HB Antwerp, a Belgian gem processing and trading corporation, is looking for further partnerships in Africa.
This follows a sales agreement it recently signed with Botswana, the world's largest diamond producer by value.
The Botswana government is slated to purchase a 24% interest in HB Antwerp, and the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company will supply the gem trader and processing firm with an undisclosed amount of rough diamonds over five years.
Reuters quoted one of HB Antwerp's co-founders Rafael Papismedov as saying that the company is exploring for potential deals to process rough diamonds in Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He declined to reveal which governments HB Antwerp has met with, but claimed Namibia, South Africa, and Lesotho were “interesting markets”.
"There [are] initial talks with a lot of governments but currently our focus right now is Botswana," said Papismedov.
"We hope to start engaging in serious discussions in 2024."
He said additional supplies of rough diamonds could help HB Antwerp increase sales to more than $1 billion per year in three to four years from under $300 million in 2022.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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