WINDHOEK, May 13– Namibia is positioning itself as a reliable supplier of critical raw materials as global demand rises amid the clean energy transition, Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Namibia hosts significant deposits of uranium, lithium, graphite, rare earth elements, copper, manganese, zinc, and other minerals required for modern industry and the energy transition,” Amutse said.
The official said investor interest in Namibia’s uranium sector has continued to grow, while lithium and graphite projects have advanced, and exploration activity in rare earths, copper and other strategic minerals has expanded.
He said Namibia is advancing the development of a National Critical Raw Materials Strategy to establish a national framework for exploration, mining competitiveness, local processing, skills development, environmental, social and governance standards, and strategic investment attraction.
Namibia’s objective is not only to export minerals, but also to create greater value within the country through processing, manufacturing linkages, technical skills development and industrial growth, according to Amutse.
He noted that Namibia aims to increase the share of processed mineral exports from 46.6 percent to 57 percent by 2030.
The country also aims to increase its foreign direct investment stock from 207 billion Namibian dollars (about 12.6 billion U.S. dollars) to 254 billion Namibian dollars by 2030, supported by a stable and predictable investment climate, according to the minister.
“The global energy transition cannot be built on outdated extractive models. It must be built on co-investment, local value creation, technology transfer, sustainability, and shared prosperity,” Amutse said.
Namibia’s mining sector remains one of the pillars of the economy, contributing about 14 percent to gross domestic product in 2025. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
