Yesterday, I was delighted to spend some time with Anthony Viljoen to discuss Andrada Mining’s transformation from capacity build-up to regional scaler.
We explored the company’s operational momentum at their Uis mine in Namibia, and Anthony explained why tin emerged as one of 2025’s top-performing commodities.
As the only tin producer listed on AIM, Andrada is uniquely positioned to capitalise on this structurally tight market driven by supply constraints and growing demand from electronics, renewable energy, semiconductor and solder applications.
We discussed the company’s Continuous Improvement (CI2) program, which has delivered transformational results.
Anthony emphasised that these aren’t radical overhauls but systematic, incremental gains that are unlocking latent value from what he described as phenomenal geology at Uis.
The conversation then turned to financial performance, where the CEO outlined how development projects will drive the company toward positive group cash flows through decreased unit costs and substantially increased production volumes.
We explored Andrada’s major strategic partnerships, starting with the SQM deal at Lithium Ridge, where the tier-one global lithium player can invest up to $40 million under a three-stage earn-in agreement. Anthony shared exciting surface sampling results announced just that morning, with multiple grab samples returning grades exceeding 4% lithium oxide and a peak value of 4.67%.
He highlighted the significant polymetallic upside, with tin grades up to 3.12% and tantalum up to 905 ppm in individual samples, demonstrating that Lithium Ridge has the potential to deliver by-product credits that could materially enhance project economics.
We also discussed the newly announced ACAM partnership at Brandberg West, bringing up to US$51 million in staged funding to fast-track exploration and development of this historical producing mine with confirmed grades of up to 4% tin, 4% tungsten and 2% copper.
Anthony explained the strategic importance of adding copper and tungsten to Andrada’s portfolio, with both the EU and US now officially recognise tungsten as a critical raw material vital to high-tech and defence applications.
We discussed how all the metals in Andrada’s portfolio — tin, lithium, copper, tungsten, and tantalum — are designated as critical minerals by major economies, positioning the company to supply into legislatively-supported supply chains from a politically stable jurisdiction.
We also covered Andrada’s ambitious growth roadmap in detail. The Jig plant completed construction on time and on budget in August 2025, and while commissioning has faced some temporary challenges, Anthony expressed confidence these will be resolved through a phased approach.
The ore sorter project, scheduled for commissioning in the second half of 2026, is projected to deliver approximately a 60% boost in tin and tantalum concentrate production while reducing unit costs.
Perhaps most transformational is the lithium integration opportunity at Uis, where Anthony explained how they’re aiming to extract three metals — tin, tantalum and lithium — from the same ore through a beneficiation circuit integrated with their current processing plant.
A techno-economic assessment has confirmed both technical and financial potential, with a Definitive Feasibility Study expected during 2026.
We explored what differentiates Andrada from other junior miners: existing production generating current revenue, polymetallic diversification across multiple critical minerals, tier-one strategic partners like SQM and ACAM validating their assets, permitted operations in an exceptional jurisdiction, and a management team with over 90 years combined experience who have demonstrated execution capability.
Anthony highlighted Namibia’s advantages as a mining jurisdiction, including sound legislation, democratic governance, an 87% adult literacy rate providing an educated workforce and world-class infrastructure with Walvis Bay Port just 230km from Uis.
Finally, we discussed near-term catalysts investors should watch, including completion of Jig plant commissioning, drill results from Lithium Ridge expected over the first half of 2026, progression of ore-sorter studies, advancement of the lithium integration framework and ongoing geological mapping at Brandberg West.
Anthony shared his five-year vision: Andrada as a pre-eminent African critical minerals producer with Uis operating at substantially higher production rates with integrated tin, tantalum, and lithium production, Lithium Ridge in production or advanced development with SQM, and Brandberg West progressed through feasibility contributing copper, tungsten, and additional tin.
His message to investors was clear: Andrada offers a unique proposition with current production, strategic partnerships, multiple commodities experiencing structural supply deficits and visible catalysts that can transform their production and financial profile within achievable timelines.
Tune in!
