Tshepo Molusi: South Africa establishes dedicated diamond retail shop in China

T3 Diamonds founder Tshepo Molusi told Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa at the inaugural South Africa Diamond Show in Cape Town that the shop opened an opportunity for diamond manufacturers under the incubation to export their products to China. He...

17 february 2025

Nosiphiwo Mzamo: South Africa’s State Diamond Trader to buy diamonds from other African countries

South Africa’s State Diamond Trader (SDT) is set to buy diamonds from other African countries starting with Botswana. SDT’s chief executive Nosiphiwo Mzamo told Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa at the country’s inaugural diamond show, which...

10 february 2025

Edahn Golan: Halo effect from lab-grown diamonds driving high demand for large, 2-carat natural stones in the U.S.

Edahn Golan, owner of the eponymous Edahn Golan Diamond Research and Data, told Rough & Polished's Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that their research found a halo effect from lab-grown diamonds. He said the trend among lab-grown diamond...

27 january 2025

Paul Zimnisky: We will see a modest recovery in natural diamond demand and prices in 2025

According to Paul Zimnisky, an independent diamond and jewellery analyst and consultant based in the New York metro area, the natural diamond industry will see a modest recovery in demand and prices this year. Zimnisky said a moderate recovery would...

13 january 2025

African Diamond Council makes traceability its top priority, wants KP to embrace Authentia.io

The African Diamond Council (ADC) has made traceability its foremost priority and has been contributing to a traceability solution called Authentia.io for the last three and a half years, which is now ready to globally satisfy the traceability...

16 december 2024

Let’s withhold minerals – SA mines minister in response to US' threat to withhold aid

04 february 2025

South Africa's mines minister Gwede Mantashe has threatened to withhold minerals to the United States following recent threats by the United states to hold back funding in response to certain African political actions.

Mantashe, who delivered the opening address at the Investing In African Mining 2025 In Cape Town, South Africa, said Africa should not be dictated to by industrialised nations.

“They want to withhold funding, but they still want our minerals,” he said.

“Let’s withhold minerals. Africa needs to assert its advantage and take charge of the growing demand.”

Meanwhile, Mantashe said that the mining sector was entering a time of enormous opportunity, as demand soared for a range of new commodities – the so-called “critical minerals” expected to drive new-energy industries as well as technology.

“Gold mining might be in decline in some territories,” he said.

“But the obituaries that have been written for mining at large are premature. Nickel, vanadium, copper, manganese, platinum and many rare-earth elements are all found on this continent. Those are the minerals of the future.”

Africa is home to 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, with South Africa being the world’s largest producer of platinum-group metals.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief, from Cape Town, South Africa, Rough&Polished