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Jwaneng mine, Botswana

Botswana rules out reckless De Beers spending

BOTSWANA will not compromise its financial stability to increase its stake in De Beers, said Bloomberg News citing the country’s vice president Ndaba Gaolathe. The country, whose…

Can De Beers make diamonds forever again?

So … diamonds are forever, you say. Are we sure about that? The diamond market has, over the past few years, seen a cataclysmic shift that threatens its foundations to the core…

Duncan Wanblad, CEO of Anglo American, speaks during the World Mining Congress in Brisbane, Australia, on Tuesday, June, 27, 2023.  Photographer: Ian Waldie/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Anglo not exclusive with any buyer for De Beers, says CEO

ANGLO American had not entered into an exclusive agreement with any of the bidding consortiums for De Beers, said the group’s CEO, Duncan Wanblad. “We are not exclusive with any…

Jwaneng mine, Botswana

S&P cuts Botswana rating on diamond market woes

S&P Global Ratings has downgraded Botswana’s long-term sovereign credit rating to BBB- from BBB, citing structural weakness in the global diamond market that will weigh on the…

Diamond industry urges reform of Kimberley Process

THE diamond industry will meet in Dubai next week to debate whether the Kimberley Process, created to stop trade in blood diamonds, can be reformed, said the Financial Times on…

Botswana runs surprise ad-hoc diamond auction

BOTSWANA has launched an unprecedented ad-hoc diamond auction in an effort to raise revenue as the southern African nation grapples with a slump in global gem markets, said…

Gareth Penny at the African Mining Indaba. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Anglo favours De Beers buyer with industry experience

WHEN Gareth Penny ended his 22-year career at De Beers in 2010, the company was only just emerging from the tumult of the global financial crisis. Amid high indebtedness and poor…

A pedestrian walks past a De Beers jewellery store in the Central district of Hong Kong.

Anglo negotiating with Botswana for increased stake in De Beers

ANGLO American said it was negotiating with the Botswana government to increase its 15% stake in De Beers ahead of selling the business, which remained the group’s preferred…

De Beers to post interim loss as discounts inventory diamonds

ANGLO American on Thursday said its diamond and steelmaking coal businesses would be loss-making in the first half of its financial year. This was owing to poor market conditions…

Duncan Wanblad, CEO of Anglo American, speaks during the China Development Forum in Beijing, China, on Sunday, March 23, 2025. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said the country is prepared for “shocks that exceed expectations” as the world braces for US President Donald Trump to announce more tariffs on its trading partners next month. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A year after unveiling its restructure, Anglo has surprised the market

Voicemail is on the decline globally, 8% lower since 2020, according to US company Vonage. Coca-Cola removed it from its corporate headquarters three years ago. Yet for Ken…

Lucapa’s Merlin project

Lucapa Diamonds forced into administration as cash dwindles

LUCAPA Diamond’s current management has succumbed to years of poor diamond prices announcing on Friday administrators had been appointed to save the company. KordaMentha…

Guards stand next to the 1109-carat rough Lesedi La Rona diamond at Sotheby’s in New York in 2016. It was at that time the biggest rough diamond discovered in more than a century. The diamond, which was nearly the size of a tennis ball at 66.4 x 55 x 42 mm and estimated to be about 2.5 billion to 3 billion years old, was eventually sold to jeweller Graff for $53m after failing to meet the Sotheby’s reserve price.  (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Lucara upbeat on stabilised diamond market

LUCARA Diamond Corp. CEO William Lamb took an upbeat view of the diamond market saying it had probably bottomed out in the fourth quarter while producer price cuts would spur a…

De Beers slashes rough diamond output for 2025

DE Beers on Thursday slashed production guidance by as much as 40% to between 20 million to 23 million carats for the 2025 financial year. The move recognises little chance of a…

Former Petra Diamonds CEO, Richard Duffy

Petra won’t make “silly decisions” in new cost cutting round

PETRA Diamonds would not make “silly decisions” regarding a new cost cutting programme warning of the “fatigue” on labour where jobs were shed in a previous restructuring…

Diamond sales boost would do Anglo power of good

EARLY anecdotal evidence points to a “pleasing” improvement in polished diamond sales since Thanksgiving in the US. This will come as a boost for Anglo American, which needs an…

Petra defers refinancing as diamond prices slide yet again

PETRA Diamonds has embarked on a fresh round of restructuring at its South African mines and has deferred a refinancing plan to this year. This follows the results from its third…

William Lamb, CEO, Lucara Diamonds

Lucara Diamond provides some much-needed sparkle

SECOND quarter results from Toronto-listed Lucara Diamonds have at last delivered some good news for the diamond sector after the gloom and doom of depressed sales and prices…

Kalahari, Botswana

Botswana touts 24% stake in mining projects to citizens

BOTSWANA is expected to pass an amendment to its Mines and Minerals Act enabling citizens to buy a stake in mining projects when the government decides not to exercise its…

Diamonds in ‘downward spiral’ as De Beers sales falter again

ROUGH diamond sales fell again for De Beers with no signs of the much desired diamond market recovery on the way. Al Cook, De Beers CEO said that while a recent conference…

Botswana President, Masisi Mokgweetsi

Botswana seeking quick separation from Anglo

BOTSWANA president Mokgweetsi Masisi wanted a quick separation from Anglo American in terms of the UK group’s plans to sell its 85% stake in the diamond miner. Botswana has a 15%…