• Mining

Golden jobs beckon on the NIEIS

• 13 Hours Ago - 2025-08-05 00:00:00

As tremors from early blasting spread from the Twin Hills site where a vast new open-pit gold mine is being constructed over two years, anticipation is stirring residents of Karibib and surrounding towns into action.

Early in April, around 800 residents gathered at the Karibib Village Council to learn more about the Ministry of Labour’s Namibia Integrated Employment Information System (NIEIS) and how to register.

Osino Resources and the new mine owners, China’s Shanjin International SD-Gold, are planning a massive operation that promises more than a thousand long-term jobs once the mine is fully operational, for at least the next thirteen years. The developers have agreed with the government to use the NIEIS system to fill these positions, and contractors beginning construction in the fourth quarter of this year will also be required to adhere to this arrangement, according to Osino’s Operational Readiness Manager, Ralf Schommarz.

Labour Ministry officer Liza Gawanas said the lack of local job seekers registered on the system remains a challenge they are addressing through an information campaign. As part of the initiative, boxes were made available where prospective employees could submit their curriculum vitae.

Following Shanjin’s purchase of the mine from Osino for US$450 million eight months ago, a further US$450 million has now been budgeted for construction, according to Schommarz.

Cost recovery
The N$17.8 billion project promises an estimated annual gold production of around 170,000 ounces. At the international gold price of US$3,110 per ounce on 10 April, this could yield approximately US$528 million in annual revenue — enough to recover the initial investment within two years (own calculation).
“We know there is a lot of gold in this soil,” said Schommarz.
Project Support Manager Charles Loots added that the mine represents “a serious investment for Namibia.”
The mining infrastructure being developed is equally substantial, covering about 1,500 hectares. In addition to four open pits, the project will include a 60-hectare solar power plant, a tailings dam of up to 70 hectares, a 250-hectare processing plant, roads, offices, and workshops.

The largest central pit, eventually combining the original Twin Hills Central and Bulge pits, will measure 1,670 metres long, 680 metres wide, and 340 metres deep, according to Osino spokesperson Laschandre Coetzee. Over the life of the mine, an estimated 363 million tonnes of ore and rock will be extracted, she added.

Community participation
Loots emphasised that from the outset, the developers have prioritised community participation, environmental conservation, and ensuring that as many jobs as possible go to local Namibians. A socio-economic baseline assessment has been carried out, and plans are in place for continuous environmental rehabilitation, aligned with the Namibian Chamber of the Environment’s best practice mining guide.
Regarding the mine’s future water supply, Schommarz stated that various sources will be utilised, including boreholes and supply from the Swakoppoort Dam, which will feed into a large reservoir in Karibib via pipeline. Additionally, the Okawayo River which runs through the mine site will be temporarily dammed and diverted to eventually reconnect with the Khan River, as it currently does. "We are working very closely with NamWater," he said.
Gawanas said, “We are very excited that Osino is working with us in using the NIEIS system.” She clarified that the system connects job seekers with employers: “We are not involved in the recruitment of employees; we only facilitate.”
Loots added that contractors would also be required to comply with Osino’s policies, procedures, and existing contracts relating to environmental protection, employment, and community engagement.
Schommarz anticipates that most employees will eventually be transported to and from the mine daily from Karibib, Omaruru, and Usakos.