Photo: Contributed
By: Hee-Dee Walenga and Nghiinomenwa-vali Hangala
According to Uis Mine developer Andrada, global tin demand growth is outpacing refined supply, presenting a structural opportunity for the Namibia mine.
In a presentation for investors, the miner revealed during its interim results for the six months ended 31 August 2026 that demand has grown by more than 22% while refined tin supply is only expected to grow by 16% from 2026 to 2035.
According to Andrada, the demand for tin is being driven by three manufacturing industries.
First is solar, for the manufacturing of ribbons, junctions, and boxes.
Tin demand has benefited from the solar sector, which has recorded a 40% year-on-year growth with more demand for solar ribbons and PV electronics expected.
The second sector is electric vehicles (EVs), for power electronics.
The electric vehicle market share is already around 15% of car sales, and with it, demand for power electronics, wiring & connectors and charging stations, will require tin.
The other sector that is demanding tin is the AI & 5G sector. This is for the expected increase in the building of data centres and the need for electronics.
The global demand for 5G infrastructure and AI data requires 10 times the current data storage requirements by 2030. Macro base stations and power amplifiers are expected to keep tin demand elevated.
FIRST HALF PERFORMANCE
The first half of 2026 tin realised price by Andrada was US$52 131/t, recording an increase of 57%.
The company revealed that revenue increased by 80% to N$456 million, while gross profit more than quadrupled to N$184 million, with gross margins exceeding 40%.
Andrada’s portfolio consists of tin, copper, lithium, tungsten, and tantalum.
The revenue growth was powered primarily by higher tin production and stronger commodity prices.
Tin production at the Uis mine increased by 13% to 576 tonnes, with ongoing funded expansion projects targeting annual production of up to 1,900 tonnes.
The mine is stepping-up tin output to 1,500-1,900 tpa, with funding already in place.
Andrada Mining CFO, Hiten Ooka, described the Uis expansion as their “main financial priority.”
Anthony Viljoen, the Andrada Mining CEO, stated that the company is now profitable, returning a profit of N$55.3 million in the first half of the year.
At Lithium Ridge, the company’s SQM-funded program has delivered lithium discoveries with tin and tantalum byproducts.
They have drilled approximately 16,500m across 143 holes during stage 1 of the project.
At Brandberg West, the company has direct exposure to tungsten, tin, and copper. Early ore sorting test work has shown upgrading of tin and tungsten grades.
“We have a funded plan to grow tin production and improve Uis’ economics through byproduct credits,” Viljoen said.
