The Gem of South Africa: Namibian diamonds

Located in Southern Africa, Namibia is one of the top diamond producing countries in the world. According to data by the Kimberley Process, Namibia was 9th in the world in terms of carat production in 2014, with more than 1,689,000 carats produced.

According to Namdeb Diamond Corp, a joint venture between Namibia and De Beers and the company responsible for mining and manufacturing in Namibia, diamonds have been mined in the country since 1908. In 2014, Namdeb has reaffirmed its plans to mine gems in the southern African country until at least 2050 by deploying new technology.

Recently, The Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers have announced an agreement, in principle, on the terms of a new 10-year sales agreement for the sorting, valuing and sales of all of Namdeb Holdings diamonds.

According to the agreement, Namibia Diamond Trading Company (NDTC) will continue to sort and value all of Namdeb Holdings’ production. De Beers will continue to support the domestic cutting and polishing industry in Namibia, and will increase its commitment by making more diamonds available for manufacturing businesses operating in the country.