A long-dormant graphite mine in Namibia is poised for a major revival as global demand for battery materials accelerates. Canadian mining company Northern Graphite has announced plans to restart the Okanjande mine by late next year, following a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Al Obeikan Group.
Under the agreement, the Okanjande mine will supply about 50,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate annually to a new $200 million battery anode manufacturing plant to be built in Saudi Arabia. The project is expected to play a key role in supporting the fast-growing electric vehicle and energy storage markets.
For Namibia, the mine’s restart represents a significant economic boost. The project is projected to attract substantial foreign investment and create between 200 and 300 direct jobs. Planned upgrades at the site include the construction of a new tailings storage facility and the installation of a solar power plant, aimed at improving operational efficiency and sustainability.
However, while extraction and initial processing will take place in Namibia, the most advanced stages of graphite processing will be carried out in Saudi Arabia. Cheaper electricity, reliable water supply, and established industrial infrastructure make large-scale anode production more viable there than in Namibia.
The development underscores a broader challenge facing many mineral-rich African countries: while they possess critical raw materials needed for the global energy transition, limited infrastructure and high production costs often push value-added processing offshore. As demand for battery minerals continues to surge, the Namibian graphite revival highlights both the opportunities and the structural hurdles confronting Africa’s mining economies.
