Also known as: the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy · MIME · MME
Ministry responsible for announcing fuel price adjustments, overseeing oil and gas development, and managing energy electrification programmes in Namibia.
Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energydirectedall fuel companies to source bulk petrol and diesel exclusively from Vitol for July-September 2026
Source
“The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has directed all fuel companies in Namibia to source their bulk petrol and diesel exclusively from Vitol between July and September 2026.”
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energymoved to dispel what it described asmisinformation surrounding government's emergency fuel supply arrangements with Vitol
Source
“THE Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has moved to dispel what it described as misinformation surrounding government's emergency fuel supply arrangements with international energy company Vitol, saying the measures were introduced to protect consumers from further fuel price increases and ensure economic stability.”
Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energyconfirmed thatpetrol and diesel pump prices in Walvis Bay will stay at current levels for June
Source
“with the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy confirming that petrol and diesel pump prices in Walvis Bay will stay at current levels despite recent global oil market fluctuations.”
Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energyproposedmandatory 51% local ownership threshold for future mining licences
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“According to the Chamber's latest industry review, relations became strained after the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy proposed a mandatory 51% local ownership threshold for future mining licences.”
The ministryannounced during 2025 Mining Expo that the government intended to introducemandatory 51% local ownership requirement for future mining licences
Source
“The situation escalated after the minister announced during the 2025 Mining Expo and Conference that the government intended to introduce a mandatory 51% local ownership requirement for future mining licences.”
Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energyhas completedpre-feasibility study on critical raw materials beneficiation
Source
“The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has also completed a pre-feasibility study on beneficiation opportunities in the critical raw materials sector.”
Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energyexpected to signsupport agreements with the EU to strengthen cooperation
Source
“In addition, she revealed that further support agreements are expected to be signed soon with the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, the Lüderitz Town Council and the Namibia Standards Institution to strengthen Namibia–EU cooperation further.”
Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energyhas been called on to ensuremining companies contribute directly to Namibia's development
Source
“National Council members have called on the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy to ensure mining companies contribute directly to Namibia's development.”
Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energyannounced temporary restrictions onfilling of drums and jerry cans
Source
“After announcing temporary restrictions on the filling of drums and jerry cans, the government was forced to explain that legitimate bulk fuel purchases by farmers, tourism operators and businesses do not amount to hoarding.”
Escalating Middle East conflict and global oil supply disruptions have driven up international crude prices, with petrol increasing by 60c and diesel by 160c per litre as of 2 September. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 25% of the world's oil supplies, has caused oil prices to spike to around US$120 a barrel.
Escalating Middle East conflict and global oil supply disruptions have driven up international crude prices, with petrol increasing by 60c and diesel by 160c per litre as of 2 September. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 25% of the world's oil supplies, has caused oil prices to spike to around US$120 a barrel.
Namibian fuel prices are set to increase effective 2 September 2026, with ULP95 rising 60 cents per litre and both diesel grades rising N$1.60 per litre, driven by geopolitical volatility and disruptions in global oil markets stemming from Middle East tensions.
The Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, speaking at the Offshore Northern Seas Summit in Norway, urged international investors to explore Namibia's emerging oil and gas opportunities, noting that the country has moved beyond exploration to the development phase with recent discoveries in the Orange Basin including Venus, where partners plan a floating production system with approximately 160,000 barrels per day capacity.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has announced fuel price increases effective from midnight 2 September 2026: ULP95 will increase by 60 cents per litre, while Diesel 50ppm and Diesel 10ppm will each increase by 160 cents per litre. The revised pump prices at Walvis Bay will be N$25.08 per litre for Petrol 95, N$27.86 per litre for Diesel 50ppm, and N$27.96 per litre for Diesel 10ppm.
An analysis argues that despite decades of political talk about beneficiation, value addition, and manufacturing, Namibia remains dependent on primary commodities and has failed to assemble scattered industrial activity into a coherent industrial economy, requiring instead a reimagined industrial policy linking resources, finance, energy, trade, procurement, skills and markets.
Geological scientists have called on Namibia to intensify exploration of its largely untapped mineral wealth and create more local value from extracted resources. They identified uranium, lithium, rare earth elements and copper as minerals with significant potential for economic growth, noting that Namibia remains underexplored despite its long mining history.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has launched the National Steering Committee on the Informal Economy to provide advice on policies and strategies and coordinate government interventions in formalizing the informal economy. The committee, composed of representatives from various ministries, the central bank, and sector associations, aims to improve access to markets, finance, infrastructure, and services while fostering linkages between informal enterprises and larger industries.
Minister Modestus Amutse is participating in the week-long Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) Summit in Stavanger, Norway, to strengthen international partnerships and draw on global experience as Namibia develops its emerging oil and gas sector. The forum brings together government leaders, executives and policymakers to discuss global energy trends, energy security, technological developments and sustainability.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy defended its three-month fuel supply deal with Vitol, stating the jet fuel shortage affecting the country since last week results from a failed quality inspection of a Puma-Vivo fuel shipment, not the government arrangement which covers only petrol and diesel.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy said Namibia's Jet A-1 aviation fuel shortage stems from a commercial arrangement between Puma Energy Namibia and Vivo Energy Namibia to swap fuel, not from government supply policy. A replacement consignment was quarantined at Walvis Bay for quality verification, causing the constraint, with replacement product expected to arrive Saturday.
The Electricity Control Board has warned it will revoke electricity distribution licences from underperforming municipalities and regional councils and transfer networks to operators with proven capacity, following an audit that found widespread non-compliance across Namibia's power infrastructure. The audit of nine distribution licensees found most networks rated poor due to inadequate safety code implementation and substandard maintenance, with ||Kharas, Hardap, and Omaheke regions carrying the highest compliance risk.
The Solar Revolving Fund under the Ministry of Mines and Energy financed electrification of 41 households in Oshikoto Region during the 2025/26 financial year—32 via solar systems at N$1.5 million and 9 via national grid connections at N$261,000. NamPower also connected grid-based electricity to 12 schools in the region, while connection costs and tariffs remain barriers to rural electrification.
A disruption in jet fuel supplies at Hosea Kutako International Airport has sparked industry concerns about Namibia's reliance on a single petroleum supplier, leaving the country vulnerable to contamination, logistical problems, and shipping delays. The article notes that while the current arrangement reflects economic realities of importing refined products together, the disruption underscores the need for resilient systems and alternative sources.
Namibia plans to gazette its first standards for petroleum products in early 2027, with the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI) setting up a fuel-testing laboratory to commence testing and verification services the same year under a service level agreement with the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy.
The Namibia Oil and Gas Conference 2026 brought together over 1,500 delegates, more than 120 speakers, and over 70 exhibitors to discuss the country's emerging petroleum sector and its contribution to national development, with discussions centred on investment, local content, enterprise development, skills, infrastructure, and financing.
At the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference 2026, Honourable Modestus Amutse, Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, called on Namibia to be ready for first oil and to maximise local benefits from the industry, addressing discoveries in the Orange Basin.
The Namibia Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition officially began on 18 August 2026 in Windhoek (18–20 August), bringing together government, industry leaders, investors, academia, entrepreneurs and civil society to focus on ensuring Namibia's oil and gas growth creates opportunities for local businesses, entrepreneurs, workers and communities.
The Prosecutor General has filed a forfeiture application to permanently seize a red Volkswagen Golf valued at N$160,000 linked to a man alleged to have scammed an American investor of approximately N$728,044.50 through a fake diamond sale using false identities.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy is facing a shortage of technically qualified and skilled personnel that could affect the ministry's ability to implement its programmes in mining, energy and industrial development. The shortage, identified as a key challenge during a National Assembly presentation, comes as the ministry evolves following fiscal consolidation and wage bill reductions.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources visited Okarikua Mining in Opuwo and found that the operation has reportedly conducted testing activities for about two years, with piles of copper-bearing rocks on site and questions raised about whether production may be taking place under the guise of testing. The committee also raised concerns about worker safety, welfare, and Ministry of Mines and Energy oversight.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee member raised concerns following a site visit to Okarikua Mining in Kunene Region, observing that workers lack adequate personal protective equipment and proper ablution facilities despite operating there for about two years. The committee questioned claims that the operation is still in a testing phase, noting that copper production is taking place at the site.
According to The Namibian, escalating conflict between the US and Iran has sent global energy prices soaring and disrupted maritime chokepoints critical to petroleum supply in southern Africa, causing measurable increases in fuel, food, and transport costs that are eroding household incomes across Namibia.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy has issued a retail license to Petrosol Petroleum Solutions CC for a planned service station in the Elisenheim Lifestyle Estate, home to approximately 1,500 households and more than 5,000 residents, with the nearest existing fuel facility located more than seven kilometers away.
Petrol and diesel prices will increase by N$2 per litre from 5 August 2026 after the Government reinstated fuel levies that had been temporarily reduced to cushion motorists against global oil price shocks. Petrol 95 will rise to N$24.48 per litre, while Diesel 50ppm and 10ppm will rise to N$26.36 per litre.
The Namibia Competition Commission has objected to the proposed acquisition of Schwenk Namibia by West China Cement (Whale Rock Cement), based on stakeholder input and competition law concerns including market concentration.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy approved TotalEnergies' acquisition of a 40% interest and operatorship of Galp Energia's Mopane oil discovery in the Orange Basin, while Galp will acquire a 10% stake in TotalEnergies' Venus project. The transaction advances Namibia's offshore petroleum sector and strengthens TotalEnergies' strategic presence in the region.
The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy dismissed reports that Namibia has lost its bid to acquire a stake in De Beers, calling circulating information "misleading and incorrect," after Botswana's minister said Anglo American had selected the Global Diamond Consortium as its preferred bidder for the diamond producer's sale.
During President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's state visit to Beijing in July, Namibia and China signed agreements and memoranda covering economic partnership, healthcare, education, green minerals, tourism and agriculture, elevating bilateral relations to a Namibia-China Community with a Shared Future for the New Era.
Namibia's offshore oil discoveries have attracted global interest, but international companies must embrace partnership, transparency, and shared progress rather than transactional models, with strict adherence to local taxation and labor laws required by the Ministry of Mines and Energy and NAMCOR.
Namibia's Kunene region has recorded 2,438 mining rights, reflecting a sharp rise in exploration activity as investors target one of Namibia's least explored but most prospective mineral provinces. Between 1 April and 24 June, authorities recorded 318 mineral rights under application or granted, generating N$5.55 million in revenue during the 2025/26 financial year through application fees and related charges.