Six years after restarting the Uis Tin Mine in Namibia’s Erongo Region, Andrada Mining has transformed a once-abandoned site into a thriving multi-mineral operation producing tin, lithium and tantalum — critical ingredients for global technology, renewable energy, and electric mobility.
What began in 2019 as a modest tin revival is now one of Namibia’s most crucial diversified mining ventures, anchoring both local livelihoods and the country’s growing green-industrial base.
According to Andrada’s 2025 Sustainability Report, the Uis Mine injected over £44.7 million (about N$1.05 billion) into the Namibian economy in FY2025 through wages, local procurement, taxes, royalties, and indirect economic activity — making it one of the single most significant private-sector contributors to regional development.
Since its restart, Uis has undergone continuous expansion and technological upgrading.
The mine now operates a fully integrated concentrator capable of producing three mineral concentrates — tin, lithium and tantalum — from the same pegmatite ore body.
The inclusion of a lithium pilot plant and a tantalum recovery circuit marks a decisive shift from single-commodity dependence to a robust, future-focused model built around critical minerals.
This operational growth has translated into stronger production and financial performance.
The mine processed more ore, improved recovery efficiency, and increased lithium concentrate output, helping stabilise revenues across multiple product streams while reducing exposure to tin price volatility.
Revenue for FY2025 rose 33 percent to £23,805,463 (N$558.4 million), compared with £17,967,889 (N$422.3 million) in FY2024.
Government receipts mirrored the trend. Royalties increased by 35 per cent to £652,270 (N$15.3 million), while taxes totalled £1,805,060 (N$42.4 million), a fourfold rise from £468,055 (N$11 million) the previous year.
The company’s wage and salary bill reached £4,307,814 (N$101.2 million), directly supporting households and boosting consumer spending in surrounding communities.
Local spending remained a cornerstone of Andrada’s operations. In FY2025, the company channelled £25,275,506 (N$595 million) into Namibian businesses — 87 per cent of its total procurement, up from £17.6 million (N$414 million) in FY2024.
When combined with wages and taxes, Andrada’s total local economic contribution amounted to £31,388,380 (N$738.6 million).
Through the World Bank’s 2019 multiplier model, this activity generated an additional £13,382,307 (N$314.5 million) in indirect economic benefits, pushing the mine’s total economic footprint past £44.7 million, or just over N$1.05 billion for FY2025.
Employment growth has mirrored operational success. Andrada’s Uis operation employed 277 direct workers and 278 contractors, maintaining 98 per cent Namibian participation.
Women comprised 20 per cent of the workforce overall, with 36 per cent of senior management at the mine and 18 per cent of corporate leadership positions held by women — among the highest gender representation figures in Namibia’s mining sector.
Andrada invested £49,084 (N$1.15 million) in community projects in FY2025, focusing on education and water-access initiatives.
Notably, the company recorded zero community grievances, compared with eight the year before, after establishing a grievance-management system aligned with IFC Performance Standards.
Safety standards improved sharply.
The Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) dropped to 0.00 per million hours worked, from 3.02 in FY2024, while the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) fell 25 per cent to 5.07 — continuing Uis’s record of no fatalities for three consecutive years.
Andrada maintained stable water use at 201,299 cubic metres, or 0.21 m³ per tonne of ore processed, and reduced hazardous waste by 64 per cent to 57 tonnes. Scope 1 and 2 emissions increased slightly by 12 per cent to 15,803 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent, reflecting greater throughput, while energy efficiency stood at 0.14 GJ per tonne processed.
The company’s rehabilitation provision increased by 39 per cent to £1,604,389 (N$37.7 million), demonstrating its ongoing commitment to responsible closure planning and land restoration.
Six years after its revival, Uis has redefined what a Namibian mine can be.
From tin to lithium to tantalum, Andrada Mining has built a diversified operation that not only drives profits but also underpins community resilience, government revenue and industrial development.
In a country where most mines remain single-commodity ventures — uranium at Husab, gold at Otjikoto, diamonds offshore — Andrada stands alone as a multi-mineral success story, showing that one mine can anchor an entire ecosystem of local value creation.
With more than N$1 billion in direct and indirect economic impact in 2025, Andrada Mining’s Uis operation exemplifies the future of Namibian mining: diversified, inclusive, and firmly linked to the green-energy transition.
