Sub-Saharan Africa
Sputnik brings you all the most recent information, major events, heroes and views, including breaking news, images, videos, analyses, and features.

This African Country Launches New Diamond Mine

According to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which regulates the trade and production of diamonds, nearly 90% of the world gem market is occupied in 2022 by African countries. Angola with a production volume of 8.7 million carats secured the sixth place among the top nations in the industry, the KPCS revealed.
Sputnik
Angola's Luele diamond mine, worth of $600 million, has commenced operations, as reported by media.
The Luele deposit was discovered by the Angolan state diamond miner Catoca at the project, previously known as Luexe, in 2013, the media said. The Luele project is believed to be the biggest diamond site in the country and one of the largest in the world in terms of estimated resources.
The project's presentation revealed an estimated 628 million carats of diamonds with a mine life of 60 years. Luele's production plans for 2024 remain unknown, however, the report states that around 5 million carats of diamonds have been already mined at the site.
Sub-Saharan Africa
'Game Changer' in Business: Zimbabwe's Largest Diamond Producer Shifts Sales to Dubai
The project is expected to process about 4 million metric tons of ore per year, with a gradual increase to 12 million tons in several years, as noted by the outlet.
The 2022 KPCS report said that Angola produced approximately 8.7 million carats, securing the sixth position globally in the industry with $1.9 billion diamond production value. In general, about 61.6 million carats were mined in Africa, according to the KPCS.
Among the current largest African diamond producers are Botswana (24.5 million carats), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (9.9 million carats) and South Africa (9.7 million carats).