By: Ngiinomenwa Erastus
For the past nine months, the multinational companies have extracted on average 104 952
carats of diamonds and 6 014, 33 tons of zinc from Namibia.
In addition, every month, 469, 85 tons of uranium is extracted from the Erongo
region and other areas.
Between Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb, 400,78 kilograms of gold bullion is extracted
every month and sold to South Africa.
This is according to the monthly mining sectoral reports compiled by the Namibia
Statistics Agency (NSA).
NSA compiles the total volume produced for the four minerals for the Composite
Index for Industrial base metals and Mining Production consisting of (diamonds carats,
uranium, gold bullion, and zinc concentrate and contained).
The Villager used the monthly production to compile what the country has extracted
from its natural endowment for the past nine months.
For diamonds, mostly mined from the seabed of the country ocean, the reports
show that the country extracted 944 572 carats for the past nine months.
Since January 2021, more than 100 000 carats of diamonds have been mined every
month, except for March, where only 95 576 carats were extracted.
The monthly decline registered was mainly due to maintenance works that
were undertaken during the period under review.
Local entities get a share of the country extracted diamond, with Namdia getting
a reserved percentage for selling abroad, while some EPZ beneficiaries, diamond
polishers also buy a portion.
The rest of the rocks get exported.
The data shows that 4228, 65 tons of yellowcake have been extracted for
the past nine months for the Chinese dominated uranium sector.
Every month the uranium miners with minimal ownership extract 469, 85 tons of
uranium.
The country does nothing to the nuclear reactor input in value addition but loads it
in drums and mainly ships it to China.
By the end of August this year, the country had extracted 54 129 tons of Zinc
concentrate.
Every month, the miners involved extract around 6 014, 33 tons of zinc concentrate and contained, the lowest they produced so far was 4 984 in February.
In terms of value addition, The Villager is yet to determine the level of value addition,
while the export destination is also not well disaggregated in the national account.
The safest metal to hide from excessive inflation and store value is gold, which is
also produced in Namibia.
For the nine months analysed by The Villager, the country has extracted 3 607
kilograms of gold bullion from its grounds.
The data shows that the miners extracted more than 300 kilograms of gold almost
every month for the period under review.
The highest was reached in August 2021, when 844 kg were extracted. South Africa
takes up Namibia’s entire gold.
The Villager’s research has not come across a value addition beyond bullion for
the metal.
However, the country is talking but no practical value addition on most of its
metals yet – early this year, a beneficiation strategy was launched.
The strategy has highlighted some of the metals that can be added value before
being sent to Walvis Bay or optional to be used in the thin local manufacturing sector.
Email: erastus@thevillager.com.na
