Tujoromajo Kasuto
During the fiscal year 2022, Andrada Mining, formerly known as AfriTin Mining, contributed over N$143 million to the Namibian economy and funded over N$185,000 in community projects.
The mine notes in its Sustainability Report for the 2022 fiscal year, released this week, that total procurement spend for the reporting period exceeded N$294m, with N$143m, or 49 percent, spent across more than 250 Namibian businesses.
Besides that the report notes that, “as our business grows and develops, we fully intend to bring our Namibian suppliers along with us.”
“To the extent practicable our supply chain prioritises procurement from local and national businesses and contractors before looking to wider Africa and internationally. Mining needs to create a symbiotic relationship between development and communities,” CEO Anthony Viljoen said.
Viljoen notes that they plan to forge a way for integrated sustainable development in future plans as self-sustaining community development initiatives are therefore as important to them as their own success.
Women make up 31% of the workforce at Uis, and three women held senior management positions at the Uis Tin Mine by the end of the fiscal year.
Furthermore, during the year, 86 percent of employees and 36 percent of contractors received Health, Safety, and Emergency Response Training.
“We will continue to focus on skills improvement programmes as this will have a positive benefit to the Uis Tin Mine and Namibia. Uis has also seen growth and development such as work to tar the road from Swakopmund,” said Viljoen.
He said that the supply chain and the purchases Andrada makes are another way they can support and create opportunities for the local community and wider Namibia.
“Through the multiplier effect which is as a result of our activities at Uis, wider benefits accrue to our community. Our contractors provide a good example of this; businesses have started up as a direct result of the Uis Tin Mine returning to production. To ensure an adequate supply of water for the road project, Uis residents and our operations, we contracted hydrogeologists to model the road construction water requirements against our requirements for the extended life of mine,” he said.
The Uis mine consumed 58 733 GJ from March 2021 to February 2022, equating to an efficiency of 0.13 GJ/t of ore processed. The company is committed to investing in low-carbon, renewable energy solutions.
Thus, he affirms that water will remain a strategic item for Andrada, and that they will continue to optimize how they use this valuable resource.
Viljoen asserts the company is still committed to improving its environmental, social, and governance credentials, as it has done in the fiscal years 2021-2022.
