Zim ships diamonds worth $71mln in first eight months of 2020

Zimbabwe exported diamonds worth $71 million between January and August this year, according to data released by ZimStats.
The diamonds were dwarfed by gold, which earned the country $645 million during the same period. 
Nickel mattes and chrome also raked in $605 million and $88 million, respectively, between January and August 2020.
Diamonds only edged platinum, which earned Zimbabwe $66 million during the same period.
Zimbabwe's total exports stood at $2.563 billion in the eight months compared to $2.442 billion, a year earlier.
Zimbabwe said last July that it had a diamond stockpile of over one million carats.
The Minerals and Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) managing director Tongai Muzenda said then that they were expecting to rake in up to $100 million from the sale of the diamond stockpile.
Zimbabwe produced 2.1 million carats last year valued at $141.1 million or $67.09 per carat, according to data released by the Kimberley Process earlier this year.
Harare wants diamonds to contribute $1 billion a year by 2023.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished