Namibia has launched a state-backed initiative to train young citizens in gemstone cutting and polishing, signaling a renewed push by the Southern African nation to capture a greater share of the downstream mineral value chain.

Twenty-eight trainees representing all 14 regions of the country have commenced a six-month intensive program at the Karibib Gemstone Training Centre. The initiative, overseen by the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development, kicked off this week with a two-day induction process in the town of Karibib, long recognized as a hub for the country’s small-scale mining activities.

The program underlines a broader macroeconomic strategy within regional mining sectors to transition away from exporting raw commodities. By equipping local workers with technical lapidary skills, the government aims to transform rough, locally mined gemstones into high-margin, market-ready products, keeping the lucrative processing phase within domestic borders.

For Namibia, a country highly dependent on its extractive industries, successful local value addition is seen as critical to combating high youth unemployment and driving industrialization. The center’s regional recruitment strategy suggests an effort by policymakers to distribute the economic benefits of the mining boom across the entire country, rather than concentrating wealth in major urban or mining hubs.