Namibia seeks to tap into Zimbabwe’s skills in mineral value addition

By Staff Reporter

A Namibian delegation is in Zimbabwe on a mission aimed at enhancing cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The delegation, led by Namibia Training Authority (NTA) Chief Operations Officer Penda Shilongo, toured several institutions including Polytechnics, Chinhoyi University of Technology, the Diamond Training Centre, and the Zimbabwe School of Mines.

Namibia, which is rich in natural minerals including  uranium, diamonds, copper, lithium and gold, seeks to draw lessons from Zimbabwe’s experience in developing technical skills that promote mineral beneficiation and value addition.

During a tour of Zimbabwe’s only diamond grading and polishing institute, the Diamond Training Centre in Harare, Shilongo said Namibia wants to adopt Zimbabwe’s model of converting natural resource wealth into employment through practical training.

He said Namibia currently lacks a facility offering such specialised training and views this engagement as a chance to collaborate with Zimbabwe to strengthen local capacity in mineral value addition.

“What we take home is that we need to start with mineral beneficiation in our country.

“At the moment, we do not have a training facility that offers these types of skills. “We see this as an opportunity to collaborate and leverage the expertise of our sister country so that we can also add value to our mineral resources in Namibia,” Shilongo said.

Shilongo added that Namibia hopes to deepen bilateral relations with Zimbabwe, particularly in training instructors and harmonising TVET standards within the SADC region, also extending an invitation for Zimbabwean counterparts to visit Namibia to explore further areas of cooperation.

The NTA, which oversees Namibia’s TVET system, is rolling out reforms to modernise technical education and align it with emerging sectors such as renewable energy.

Richard Kambinda, Acting General Manager for TVET and VTC Development Support, commended Zimbabwe’s strong vocational training capacity, saying the study tour would help Namibia strengthen its technical education framework.

He noted that Zimbabwe’s achievements in diamond-cutting education could guide Namibia as it works to establish similar programmes.

“We don’t have a diamond-cutting college back home, so it’s important to learn from our brothers and sisters here. We’ve seen that Zimbabwe has the capacity and we believe Zimbabwe can help us,” Kambinda said.

The visit is part of efforts to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two nations covering curriculum development, trainer capacity building, dual certification, quality assurance, and the harmonisation of TVET standards across SADC.

Diamond Training Institute director Lovemore Kurotwi said the visit reflects recognition of Zimbabwe’s growing leadership in skills development and beneficiation training.

Kurotwi emphasised that Zimbabwe must bridge the gap between resource availability and industrialisation through skills development, noting that the benchmarking visit was proof of the institute’s regional impact.

“We are a private, indigenous-owned institution, and I am grateful to our government for licensing and recognising our pivotal role in this economy.

“We are transferring vital skills to our young people, which is key to building an industrialised nation,” Kurotwi said.

The Diamond Training Institute supports Zimbabwe’s beneficiation agenda by equipping students with diamond cutting, polishing, grading, and valuation skills.

Kurotwi also said the Namibian delegation’s visit signals an increasing spirit of continental collaboration in vocational training as African countries work toward localising value addition and empowering young people through practical skills.

However, despite having a beneficiation policy, Zimbabwe continues to export raw minerals.

The country trains many skilled workers, but most eventually leave due to the absence of a fully developed beneficiation industry.