Uis investment conference pushes for growth, brighter future

The Erongo Regional Council is set to host the inaugural Uis Investment Conference on Friday, 4 July, at the Swakopmund Hotel and Entertainment Centre.The event, under the theme 'Uis in Transition – Mining, Tourism and Beyond', is aimed at attracting investment to the Uis settlement in the Daures constituency.The conference, spearheaded by the Erongo Regional Council with support from the Office of the Governor and the urban and rural development ministry, is part of a wider initiative to promote socio-economic development in one of Erongo’s least developed constituencies.“Daures is the only constituency in Erongo without a town,” said Mupenzeni Ntelamo, chief regional officer of the Erongo Regional Council. “We see this as an opportunity to advocate for Uis' elevation to local authority status.”New frontier The region is positioning Uis as an open frontier for investment in sectors such as mining, retail, agriculture, property development, banking and tourism."With the reopening of the Uis Tin Mine, the area is experiencing renewed interest. We now need supporting infrastructure – banking, housing, retail – to sustain this growth,” Ntelamo said.Kennedy !Haoseb, regional councillor for Daures, said the conference seeks to erase misconceptions about the viability of the settlement.“After the mine closed in the early 1990s, many gave up on Uis. But it still has some of the best infrastructure among village councils in the country. We now want to see SME growth not just in vending but in mining services, tourism, property development and more,” !Haoseb said.The choice of Swakopmund as the host city was due to logistical constraints in Uis.“This is a maiden conference. Swakopmund, being the regional capital, has the required amenities,” Ntelamo explained. “We hope future editions can take place in Uis itself.”Meaningful progress Entry to the conference is free but registration is required. A gala dinner will be held in the evening as part of a fundraising drive to support infrastructure development in Uis.Officials confirmed that invitations were extended to key figures in mining, real estate, retail, tourism, banking and ICT sectors.“We want to see the private sector calling the CRO’s office non-stop,” said !Haoseb, adding that only through public-private cooperation can the region achieve meaningful progress.The Erongo Regional Council is aligning the initiative with Namibia’s Vision 2030 and National Development Plan 6. “This directly speaks to goals such as job creation, industrialisation and infrastructure development,” Ntelamo said.

Uis investment conference pushes for growth, brighter future

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-27

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Uis investment conference pushes for growth, brighter future

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-27

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