The chief executive of Namdeb, Riaan Burger, on Wednesday said the company’s long history of resilience and innovation will help it weather what he described as the worst downturn in the global diamond market.
Speaking during a commemorative event marking three decades of the company’s partnership structure and book launch titled ‘Mining for Good: The Namdeb story’, authored by economist Robin Shebourne.
Burger said the company has faced difficult periods before and has always adapted.
“This is a story about determination more than anything else. We have gone through many challenging times. Namdeb has an incredible amount of grit, and that grit is deep in our DNA,” he said.
He said the current slump in diamond demand is severe and long-lasting, but the company is already reviewing its operations to remain competitive.
“We are probably standing in the biggest downturn in the history of the diamond market. It’s severe, it’s long-lasting, and it’s challenging. Yet again, we must reinvent ourselves. We are looking at our cost structures and the way we do things,” he said.
Despite the pressures, Burger said he remains confident the company will recover.
“I have absolutely no doubt we will pull through once again as we have done in the past. We do that because of the determination and capacity of our people,” he said.
Burger said managing a joint venture between the government and the private sector is not always easy.
“This partnership isn’t easy to manage. It is always challenging when a private company partners with the government. But the support and courage from our shareholders over the years has been tremendous,” he said.
He also praised the company’s board for backing major projects and new technologies that have helped extend the life of diamond mining along Namibia’s coast.
Over the past three decades, Namdeb has invested heavily in technology to continue mining deposits that have been exploited for more than a century.
Burger said the company had to move beyond traditional land-based mining and develop new offshore and coastal methods.
“We had to create technologies that never existed before. Our teams built new tools and systems that allowed us to push further into the sea and unlock new resources,” he said. These innovations include specialised marine platforms, advanced exploration techniques and modern processing plants.
The company is also adopting new digital tools and automation to improve efficiency.
“We are now moving into the new frontier of using AI tools and the latest technologies. But we are not using technology for technology’s sake. We are doing it because we need to be more cost efficient,” he said.
Namdeb is also investing in renewable energy and lower-carbon operations as part of its sustainability strategy. Burger added that the company has already installed solar rooftops and is working with NamPower on a planned wind farm project. The company has also introduced Namibia’s first battery-electric bus at its operations.
“We are definitely on the journey to carbon neutrality,” he said.
Burger said Namdeb is also working with the Oranjemund Town Council to diversify the economy of the mining town of Oranjemund. Although the town was proclaimed in 2017, its economy still relies heavily on mining. The company is supporting initiatives aimed at developing tourism, agriculture and other sectors to reduce the town’s dependence on mining.
Former Namdeb managing director now Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi said the industry has faced downturns before and will recover again. She acknowledged that the rise of lab-grown diamonds has added pressure on the market but said natural diamonds still hold strong appeal.
“We have been here before. This might be the deepest downturn we are seeing because of lab-grown diamonds. But I have every confidence that natural diamonds will emerge once again,” she said.
She added none of the women in the world will want anything else other than a natural diamond.
Deputy executive director in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Erasmus Shivolo, said the mining sector remains central to Namibia’s development.
“Mining is more than an economic activity in Namibia. It is a strategic enabler of national development,” Shivolo said.
He said the sector sustains over 20 000 jobs and supports many in logistics, engineering, construction, and services. Diamonds from Namibia are globally recognised for being responsibly sourced.
“They are embedded in one of the world’s most unique desert and marine ecosystems. But above all, they are Namibian,” Shivolo said.
Economist Robin Sherbourne, who authored a new book on the company’s history, said Namdeb has played an important role in Namibia’s post-independence economy.
“I arrived in Namibia in 1991, just after independence, and I have followed the country very closely. Namdeb has always been something special and very important for our economy,” he said. He described the company’s 30-year journey as a unique story of partnership, innovation and economic contribution.