The Otavi Mountain Land is filled with names that echo the story of Namibia’s mining past—Tsumeb, Kombat, Abenab, Berg Aukas.
Yet scattered among these giants are smaller deposits that, while less celebrated in their time, are proving increasingly important in an age defined by the search for critical metals.
Among them are Nosib and Khusib Springs, polymetallic prospects that combine rich histories with new potential.
Nosib: Vanadium and copper
The Nosib deposit, located near the old Abenab workings, was first recognised in the early 20th century for its vanadium-rich ores.
Much like Abenab, Nosib contained vanadates such as descloizite and mottramite, but with higher copper and lead contents, along with appreciable silver.
Historical records suggest small-scale mining was carried out intermittently in the 1920s and 1930s, though it never achieved the scale of Abenab.
Nosib’s ore averaged several per cent vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅), with copper grades typically above one per cent and associated lead-silver credits.
The deposit was worked from shallow pits and adits, producing ore that was shipped in small volumes for export. However, limited infrastructure and fluctuating markets meant activity was short-lived.
In the modern era, Nosib has gained fresh attention as vanadium’s value has risen due to its role in strengthening steel and in vanadium redox flow batteries for large-scale energy storage.
Golden Deeps Limited, the Australian junior that now holds licences across this ground, has re-evaluated Nosib, outlining JORC resources that highlight not only vanadium but also copper, lead, silver, and even gallium—a high-value element used in semiconductors and electronics. Metallurgical testwork has confirmed that gallium, once overlooked, can be extracted alongside base metals, adding a critical-metal dimension to Nosib’s potential.
Khusib Springs: The copper-silver gem
Khusib Springs lies about 15 kilometres south of Tsumeb and has a different story. It was mined in the 1990s by Ongopolo Mining and Processing and briefly gained fame as one of Namibia’s highest-grade copper-silver producers.
The deposit contained a narrow but vibrant ore shoot of chalcocite and bornite, with copper grades often exceeding 10 per cent and silver grades ranging from several hundred grams per tonne to spectacular highs of over 1,000 g/t. Between 1990 and its closure in 2003, Khusib Springs produced approximately 300,000 tonnes of ore, yielding more than 30,000 tonnes of copper and nearly 1 million ounces of silver.
Despite its small size, Khusib Springs left a strong impression on Namibia’s mining industry.
Its high grades demonstrated once again that the Otavi Mountain Land could yield deposits rivalling the world’s great ore bodies in quality, if not in scale.
Modern exploration and ownership
Today, both Nosib and Khusib Springs are controlled by Golden Deeps, which has consolidated these historic licences as part of its Central Otavi Project. The company has been conducting drilling, sampling, and metallurgical studies to transform the old workings into the foundation of a new critical-metals portfolio.
Nosib has already been defined as a polymetallic resource with credits in copper, vanadium, lead, silver, and gallium.
Khusib Springs, while primarily mined out, still contains remnants of high-grade ore and exploration potential at depth. Together, they represent a blend of past and future—old mines whose remaining riches can be unlocked with modern technology.
Place in the Otavi story
In the grand narrative of the Otavi Mountain Land, Nosib and Khusib Springs illustrate two key themes: first, that the district was not defined by a single commodity alone, but has always had a polymetallic character—copper, lead, zinc, silver, vanadium, and now gallium.
Second, that even the smaller deposits played a role in sustaining Namibia’s mining industry during different eras, from the experimental vanadium pits at Nosib to the high-grade copper rush at Khusib Springs.
Looking ahead
Golden Deeps has indicated that Nosib and Khusib Springs will remain integral to its exploration focus.
The company’s broader Central Otavi footprint now covers more than 400 square kilometres, encompassing Abenab, Nosib, Khusib Springs, and the new Graceland Prospect.
By combining historical resources with discoveries, the company hopes to assemble a critical-metals portfolio that reflects both the heritage and the future of the Otavi Mountain Land.
Nosib and Khusib Springs may never rival Tsumeb or Abenab in fame, but in today’s world of energy transition and technological metals, their importance may yet grow. They stand as reminders that in the Otavi hills, even the “lesser” mines can hold global significance when the times change.
