Loyal readers of IDMA’s WINC, our Weekly Internet News Collection newsletter – will have noticed that we often publish links to stories that report on the dire situation of the artisanal diamond industry, particularly in South Africa. Take a few minutes to listen to an interview with Lyndon de Meillon, vice chair of the South African Diamond Producers Organisation (SADPO). Scroll through to minute 22 to listen to this very comprehensive interview.
SADPO is an organization that seeks to streamline the alluvial diamond industry. To attain this goal, SADPO tries to collaborate with all relevant structures and serve the alluvial diamond industry broadly. SADPO’s members consist of diamond producers, affiliated marketing entities, any landowner where alluvial mining operations are performed, social members who wish to identify and associate themselves with the diamond industry, and honorary members invited by SADPO.
Unfortunately, instead of making the regulatory system more accessible and removing bureaucratic barriers, the government has made the development of alluvial diamond mining projects virtually impossible.
Most alluvial diamond mining operations are owned privately or by rural communities. They play a crucial role in rural communities in the northern provinces and the Northern Cape.
Alluvial diamond mining is generally more profitable as it produces higher-quality diamonds. However, the negative governmental attitude and the cash flow-sensitive character of alluvial diamond mining make such projects nearly impossible.
Listen attentively to SADPO’s de Meillon’s concise and brilliant analysis of the state of the diamond industry. Could SADPO introduce diamond manufacturers to viable alluvial mining projects?