Uis Tin Mine — Ghost Town of the Damaraland

Uis was established in 1958 as a workers’ settlement to exploit one of the world’s largest cassiterite (tin ore) deposits. At its peak it supported a population of several thousand miners and their families. The mine closed in 1990 when tin prices collapsed, leaving behind a series of open pits, rusting infrastructure and a dramatically downsized town. The old mine workings are visible from the road and give Uis a rugged, end-of-the-earth character. Mineral collectors also prize the area for tourmaline, beryl, aquamarine and other semi-precious stones found in the surrounding pegmatite outcrops.