This year’s edition of the Namibian Chamber of Mines’ premier mining expo will take place in Windhoek from August 31 to September 1.
This will be the mining industry’s first live event since the Covid-19 outbreak broke out.
The expo, which will be held at the Windhoek Showgrounds, will also be running for the ninth time this year.
The event this year falls in line with an improving outlook for the mining industry, supported by a booming market for mineral commodities and a fast-paced operating environment that is changing in line with quick technological advancements in the industry, according to the chamber’s chief executive officer, Veston Malango.
“The current landscape most certainly augurs well for a valuable event that will see business ventures catalyse from these dynamic opportunities,” he says.
Malango says other than the favourable conditions for commodity prices, the mining sector is involved in exploring new frontiers, such as using natural resources like gas and solar power to produce (green) hydrogen, which has applications in mining operations.
There is no doubt that the 2022 mining expo would also offer exhibitors new avenues to market their products and engage with the sector, he says.
The events at the expo this year would include a dedicated suppliers’ platform, and a business-to-business feature, which enables exhibitors to arrange direct meetings with players in the mining sector.
Items such as the resurgence of Namibia’s uranium sector, the reopening of historic mines, new frontiers of resilience, taking Namibia’s mining sector into the fourth Industrial Revolution, green hydrogen, and the catalyst for establishing a sustainable and environmentally responsible phosphate-based industry will be discussed at the expo.
Malango says the Namibian mining sector is poised for further growth.
“The outlook for mining remains as favourable as ever, and we are eagerly following a sustained recovery in the price of uranium, and a continued surge in mineral commodity prices as the world transitions to green energy solutions,” he says.
The Bank of Namibia estimates that the mining and quarrying sector will grow by 9,1% this year, reaching N$20 billion in terms of economic activity.