Other Countries of South Africa
Africa is the richest continent for diamond mining, accounting for approximately 49% of world production. The major sources are in the south with smaller concentrations in the west-central part of the continent. The main producing countries are Congo Republic (Zaire), Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Ghana, Central African Republic, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. Political turmoil in some countries has led to highly variable production and severe poverty of the environment from uncontrolled mining.
Congo Republic (Zaire): With 18% of world production, this is the second biggest producer of diamonds by weight (20 million carats in 1995) after Australia. Just 6% is of high gem quality; another 40% consists of small stones, called near-gem, that are cut in India. Mbuji-Mayi is one of the world's most productive mines. In recent years production has been about 5 million carats per year.
Botswana: This is the third major producer of diamonds. De Beers revealed 3 world-class kimberlite deposits in Botswana between 1967 and 1973. The Orapa pipe, found in 1967, is the second main economic kimberlite pipe in the world and produces about 5.5 million carats annually. The Jwaneng pipe was discovered in 1973 below the sands of the Kalahari Desert. With over 10 million carats produced in 1995, it was the second most creative mine for weight of diamonds but first for currency value. Two minor pipes, Letlhakane 1 and 2, were discovered in 1968. Botswana's diamond treasury is immense.
Namibia: In 1908 a railroad employees found diamonds in the sand dunes near Kolmanskop, South West Africa (now Namibia), then a German colony. In 1909 about 500,000 carats were produced there, and yields almost tripled in 5 years. The diamonds were small but of high superiority. South Africa gained power of Namibia after World War I and sold the diamond deposits to Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM), which was transferred to De Beers in 1929. In 1994 CDM was reconstituted as Namdeb Diamond Corporation Limited and is now mutually owned by the Namibian government and De Beers. The production, 1,300,000 carats in 1995, is as of beach deposits.
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