The mine produced about 200,000 carats last year and employs close to 160 people.
“Following a recent review, it was concluded that the best way to secure a longer future for the mine, beyond the current projected 2019 life, is to find a more suitable operator,” Namdeb spokesperson Pauline Thomas was quoted as saying by Reuters.
An unnamed union official said last October that Namdeb planned to close four mines by 2022 as the company searches for higher-value gemstones offshore.
Land-based diamond deposits had depleted.
Apart from Elizabeth Bay Mine, the company wanted to shutdown Daberas, Sendelingsdrift and Southern Coastal.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished