Actress Lupita Nyong’o recently visited De Beers’ Venetia diamond mine in Limpopo as part of her role as a global ambassador for the company.
During her visit, she was shown how each facet of the production value chain supports sustainable development.
Her tour included the 32,000-hectare Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, which De Beers uses for nature conservation.
The Venetia mine, which began production in 1993, has grown to become South Africa’s leading diamond mine, accounting for about 40% of the country’s natural diamond production.
De Beers showcased to Nyong’o how the company is empowering local communities through projects that support equal opportunities for women and provide educational, entrepreneurial, and essential infrastructure development.
Nyong’o praised De Beers for enabling women to break barriers and achieve success in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
De Beers Group Managed Operations CEO Moses Madondo noted that there are often misperceptions about diamond mining, and the company took the opportunity to showcase their best practice employment and sustainability standards to Nyong’o.
The Venetia mine is currently undergoing an expansion to an underground operation, which is expected to sustain production until the mid-2040s.
The $2.3 billion underground development project is the largest single investment in South Africa’s diamond mining industry in decades.
This transition to underground operations also involves re-training Venetia’s 4,000 employees, particularly in the high-tech skills needed to run the largely mechanized operation.
