Chamwe Kaira
Diamond production in Namibia dropped by 5% in the second quarter of 2025, falling to 535,000 carats from 561,000 carats in the first quarter.
According to De Beers’ second quarter production report, the decline followed planned actions to reduce output at Debmarine Namibia.
In total, Namibia produced 1,166,000 carats in the first half of 2025, down from 1,194,000 carats during the same period in 2024.
De Beers said that after a fleet optimisation study, the Coral Sea vessel was retired, and the Grand Banks vessel was taken out of service, awaiting a decision on possible decommissioning or sale.
“This was partially offset by planned mining of higher-grade areas at Namdeb,” the report stated.
De Beers operates in Namibia through joint ventures with the government, including Namdeb land operations, Debmarine Namibia, and the Namibia Diamond Trading Company.
The report showed that production in Botswana fell by 44% to 2.7 million carats. The decrease was due to extended maintenance at Orapa and reduced output, which included putting the Letlhakane Tailings Treatment Plant on care and maintenance. Jwaneng production remained steady.
In South Africa, output rose by 17% to 0.6 million carats. This increase came from processing higher-grade underground ore at the Venetia underground project. However, the volume remains lower than previous open-pit operations, and capital spending has been delayed amid weak market conditions.
Production in Canada dropped by 46% to 400,000 carats, driven by planned treatment of lower-grade ore.
Rough diamond trading remained difficult in the first half of 2025. De Beers said improved industry sentiment at the end of the first quarter helped stabilise polished diamond prices. But uncertainty around US tariffs announced in April slowed polished trading. Despite these issues, consumer demand for diamond jewellery remained broadly stable.
De Beers has kept its 2025 production guidance unchanged at between 20 and 23 million carats.
“De Beers continues to monitor rough diamond trading conditions and will respond accordingly,” the report noted.
The company also confirmed that the formal process for its sale is progressing despite the current market environment.
