Located 890 kilometres from the capital city of Namibia, in the southwestern corner of the country is where Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Pty) Limited can be found. .

In the garden town of Okahandja, just North of the capital city Windhoek, sparkles Namgem, a wholly owned subsidiary company of Namdeb that takes pride in being the first diamond cutting and polishing company in Namibia.

Namdeb’s rich history goes as far back as 1920 when diamond-mining companies along the Orange River were amalgamated to form Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM). In 1994 CDM entered into a new partnership with the Namibian Government and Namdeb was formed. Covering 15 789 square kilometres and including nine mining licences, Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Pty) Ltd is the largest producer of gem quality diamonds in Namibia.

The heart of Namdeb’s operations is along the southwest coast of Namibia with the mainland-based operations in Oranjemund and satellite mines in Lüderitz and along the Orange River. Several types of innovative mining techniques are employed to extract diamonds from alluvial deposits of ore bodies. Conventional open cast techniques using specialised equipment such as bucket wheel excavators, vacuum extractors, dredgers and floating treatment plants are used in Mining Area 1 while marine mining vessels, using drilling and crawler techniques are used in the offshore mining licences.  

A workforce of approximately 1 600 dedicated and excited employees led by a progressive and diverse management team produced more than 95% gem quality diamonds. Namdeb is proud to be a significant contributor to the Namibian economy as the biggest taxpayer and foreign exchange generator and the second largest employer in the country. Namdeb has disbursed more than N$13 billion to shareholders since 1994; N$10 billion of this in the form of royalties and taxes.With the focus to sustain mining operations to 2050 and beyond, Namdeb remains committed to creating an exciting and dynamic diamond future  

The company has contributed more to the national GDP than all other mining activities combined, and has earned one in every three Namibian dollars of Namibia’s foreign earnings. In the last five years alone, Namdeb has paid almost N$4 billion in remuneration to employees, who then paid more than N$ 600 million in income tax.

Namdeb currently holds nine mining licences.  The Mining Area No.1, Bogenfels and Elizabeth Bay Mining Licences extend from the Orange River in the south to Lüderitz in the north, and approximately 5.5 kilometres offshore in the Atlantic Ocean to approximately 35 kilometres inland.

Mining Licences 128A, B&Care marine licences situated adjacent to the marine portions of the Elizabeth Bay and Bogenfels licences.

Douglas Bay Mining Licence extends from Lüderitz north to latitude 26 degrees south and from the high water mark of the Atlantic Ocean to about 15 kilometres inland.

The Orange River Mining Licence extends along the Orange River for about 50 kilometres inland from the Mining Area No.1 boundary.

Read more about Namdeb's Mining Operations>

Read Namdeb's Operating & Financial Review for 2010>