In an interview with Mining Review Africa. Bruce Cleaver, CEO of De Beers Group, reiterated the company's focus on its African portfolio.
"Mining in Africa is at the core of our business, just as it always has been, and just as it will be in future. While Venetia is currently our only mine in South Africa, it is one of the world's only Tier 1 assets. With our US$2 billion investment to transition Venetia from an open cast to an underground operation, we are extending the mine's production life into the 2040s. This is the biggest single investment in South Africa's diamond industry in decades and will ensure Venetia retains its status as the producer of about 70% of South Africa's total diamond production," he told the publication
According to Cleaver, the mining portfolio in Namibia continues to evolve with more production anticipated to come from the offshore operations as Namdeb's land-based operations get nearer to the end of their lives. "We see a great opportunity for mining offshore and will continue to work with our partners in government to develop this part of the business. We launched a new exploration and sampling vessel in 2017 - the world's largest and most sophisticated vessel for this purpose - and we are looking at the potential for a new offshore mining vessel to complement the existing fleet," Cleaver said in the interview.
To read the entire interview, go here: https://www.miningreview.com/gemstones/africa-key-business-de-beers/