Digging Deep Dialogue 23: Chamber of Mines of Namibia

Digging Deep (DD) takes a trip to The Land of the Brave, Namibia, a beautiful country found on the west coast of southern Africa. Namibia is one of the most attractive mining investment jurisdictions in Africa and to tell us why this is the case, we spend time with Lauren Graham (LG), Chief Economist of the Chamber of Mines Namibia . It was very exciting to learn from a seasoned professional of over 10 years as we delved into her role, the Namibian mining industry, the chambers role in the mining boom, Namibia as a mining investment destination, Namibia's economic growth and what is on the horizon for the chamber. Let's dig deeper and learn more from Lauren.

DD: Welcome to the Digging Deep Dialogue Lauren. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Can you tell us more about the Chamber of Mines of Namibia and its history to date?

LG: The Chamber of Mines of Namibia has a long history, dating back to its inaugural meeting in 1969. Before Namibia’s independence, the body was first established as the Association of Mining Companies of South West Africa with a Constitution and set of Rules. Leading up to Namibia’s independence, the organization underwent various transformations to become the Chamber of Mines of Namibia, a name which was adopted in 1990, and is still known as today.

During Namibia’s transition to independence, the Chamber played a vital role in collaborating with the new government to develop legislation and policies that established a robust and favorable framework for governing the country’s mining industry.

In the last twenty years, the Chamber has grown from a two-person organization that was led by a CEO and supported by a receptionist/personal assistant, to a seven-man team that serves the needs of the mining sector. The Chamber of Mines of Namibia has become a renown advocacy body across Africa, one which is recognized and hailed by its peer Chambers as having a very effective and constructive relationship with its government; a key partner in the advocacy process.

This has been a cornerstone of the Chamber’s successes, and through its interactions with Government overtime, it has established a sense of trust by engaging with them to attain mutually beneficial solutions. The Chamber has built its reputation as a reputable and credible industry body, one that that serves to promote the growth of the mining industry towards optimal socio-economic outcomes for the country, while balancing returns on investment by mining companies.

DD: You occupy the role of Chief Economist of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia. Please take us through what it entails? What are the synergies of your role with the Namibian mining industry?

LG: My journey at the Chamber started some 11 years ago when I was first employed as the Economist, when the Chamber realised its need for an in-house research and information engine to support and add value to its advocacy efforts. Initially, my role as economist entailed research and analyses on the mining sector, particularly to demonstrate the role and importance of mining to Namibia’s economy.

As such, the economics unit of the Chamber requires strong synergies with its members to provide annual information on their economic contributions, and to share additional information to support a specific research area or need that we may have. Outside of our members, it is also important that we maintain close synergies with our national economic institutions such as the Namibia Statistics Agency , Bank of Namibia , the Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Mines and Energy - NAMIBIA . This enables us to share insights and information on mining developments, share data and compare numbers, and thereby, strengthens our abilities to carry out our economic functions.

In the last few years, as the internal support and need has increased at a higher-level, my role has become more focused on supporting the office of our CEO Veston Malango and Chamber EXCO as well as other Chamber committees. As such, the need has become apparent for us to expand our economic unit to strengthen the economic and information engine of the Chamber, through the addition of another economist to the Chamber team, and my promotion to the role of Chief Economist.

DD: Namibia is experiencing a mining boom. As one of the most desired mining investment destinations in Africa, what have you done differently as a country and how is the Chamber supporting these developments in Namibia?

LG: I think the main reason for Namibia’s status as one of the more preferred mining destinations in Africa is primarily due to its prevailing peaceful, stable and conducive economic climate. Namibia has a functioning rule of law and judicial function, one that is independent of the legislative and executive arms of government, while it also upholds democratic rights and freedoms, that contributes to its peaceful and stable existence.

More specifically to mining, the current framework governing the industry is one that has proven to be effective, while the mining taxation regime strikes the optimal balance between government and shareholder revenue. In addition, Namibia’s Geological Survey has been rated as one of the best in the world that has accessible and up to date geological information to provide a sufficient starting point or baseline data for the interested investor wishing to carry out exploration.

Our role at the Chamber of Mines is to ensure that this favorable policy climate is maintained and upheld by continuing our proactive engagement with Government, especially on policy proposals that risk detracting from Namibia’s attractiveness and thereby potential of the mining industry. Alongside this, it also remains imperative for us to applaud Government on areas where they are implementing frameworks and policies that support the growth of mining.

DD: Namibia's economic growth is projected to moderate to about 3-3.8% per year over 2024-26. What is the Chamber’s role in supporting local content partnerships that drive participation of Namibians in the mining value chain?

LG: Our role in supporting the local content partnership is manifold, but primarily concern two specific areas where we have been involved. Firstly, we were one of the first industries to compile an industry charter, known as the Mining Charter. This charter comprises of 5 different pillars which speak to aspects of Local Ownership, Human Resources & Skills Development, Procurement & Enterprise Development, and Communities & Infrastructure. Unfortunately, this Mining Charter, which is intended to be implemented under Namibia’s Empowerment Bill (NEEEF/B), has not been progressed in recent years. We are still waiting for the long outstanding pronouncements on NEEEF/B with regards to when Government intends to implement this legislation.

Secondly, the Chamber believes that there is immense opportunity for local participation in the mining supply chain, with approximately 70% of total procurement that is spent on local businesses. As such, the Chamber has been instrumental in helping to identify local opportunities and matching these with potential entrepreneurs. The Chamber has also been a driving force in the establishment of a database that consists of all goods and services consumed in the mining sector. This database aims to provide local entrepreneurs with information to identify potential business opportunities in the mining supply chain. The database is in the process of being refined and improved, and is intended to be launched within this current year.

DD: In closing, with the recently concluded AGM and Council meetings, what can we expect from the Chamber of Mines of Namibia in the future?

LG: The mining industry holds immense growth opportunity, especially with the resurgence of the uranium market, the development of Namibia’s third gold mine and growing interest in Namibia’s critical mineral industry potential.

The Chamber remains committed to advocating for and collaborating with the government in finalizing crucial policy and legislative issues. These efforts aim to strategically position Namibia’s mining sector to capitalize on the aforementioned growth opportunities.

This along with increased stakeholder engagement, are key areas of strategic focus for the remainder of this year.

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