De Beers has donated $2,5 million to Botswana and Namibia to boost the two southern African countries’ response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The diamond group said that the donation will support community leaders, healthcare professionals, and governments in countries and communities they have operations in.
De Beers owns diamond mines in Botswana and Namibia through 50/50 partnerships with the host governments.
Image credit: geralt (Pixabay)
Namibia has so far recorded 13 positive cases of the Covid-19 of which three people have since recovered, while Botswana has reported six cases with one casualty.
De Beers recently canceled its third sight of the year, which was set to conclude last Friday due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“[The cancelation is] due to the public health restrictions on the movement of people and product in Botswana, South Africa and India, which prohibit customers from traveling and prevent the shipment of goods to customers’ international operations,” it said last week.
De Beers allowed its customers to defer 100% of their sight three allocations to later in the year.
The group will also continue to seek innovative ways to meet sightholders’ rough diamond supply needs in the coming weeks.
De Beers raked in $355 million from its second rough diamond sale compared with $496 million, a year earlier and $551 million, the previous month.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
“[The cancelation is] due to the public health restrictions on the movement of people and product in Botswana, South Africa and India, which prohibit customers from traveling and prevent the shipment of goods to customers’ international operations,” it said last week.
De Beers allowed its customers to defer 100% of their sight three allocations to later in the year.
The group will also continue to seek innovative ways to meet sightholders’ rough diamond supply needs in the coming weeks.
De Beers raked in $355 million from its second rough diamond sale compared with $496 million, a year earlier and $551 million, the previous month.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
