Rough diamond production in Angola dipped by 4.8% to 9.12 million carats in 2019, the President of Endiama, Angola’s national diamond company said, according to media reports. The country is aiming to boost production by upgrading smaller mining co-operatives, and aims to emerge as the world’s third largest diamond producer shortly, he is also reported to have said.

During the past year, 9.086 million carats were produced by the industrial sector, it was stated, with the unorganised semi-industrial sector contributing 35,856 carats.

Briefing the media on the industry’s performance in 2019, José Manuel Ganga Júnior, the head of Endiama was quoted as saying that the government aimed to bring mining through semi-industrial methods to an end, so that the sector could become “more competitive, transparent and efficient”.

It was also reported that Endiama has granted licenses to 260 cooperatives in 2019 and was aiming to help them evolve into small businesses within the next two years. The new licences were granted after the government instituted Operation Transparency in 2018 and selected those that met certain criteria from among the 700 small diamond prospectors existing at that time.

Speaking about the development of the modern mining sector, the official was also quoted as having said, “We have been working with the main diamond companies in the world, in order to add more value to the sector and, consequently, make the country the third-largest diamond producer and cutter in the world, taking into account the potential of the sector.”

Reports state that in 2019, the industrial sector sold 9.114 million carats at an average price of US$138.58 per carat, as against the US$168.45 per carat realised in 2018, or a 7.0% drop in price.

Total sales for the year reached 9.149 million carats, it was reported, with revenue of US$1.263 billion.