Andrada Mining Ltd. posted a sharp increase in quarterly tin production and flagged “high-grade” lithium discoveries in Namibia, boosting the AIM-listed explorer’s outlook across its three flagship southern African projects.
Tin production at the company’s flagship Uis mine jumped 20% to 286 metric tons for the first quarter ended May 31, driven by processing plant upgrades and sharper operational execution. Tin concentrate output climbed 16% to 473 tons.
The production milestone arrives as Andrada expands its footprint into critical transition metals, navigating a multi-asset strategy in one of Africa’s top mining jurisdictions. Beyond Uis, the company is advancing its Lithium Ridge and Brandberg West prospects.
“We have invested quite a lot in terms of upgrading the beneficiation capabilities of our plant,” Andrada Mining Chief Executive Officer Anthony Viljoen said in an interview. “As we went into production, we have better understood how the material operates within the plant, and we have got a lot better in terms of mining. That has allowed us to consistently increase the production.”
The operational momentum is poised to accelerate. Andrada expects another structural shift upward in volumes once it completes an ongoing ore-sorting deployment at Uis. “We are in year five of a potentially 100-year mine life,” Viljoen said.
Critical Mineral Expansion
At Lithium Ridge, the company wrapped up a 16,500-meter drilling campaign spanning 143 holes. Early assay results yielded high-grade lithium intersections of up to 3.46% lithium oxide near the surface, alongside associated tin and tantalum mineralization. Complete analytical results are expected in the third quarter.
To fast-track the project, Andrada has partnered with Chilean chemical and mining giant Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA (SQM) in a joint venture. The partners are now exploring avenues to compress development timelines.
“We are looking at various options in terms of seeing how we can expedite that feasibility programme,” Viljoen said, adding that further drilling and metallurgical testing are required to fully unlock the asset. “The metallurgical understanding of Lithium Ridge is still very well documented, and we would hope to see a development path expedited for that project.”
Strategic Funding Secured
Concurrently, early metallurgical tests at the Brandberg West tin-tungsten-copper project indicate that advanced ore-sorting technology could slash waste mass by over 90% while multiplying grades up to sevenfold. Management is currently evaluating whether to sequence Brandberg West ahead of or behind Lithium Ridge, viewing it as a potential low-capital-expenditure option.
The developmental push is backed by fresh capital. Andrada secured conditional approval for a 98 million South African rand ($5.3 million) strategic funding package from local lenders Bank Windhoek and the Development Bank of Namibia under a 10-year term. The debt package follows a successful $11 million equity raise.
The company intends to insulate its projects by maintaining distinct balance sheets for each asset while retaining overall operatorship.
“We are probably in the best position that any junior mining company could be with three assets, cash flows, fully financed development projects,” Viljoen said. “It’s probably the best time ever for the company right now.”
