Martin Endjala
The highly anticipated Mining Expo 2023 will be focusing on the discovery of oil and gas as well as the Green Hydrogen in the country and how the mining industry can capitalize on these new developments while showcasing Namibia’s vibrant mining sector.
The exhibition is slated for 30-31 August this year at the Windhoek Showgrounds where 86 exhibitors already confirmed their attendance. Exhibitors have already booked a total of 140 booths and stands and the number is expected to rise by the end of the week.
The main highlights will be oil and gas, according to the extractive industries category, given the fact that the country is moving towards such industries.
Tom Alweendo, the Minister of Mines and Energy, is set to officially open the vent at the end of August.
The minister will also launch a database system project that the ministry has been pushing for a long time now. The project has been inducted into the NDP5 by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and has been fully implemented.
The Database will focus on all mining inputs and services consumed within Namibia’s mining sector. Developed through a collaborative effort between the Development Bank of Namibia, MME as the project owners, and the Chamber of Mines of Namibia.
The database aims to revolutionize the industry by facilitating the identification of lucrative business opportunities, deepening the supply chain, and propelling local content objectives.
The importance of this is that, in terms of entrepreneurs finding business opportunities in the mining sector, this will be a major tool for promoting local content which is the supply of goods and services.
According to Veston Malango, the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia, attendance at the tenth edition of the conference is expected to double this year because of the increased interest of many industry role players in the oil and gas industry.
Malango said that the event is not an investor conference but all about showcasing Namibia’s mining sector to all stakeholders which include men and women on the street. He said everyone is welcome because the mineral resources belong to the citizens and the mining sector is a major pillar of the economy of the country.
It is the chamber’s responsibility to showcase the industry to everyone so that they can explain what they are doing and what are the challenges, and given that it’s a two-way conversation, those who want to participate and how they can contribute will also have a platform to do so and also engage entrepreneurs who wish to participate in the sector.
“We believe that the low-hanging fruit is in the local content, in the supply of goods to the industry by our people and to market skills in the industry”, he said.
Malango indicated that entry to the expo is free of charge because the focus is not on the commercial potential of the event.
He added that there were several companies that showed interest to participate by selling goods during the event.
He explained that allowing commercial entities to sell goods at the expo will detract from the purpose of the event.
In the last three years, the Chamber of Mines registered the Mining Expo and Conference as intellectual property belonging to the Chamber of Mines with the Business Intellectual Property Authority.
He warned that nobody can declare and host a mining expo and added that whoever does that, will face a legal battle.
“We registered the intellectual property to avoid abuse which will detract from the country’s investment potential,” he said.
This year’s event is made possible by the generous anchor sponsorship of RMB, a leading financial services provider.
The Chamber of Mines also acknowledged Continental Lithium Africa for its generous contribution to the event as a secondary sponsor.
Their support is said it exemplifies the collaborative efforts within the industry and their commitment to the growth and development of the mining sector in Namibia,” Malangu said.
This year’s theme is: “Namibia’s role in the sustainable supply of minerals to support the global energy transition,” and the event aims to shed light on Namibia’s significant contribution to the global shift towards sustainable energy usage.
With abundant untapped resources of critical minerals, uranium, oil and gas, and green hydrogen, Namibia is poised to take centre stage in supporting the global energy transition, paving the way for new economic opportunities within the mining sector.
The inclusion of the oil and gas industry showcases Namibia’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive extractives sector. Through the promotion of knowledge exchange, cooperation, and inventive thinking, the Mining Expo & Conference aims to propel Namibia’s mining industry to greater heights.
