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Bannerman Energy is positioning local skills and employment at the centre of its preparations for the Etango Uranium Project, targeting a workforce comprising more than 80% Namibian employees as the development moves towards future operations. The target forms part of the company’s new sustainability priorities for the 2027 financial year, alongside stronger local skills development, environmental management and community investment.
Bannerman said it will implement the workforce plan through staged recruitment and capability development while establishing a human resources information and payroll system to support organisational growth. The approach reflects the company’s transition from project development towards operational readiness as Etango advances towards construction and eventual production. During the 2026 financial year, Bannerman assessed workforce requirements for the following 12 to 18 months, with recruitment focused on management, operational, technical, health and safety, environmental and support personnel.
The Etango project in the Erongo Region is one of Namibia’s major uranium developments. Bannerman said the project has received all environmental approvals for the proposed mine and associated external infrastructure, while a mining licence was awarded in December 2023. A definitive feasibility study completed in December 2022 confirmed the technical and economic viability of Etango-8, based on conventional open-pit mining and heap-leach processing at a throughput of eight million tonnes a year. The study envisaged average annual production of 3.5 million pounds of uranium oxide, while a subsequent 2024 scoping study identified potential to increase annual production to 6.7 million pounds.
Bannerman’s sustainability report also highlights its strategic joint venture agreement with CNNC Overseas Limited for the Etango Project and continued progress on early works during FY2026. The company said these developments have required it to strengthen governance, management systems and organisational capability ahead of full-scale construction. Environmental performance has also remained a focus. Bannerman reported no reportable environmental incidents during FY2026, while two independent environmental audits were completed without non-conformances and its Environmental Clearance Certificates remained in place.
The company also updated its mine closure plan and reviewed potential waste-rock materials for use in rehabilitation and closure. Community investment remains part of Bannerman’s local strategy. The company supported 355 learners at 17 disadvantaged primary schools in the Erongo Region through its Early Learner Assistance programme, with the remaining 45 learners from its original 400-learner target supported in July 2026. It also continued supporting the Mondesa Youth Opportunities programme and organisations including the Tourism Supporting Conservation Trust, Hospitality Association of Namibia and Namibia Chamber of Environment.
Infrastructure support was provided to Vanessa Kindergarten and Katora Primary School hostel in Spitzkoppe. The initiatives point to Bannerman’s broader effort to build the human, organisational and community foundations around Etango ahead of the project’s next development phase.
