The 2024 Mining Conference & Expo started off with a bang yesterday at the Windhoek Showgrounds with an overwhelming turnout of exhibitors. The theme for this year's event is “Green Shoots for Namibia's Mining Industry: a Season of Opportunity and Growth to Drive Economic Expansion”.

This year the expo saw record participation with 199 exhibitors showcasing mining focused services and products. From different logistics services, medical, engineering, electrical, safety gear, laboratory analyses, water treatment, industrial parts, financial, geological, lubricants, and most of the Namibian mines and new budding ones. Similarly there were new technologies, loads of coffee, biltong and even popcorn!

The Woker Freight Services and Lubrication Specialists teams also showcased their services and products during this two day stint. The mining expo remains the ideal platform to network, catch-up with clients, to explore new business and to gain insight on what the latest mining trends are.

Her Excellency, Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Vice President of Namibia, officially opened the Mining Expo and emphasized that the country’s natural resources are owned by its people. “Naturally and constitutionally, it is our resources. What we need is a clear law that will protect that ownership,” she said pointing out the need for robust laws to safeguard ownership and attract investment in the mining sector.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, drew attention to Namibia’s growth prospects, noting that it lies in the uranium and gold sub-sectors. She highlighted Namibia’s potential in the oil and gas sector, adding that refining domestic oil could reduce costs for the mining industry and create new jobs.