Namibia’s 10th Mining Expo and Conference opened in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, Wednesday.
The two-day event, themed “Namibia’s Role in the Sustainable Supply of Minerals to Support the Global Energy Transition,” has been attracting a huge turnout.
“We have 164 exhibitors occupying 268 booths this year, as compared to 103 exhibitors with 163 booths during the previous event in 2022. This is an impressive increase of 59.2% in exhibitors and 64.4% in booth uptake,” said Zebra Kasete, president of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia.
“This year’s event aims to shed light on Namibia’s significant contribution to the global shift towards cleaner energy sources. The global energy transition from fossil fuels will not happen without mining and must be a just transition, not an overnight process,” he added.
Speaking at the official opening in his keynote address, Namibia’s Vice President Nangolo Mbumba noted that exploration and mining are the most significant contributors to Namibia’s economy.
“Presently, the topical issue is global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy to combat climate change, which can only be achieved through access to and utilization of vast quantities of appropriate minerals,” he said.
Meanwhile, the country’s Minister of Mines and Energy Tom Alweendo said Namibia values its investors who have earned their license to operate and Namibia will continue to improve its efficiency and effectiveness in managing the mining sector.
