded demonstrates that the partnership between government and the mining industry has entered an implementation phase, with investment and employment commitments beginning to move beyond dialogue into delivery.
