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| Namibia Naturstein Beteiligungsgesellschaft, GmbH |
| On the banks of the Kunene River in the far north of Namibia, the deep blue Sodalite, called Namibia Blue Sodalite, is mined. The blocks with a size up to 8 m3 are suitable for the production of slabs and tiles. Sodalite only occurs in 3 places worldwide: Brazil (Bahia Blue), Bolivia and Namibia. The one mined in Namibia is known and famous for its dark blue crystals and was already used in the fifties. The Himba people used to collect small pieces and sell them as jewellery. In the seventies the rare deposit was discovered by Italians. Since 1992 the mine has been run with the latest technical equipment. Workers and staff are accommodated in a well-run camp with its own generator, refrigeration and water-pump. Manfred Schäfer took over the mine in 1999 and founded the Namibia Blue Sodalite (PTY) Ltd. in Windhoek, which is under the supervision of the Namibia Naturstein Beteiligungsgesellschaft GmbH. The firm has a mining licence from the government for 15 years. Transport is a special task, as the next shipping port, Walvis Bay, is approximately 1,000 km south of the mine. The main use of this sodalite is interior design, as it combines perfectly with single colour marble or granite. Natural grown boulders have an important meaning for the up-market garden design and decoration and are even interesting for the monument industry.[Namibia Naturstein Beteiligungsgesellschaft, GmbH] |
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