18 May Optimistic about growth, opportunities in Namibia – Knight Piésold
18 May: Namibia’s mining industry boasts significant opportunities and remains one of the most favourable jurisdictions in the world according to the Investment Attractiveness Index, states Cilliers Mostert, director for consulting engineering firm, Knight Piésold Africa’s operations in Namibia.
He explains that the outlook for the country’s mining sector and the economy remains positive. “The recovery of the global economy, as well as the increase in demand for commodities, will result in an increase in the price for most commodities. This bodes well for Namibia, whose economy is very much linked to commodity prices due to is footprint in mining.”
Mostert adds the despite the economic constraints across the globe, Namibia’s mining sector shows great promise, particularly as it remains the world’s largest producer of uranium oxide – and home to the Rossing Uranium mine, which is the fifth largest producer of uranium oxide globally.
“Further, it remains a leading producer of zinc with a positive outlook also noted for lithium and cobalt. This, and several other factors, underpin why Knight Piésold Africa remains optimistic about the value and expertise that we can bring to Namibia’s growing mining sector. The proof lies in the fact that our service offering in mining has grown significantly beyond just tailing dams to providing all-round structural and infrastructure services.”
Knight Piésold Africa has always remained positive about its footprint in Namibia despite the economic cycles globally and locally. The Namibian economy, he states, is small in comparison to its neighboring countries, but its positive outlook is further supported by government’s promising Vision 2030 plan.
Meanwhile, Gunter Leicher, Country Manager for Knight Piésold Africa in Namibia, adds that there are significant other opportunities which present itself across various sectors in Namibia including in the private sector and government.
One of these exciting opportunities is the Harambee Prosperity Plan, which is a targeted action plan to accelerate development in defined priority areas and complements the long-term Vision 2030 plan.
“Apart from our mining expertise in geotechnical services; tailing dam designs and geo-hydrology; as Knight Piésold Africa, Namibia’s focus on infrastructure development enables us to further extend and expand our infrastructure expertise. This includes structural engineering; roads and railway engineering – in fact all infrastructure engineering, including within the bulk and municipal space – and dam break analysis,” Leicher explains.
Further, he states that the company’s employees are also of Namibian descent, which means they bring a different depth to understanding the country’s landscape. “Knight Piésold has a strong value proposition to invest in the development and training of local talent and competent expertise in the countries in which it operates with the aim of enabling and contributing to direct and indirect socio-economic growth.”
This, says Mostert, has been a strong factor in contributing to the company’s success over the past 100 years by being able to adapt to change and to trust and invest in the local economy. “We are extremely proud to be part of an international group that has what it takes to last 100 years given that only about 0.5% of companies reach this milestone! We are look forward to continuing to grow into the next 100 years, not just internationally but in Namibia as well.”
Knight Piésold has had a presence in the country for the past 12 years making its mark through its involvement in the Neckartal Dam project – the country’s largest dam – located outside Keetmanshoop in the south of Namibia.
Leicher concludes: “We are definitely here to stay and grow. In fact, we did not think twice about making the financial commitment to move into a larger office space. We have also recently appointed two more staff members with further employment opportunities also presenting itself within our mining division. This shows the growth of Knight Piésold’s order book and the promise of more opportunities to come.”
The company’s new office is located in Klein Windhoek, on the corner of Nelson Mandela Avenue and Simon Bolivar Street, in Windhoek, Namibia.