South Africa

Venetia mine opened in 1992, and contributes 40 per cent of the country’s annual diamond production. It is in the Northern Transvaal, 32km south of the Limpopo River in the Limpopo Province in the north-east corner of South Africa.

Diamond-bearing gravels were discovered as early as 1903 close to the Limpopo River, 35km north-east of the present mine.

De Beers Group began a sampling programme in 1969 to locate the source of these alluvial diamonds. Viable kimberlite pipes were discovered in 1980. Work on the mine started in 1990 and full production was achieved in 1993.

Open-pit operations at Venetia have ended and the mine is transitioning to underground mining, which is expected to extend the life of the mine to the mid-2040s and provide an estimated 88 million carats.

Excavation work for the US$2 billion underground extension got under way in 2013, the year De Beers Group celebrated its 125^th anniversary.

The new underground mine is the biggest single investment in the country’s diamond industry in decades.

Around 4,365 people are employed at Venetia mine, of which 2,571 are contractors.

We have minimised the impact of our operations by adopting an environmental management programme. We have also worked hard to enhance the surrounding area -- for example, by creating the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve. The mine is in a semi-arid region so it keeps its water use to a minimum; a third of the process water is recycled.

Voorspoed is located about 30km north-east of Kroonstad in the Free State Province and all diamond processing is carried out at our on-site facility. Voorspoed employs 451 people, including 23 on community schemes, such as the Rural Schools Development Programme and the Ngwathe and Moqhaka Teachers Development Programme.

When it opened, Voorspoed became the first major new diamond mine in South Africa in almost two decades. It’s the first of a new generation of 21st century mines that meet the highest standards in environmental and social performance.

More than four million carats are expected to be recovered during Voorspoed’s life of mine. In 2017, the mine produced 606,000 carats. It is known for the large and exotic coloured diamonds it occasionally produces.

In November 2017, De Beers Group announced it was seeking expressions of interest from potential buyers of the mine. The decision was taken with the aim of providing an opportunity for lower-cost operators to extend the life of the mine beyond 2020, thereby offering continued employment and economic activity in the host community. However, with no suitable buyer found, the mine is now being prepared for closure. The mine’s history dates from 1906. It was acquired by De Beers Group in 1912, although the mine remained dormant for almost a century before being officially reopened. Construction began in 2006 and the mine was officially opened in 2008.