{
  "id": 9780751,
  "title": "Namibia eyes local mineral processing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/namibia-eyes-local-mineral-processing",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-25T15:03:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Semafor",
    "slug": "semafor",
    "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/09/25/2026/namibia-eyes-local-mineral-processing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Namibia's president is urging foreign investors to construct processing facilities on-site rather than seeking raw mineral exports. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, speaking at an Invest Africa event during the UN General Assembly, emphasized that investors should not be treated as \"briefcase businesses.\" Namibia, a mining-focused economy, exports raw minerals such as uranium, lithium, rare earths, copper, and graphite. Nandi-Ndaitwah proposed a long-term partnership and a stable business environment for investors in exchange for processing locally. She also encouraged foreign companies to collaborate with local entrepreneurs to contribute to the local economy. This stance aligns with a growing trend across Africa, where governments seek a larger share of the value chain and associated employment opportunities. A dozen African nations, including Guinea, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, have restricted the export of unprocessed minerals to promote local refining. Nandi-Ndaitwah went further by incorporating local partnership requirements into law, a concept previously stalled due to opposition from business groups. Namibia introduced a 15% local ownership mandate for new mining licenses since 2021, up from the earlier 10% requirement. The president, elected in 2024 on a pledge to generate 500,000 jobs by 2029, highlighted the urgency of creating employment opportunities as nearly 40% of the population is unemployed. She stressed that while offshore oil revenues could help achieve her job creation targets, they could also foster dependency on external resources.",
  "summary": "The country’s president says international investors will be required to work with local partners.",
  "key_points": [
    "President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah urges foreign investors to build processing facilities locally.",
    "Namibia exports raw minerals like uranium, lithium, rare earths, copper, and graphite.",
    "New mining licenses since 2021 require at least 15% local ownership."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}