AfriTin Mining has announced that its Uis tin mine in Namibia will return to full operational capacity following a brief shutdown due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The mine, which had been in the midst of a ramp-up in production ahead of the spread of the virus, will now aim to produce 65 tonnes of production a month, with the company expecting a 20% profit margin on the tin it produces. The net value for the mine is estimated at around $124m, but with the relative lack of Covid-19 cases in Namibia, the miner is optimistic that its project will deliver a return on investment shortly; Namibia has reported just 90 cases of the virus, none of which have lead to deaths, out of a population of 2.5 million people.

“Namibia is a relatively easy place to curtail the spread of a pandemic,” said AfriTin CEO Anthony Viljoen. “Our mine is 200 kilometres from a major town [and local people] are very cognisant of the importance of mining.”