CHAMWE KAIRA
Namibia’s rough diamond production remained broadly unchanged at 531 000 carats during the second quarter ended 30 June 2026, as higher-grade mining at Namdeb offset operational disruptions at Debmarine Namibia, Anglo American said in its latest production report.
The country’s production was 556 000 carats in the first quarter of this year. In the last quarter of 2025 production stood 459 000 carats.
The mining group said production in Namibia was supported by the planned mining of higher-grade areas at Namdeb, which largely compensated for the retirement of the Coral Sea vessel in the comparative period and planned maintenance work on Debmarine Namibia’s Mafuta vessel.
While Namibia’s production was stable, Anglo American reported a significant increase in overall rough diamond output, with production rising 88% year-on-year to 7.8 million carats.
The increase reflected the impact of an extended maintenance shutdown at Botswana’s Orapa mine during the comparable period in 2025, as well as the planned mining of higher-grade ore at Jwaneng in Botswana and the Gahcho Kué mine in Canada.
In Botswana, production climbed to 5.5 million carats, driven by the resumption of normal operations at Orapa and higher-grade ore mining at Jwaneng to optimize plant throughput.
Production at South Africa’s Venetia mine increased to 0.7 million carats following higher underground ore processing volumes, while Canadian production rose to 1.0 million carats as Gahcho Kué processed higher-grade ore from a new mining area.
Despite improved production levels, Anglo American said rough diamond trading conditions remained challenging during the first half of 2026.
Chief executive Duncan Wanblad said geopolitical uncertainty and macroeconomic pressures continued to weigh on consumer confidence, while competition from synthetic lab-grown diamonds remained a headwind for lower-value natural diamonds.
However, stronger pricing for higher-value stones helped keep the overall average price index stable during the period.
The company said the average realised price for the first half of 2026 fell 32% to US$105 per carat, reflecting both a greater proportion of lower-value goods in the sales mix and a 16% decline in the average rough diamond price index.
Consolidated rough diamond sales revenue also declined sharply. Sales from three trading “Sights” during the second quarter generated US$665 million from 6.0 million consolidated carats, compared to US$1.2 billion from 6.8 million consolidated carats sold during the same period last year.
Looking ahead, Anglo American maintained De Beers’ 2026 production guidance of between 21 million and 26 million carats.
The company said planned plant maintenance at Botswana’s Orapa and Jwaneng mines, together with the proposed production pause at Venetia in the second half of the year, are expected to reduce production rates.
The company added that it will continue monitoring rough diamond market conditions to align production with prevailing demand while maintaining its unit cost guidance of approximately US$80 per carat.
