Namibia
Namibia was the world's fifth-ranked producer of gem-quality natural diamond
Pictured: diamond
Statistics and information on the mining industry in Namibia.
Overview
In 2024, Namibia was the world's fifth-ranked producer of gem-quality natural diamond, accounting for 3.4% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement, copper, gold, granite, lead, lithium, limestone, manganese, marble, salt, silver, sulfuric acid, tantalum, tin, uranium, and zinc. According to the World Nuclear Association, Namibia produced about 12% of the world’s uranium output in 2024. The mining and quarrying sector contributed about 13.3% to the country's gross domestic product, of which diamond accounted for 3.4%; metallic ores, 5.3%; uranium, 3.2%; and other mining and quarrying, 1.3%. The mineral industry (including cut and polished diamond, and refined copper and zinc) accounted for about 61% of Namibia's total exports of f.o.b. (free on board) goods by value in 2024. Diamond exports accounted for about 15% of the country's total export of goods by value, metallic ores (including uranium ore), 36%; and other minerals (unspecified), 2%. Diamond was exported mainly to Botswana, the United Arab Emirates, and Belgium; and uranium to China, France, the United States, and Canada.
The mining sector is mainly regulated by the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act of 1992 and the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Amendment Act of 2008. The Diamond Act of 1999 provides various measures relating to the possession, purchase and sale, processing, and import and export of diamond. Mining sector activities in Namibia are overseen by the Ministry of Mines and Energy through the Geological Survey Department, the Directorate of Mines, the Directorate of Diamond Affairs, and the Directorate of Petroleum Affairs. Most mining operations in Namibia were privately owned by international companies and the Government held interest in several operations.
Namibia produced 2.3 million carats of diamond in 2024, with Namdeb Holdings (Pty.) Ltd.—jointly owned by the Government and the De Beers Group—accounting for nearly all national output. Uranium production increased to 7,333 metric tons in 2024 owing to the restart of the Langer Heinrich Mine. Major producers, including Husab and Rössing, continued uranium exploration activities in 2024. Bannerman Energy and Reptile Mineral Resources advanced the Etango-8 and Tumas uranium mining projects, respectively, after receiving mining licenses in late 2023.
In 2024, Namibia was the world's fifth-ranked producer of gem-quality natural diamond accounting for 3.4% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included cement, copper, gold, granite, lead, lithium, limestone, manganese, marble, salt, silver, sulfuric acid, tantalum, tin, uranium, and zinc. According to the World Nuclear Association, Namibia produced about 12% of the world’s uranium output. The mining and quarrying sector contributed about 13.3% to the country's nominal gross domestic product, of which diamond accounted for 3.4%; metal ores, 5.3%; uranium, 3.2%; and other mining and quarrying, 1.3%. The mineral industry (including cut and polished diamond, and refined copper and zinc) accounted for about 61% of Namibia's total exports of f.o.b. (free on board) goods by value in 2024. Diamond exports accounted for about 15% of the country's total export of goods by value, metal ores (including uranium ore) accounted for 36%, and other minerals (unspecified), 2%. Diamond was exported mainly to Botswana, United Arab Emirates, and Belgium; and uranium to China, France, the United States and Canada (Namibia Statistics Agency, 2025, p. 22, 34; World Nuclear Association, 2025; Olson, 2026; Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026).
The mining sector is mainly regulated by the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act of 1992 and the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Amendment Act of 2008. The Diamond Act of 1999 provides various measures relating to the possession, purchase and sale, processing, and import and export of diamond. Mining sector activities in Namibia are overseen by the Ministry of Mines and Energy through the Geological Survey Department, the Directorate of Mines, the Directorate of Diamond Affairs, and the Directorate of Petroleum Affairs. Most mining operations in Namibia were privately owned by international companies and the Government held interest in several operations (Parliament, Republic of Namibia, 1992, 1999, 2008; Ministry of Mines and Energy, 2025). More-extensive coverage of Government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Africa and the Middle East, which are available in the "Publications" section below. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities.
Commodity Review
Diamond.—According to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, production of diamond in 2024 was 2,319,489 carats and exports were 1,765,516 carats. The Government held a 50% stake in Namibia’s major diamond producers, Namdeb Holdings (Pty.) Ltd., with the remaining 50% owned by the De Beers Group of the United Kingdom. In 2024, Namdeb Holdings produced about 2.2 million carats, accounting for about 96% of Namibia's total diamond production (Chamber of Mines of Namibia, 2025, p. 39, 47; Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, 2025).
Uranium.—In 2024, Namibia produced 7,333 metric tons (t) of uranium compared with 6,988 t in 2023. The increase was driven by the restart of the Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM), which offset reduced output at the Rössing and Husab Mines caused by water-supply constraints and planned maintenance. The Husab Mine, operated by Swakop Uranium (Pty.) Ltd. and owned by China General Nuclear Power Group (90%) and Epangelo Mining Co. (Pty.) Ltd. (10%), produced about 5,232 t of uranium oxide in 2024. The Rössing Mine, majority-owned by China National Uranium Corp. Ltd. (68.62%), produced 2,600 t of uranium oxide in 2024. Both companies continued exploration drilling in 2024 for mine expansion. Paladin Energy Ltd. (Paladin) of Australia restarted uranium mining at the LHM, which had been closed in 2018 due to low uranium prices. The mine returned to commercial production in March 2024. The mine, which was located in the Namib Desert, 80 km east of Walvis Bay, was jointly owned by Paladin (75%) and Overseas Uranium Holdings Ltd. (25%) of China. The company produced 814 t of uranium oxide in 2024 (Chamber of Mines of Namibia, 2025, p. 29, 43, 44, 61, 62, 65, 66; World Nuclear Association, 2025).
In late 2023, Bannerman Energy Ltd. of Australia and Reptile Mineral Resources and Exploration Pty Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Deep Yellow Ltd. of Australia), were granted mining licenses for the Etango‑8 and Tumas uranium projects, respectively. Both companies subsequently commenced construction activities in 2024. Companies involved in uranium exploration in the Erongo Region included Elevate Uranium Ltd., who owned the Koppies Project, and Valencia Uranium Pty Ltd., who owned the Norasa Uranium Project. Both companies conducted infill drilling to improve resource estimates in 2024 (Chamber of Mines of Namibia, 2025, p. 77, 80, 88, 89)
Production table
(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)
| Commodity | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement, hydraulic | 901,000e | 970,000e | 900,000e | 900,000e | 970,000e |
| Copper, mine, concentrates, Cu content | 110e | 90e | 200e | 800e | 3,700e |
| Copper, mine, solvent extraction, Cu content | 15,741 | 950 | 0 | 0 | 3,515 |
| Copper, refinery, leaching, electrowon, Cu content | 15,741 | 950 | 0 | 0 | 3,515 |
| Copper, smelter, primary, blister, Cu content | 46,792 | 42,010 | 37,285 | 35,620 | 32,880 |
| Diamond, natural, gem (carats) | 1,549,732 | 1,762,906 | 2,054,227 | 2,385,157 | 2,319,489 |
| Gold, mine, ore, Au content (kilograms) | 6,2541 | 7,6471 | 7,4381 | 9,8001 | 10,0641 |
| Lead, mine, concentrates, including lead-zinc concentrates | 17,786 | 19,989 | 26,276 | 20,259 | 13,574 |
| Lead, mine, concentrates, including lead-zinc concentrates, Pb content | 9,100e | 10,200e | 13,400e | 10,300e | 7,000e |
| Lithium, mine, ore, spodumene and petalite | 0 | 0 | 65,000e | 320,000e | 22,000e |
| Manganese, mine, concentrates | 106,000e | 88,000e | 66,000e | 61,000e | 93,100 |
| Manganese, mine, concentrates, Mn content | 37,072 | 30,832 | 23,269 | 19,500e | 41,000 |
| Niobium and tantalum, mine, concentrates (kilograms) | 0 | 0 | 1,044 | 1,000e | 40e |
| Salt, sea salt | 987,872 | 1,082,540 | 1,073,378 | 1,154,116 | 1,159,219 |
| Silver, mine, ore, Ag content (kilograms) | 6,998 | 4,070 | 5,048 | 5,000e | 5,200e |
| Stone, dimension, granite | 4,123 | 4,773 | 6,310 | 21,000e | 11,000e |
| Stone, dimension, marble | 52,657 | 84,751 | 76,511 | 79,000e | 115,000e |
| Stone, size and shape unspecified, limestone | 3,123,544 | 1,003,001 | 1,482,054 | 1,500,000e | 1,500,000e |
| Stone, size and shape unspecified, other, mine, aggregates, iron ore, for cement | 40,544 | 75,718 | 0 | 7,944 | 0e |
| Sulfur, compounds, sulfuric acid | 249,235 | 201,483 | 198,386 | 195,265 | 220,000e |
| Sulfur, compounds, sulfuric acid, S content | 81,475 | 65,865 | 64,852 | 63,832 | 72,000e |
| Tin, mine, concentrates, Sn content | 312 | 472 | 515 | 881 | 914 |
| Uranium, mine, concentrates, uranium oxide, U content | 5,413 | 5,753 | 5,613 | 6,988 | 7,333 |
| Zinc, mine, concentrates, Zn content | 62,333 | 41,176 | 40,518 | 36,556 | 39,000e |
| Zinc, smelter, primary | 16,206 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
References Cited
- Chamber of Mines of Namibia, 2025, Annual review 2025: Windhoek, Namibia, Chamber of Mines of Namibia, July, 106 p. (Accessed January 20, 2026, at https://chamberofmines.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Chamber-of-Min….)
- Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, 2025, Annual global summary—2024 production, imports, exports, and KPC counts: Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, June 17, [unpaginated, 1 p.]. (Accessed January 16, 2026, at https://kimberleyprocessstatistics.org/static/pdfs/public_statistics/20….)
- Ministry of Mines and Energy, 2025, Directorates: Windhoek, Namibia, Ministry of Mines and Energy. (Accessed January 16, 2026, at https://www.mme.gov.na/directorate/.)
- Namibia Statistics Agency, 2025, National accounts—Annual national accounts 2024: Windhoek, Namibia, Namibia Statistics Agency, March 20, 57 p. (Accessed January 13, 2026, via https://nsa.org.na/publications/.)
- Olson, D.W., 2026, Gemstones: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 86–87.
- Parliament, Republic of Namibia, 1992, Minerals (prospecting and mining) Act 33 of 1992: Windhoek, Namibia, Parliament, Republic of Namibia, December 31. (Accessed January 12, 2026, at https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/1992/33/eng@2008-12-29.)
- Parliament, Republic of Namibia, 1999, Diamond Act 13 of 1999: Windhoek, Namibia, Parliament, Republic of Namibia, October 15. (Accessed January 12, 2026, at https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/1999/13/eng@2006-11-01.)
- Parliament, Republic of Namibia, 2008, Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Amendment Act of 2008: Windhoek, Namibia, Parliament, Republic of Namibia, December 29. (Accessed January 12, 2026, at https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/2008/8/eng@2008-12-29.)
- Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026, HS codes— 2612, 7102: Charleston, South Carolina, Trade Data Monitor LLC. (Accessed January 13, 2026, via https://www1.tdmlogin.com/tdm/default.asp)
- World Nuclear Association, 2025, Uranium production by country: London, United Kingdom, World Nuclear Association, September 23. (Accessed January 13, 2026, at https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/facts-and-figures/uranium….)
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