Namibia, Africa’s leading uranium producer, has unveiled a new high-grade critical minerals site following Phase 1 trenching results reported by Australian-listed Askari Metals at its fully owned Uis Project, confirming extensive polymetallic mineralisation.
The findings reveal significant concentrations of tin, lithium, tantalum, and rubidium along a 2.2-kilometre pegmatite trend, supporting the potential for formal resource definition and eventual mining operations.
These elements are considered critical due to their essential role in modern industrial and technological applications. Tin is used in electronics and alloys, lithium powers batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage, tantalum is vital for high-tech capacitors, and rubidium finds applications in specialty electronics and atomic clocks.
Trenching was conducted at roughly 40-metre intervals to inform follow-up drilling planned for the latter half of 2026. Peak assay results included 8,340 ppm tin, 0.57% lithium oxide, 299 ppm tantalum, and 2,380 ppm rubidium, with lithium concentrations exceeding common cut-off thresholds for spodumene pegmatites.
The discovery positions Namibia as a potential major supplier of materials crucial to global technology and green energy sectors, highlighting both strategic and economic importance for the country.
Strategic boost for Namibia’s mining sector
This development strengthens Namibia’s status as an emerging hub for critical minerals, complementing its established production of uranium, diamonds, and base metals.
Global demand for minerals like lithium and tantalum is rising due to their use in batteries, electronics, and renewable energy technologies, meaning the successful exploitation of the site could deliver significant export earnings and elevate Namibia’s strategic role in Africa’s mining industry.
With tin currently trading around US$46,000 per ton and reaching peaks of US$57,000 per ton, the Uis Project could substantially contribute to national mining revenues, attract foreign investment, and generate employment in a region already supported by established infrastructure, including the Walvis Bay deepwater port.
Executive Director Gino D’Anna highlighted that the project’s proximity to the operating Uis tin mine offers logistical benefits and untapped potential across multiple pegmatite targets. “The Uis Project is shaping up to be a major strategic asset, offering substantial economic upside,” he said.
As Namibia looks to diversify beyond its traditional mineral exports, discoveries such as Uis demonstrate the country’s potential to capture a growing share of Africa’s critical minerals market, with long-term benefits for revenue generation, industrial development, and global supply chain influence.