DeBeers Tour: Academy Award-winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o, visits South Africa and Namibia
DeBeers –
Press Release –
Academy Award-winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o, visits South Africa and Namibia
to understand the contribution of natural diamonds to the advancement of sustainable development
Academy Award-winning actress and De Beers Global Ambassador, Lupita Nyong’o, visited South Africa and Namibia last week as part of an immersive tour to experience the impact that natural diamonds create for the people and places they come from.
In South Africa, Ms Nyong’o visited De Beers Group’s world-class Venetia diamond mine, gaining an appreciation for how every stage of the production value chain supports sustainable development for host communities. She was also taken on a tour of the 32,000 hectare Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve adjacent to the mine, which is owned and managed by De Beers and provides protected habitat for a wide array of flora and fauna, including threatened and endangered species, as part of De Beers Group’s wide-ranging conservation efforts.
In Namibia, Ms Nyong’o visited the NDTC (Namibian Diamond Trading Company) and Namdeb, both 50:50 joint ventures between the Namibian Government and De Beers. NDTC sorts and values rough diamonds discovered in the country and also sells rough diamonds to Namibia-based diamond polishing companies. Namdeb Holdings is Namibia’s world-class diamond producer, discovering some of the highest value diamonds in the world.
During her visits to both countries, Ms Nyong’o was shown how De Beers is empowering communities local to its operations through projects that support equal opportunities for women and girls, promote education and early childhood development, advance local entrepreneurs and provide essential infrastructure support such as water and road upgrades.
A vocal proponent for women and girls, Ms Nyong’o also paid a visit to the #BeFree Campus in Namibia, a youth facility that provides reproductive health services and skills training, founded by the former First Lady of Namibia, Mrs Monica Geingos. She also attended a gala dinner attended by the Minister in the Office of the Presidency and high-ranking business leaders. Concluding her time in Namibia, Ms Nyong’o made a courtesy visit to the Namibian President, Dr Nangolo Mbumba, who praised her efforts to learn about the positive contribution that natural diamonds make to the country’s economy.
Reflecting on her visit, Ms Nyong’o said: “I’ve had a relationship with De Beers jewellery for a while now and I was very curious to go to the source and experience the journey a diamond makes first-hand. It was a pleasure to meet with people working in South Africa and Namibia’s diamond industries, and I was especially struck by the female staff who are breaking barriers and having real success in a sector that has traditionally been the realm of men. It was illuminating and inspiring to meet women from the surrounding communities who occupy and thrive in technical roles, as drill operators, geologists, and engineers.
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