Diarough Angola strengthened its domestic diamond processing capacity with the inauguration of a new cutting and polishing factory at the Saurimo Diamond Development Hub (PDDS).
The investment by Diarough Angola creates 130 jobs, including 100 local positions and 30 expatriate roles, and is expected to reach a cutting and polishing capacity of 4,000 carats within two years, adding industrial capacity, technical expertise and skilled employment to one of the country’s leading diamond-producing regions.
The facility was inaugurated by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, at a ceremony attended by Diarough CEO Suresh Parik, representatives of the diamond industry and other guests.
According to Diamantino Azevedo, the start of operations at another factory in Saurimo represents a further step in Angola’s strategy to increase the value generated domestically from the country’s mineral resources.
“The development of the diamond sector cannot be limited to extraction. Our objective is to ensure that an increasing share of the value generated by diamonds remains in Angola, through local processing, skills development, job creation and the incorporation of knowledge and technology. Every new facility established in Saurimo contributes to turning this transformation into an industrial reality,” said the Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas.
For the Governor of Lunda Sul, Gildo Matias, the investment represents an important contribution to the province’s economic development and to the creation of new opportunities for its population.
“This investment adds value to Lunda Sul’s economy and, above all, to our people, by creating jobs and new opportunities for young people. We want to build an economy in the province that is based on diamonds, but that also goes beyond diamonds. This investment is another step in that direction,” said the Governor.
The expansion in installed capacity comes at a time of significant growth in domestic processing: between 2021 and 2025, the volume of rough diamonds allocated for cutting and polishing in Angola increased from approximately 25,000 to more than 103,000 carats, representing growth of over 300%.
The new factory incorporates traceability technologies, including blockchain-based solutions designed to track the origin and journey of diamonds, in an international industry where transparency, traceability and assurance of provenance are becoming increasingly important.
“We chose Saurimo because we see Angola as a strategic market for the development of the diamond industry, and not merely as a producer of raw materials. We want to put Diarough’s international experience at the service of a technologically advanced operation capable of developing talent, creating jobs and producing polished diamonds in Angola in accordance with international standards of quality and traceability,” said Suresh Parik, CEO of Diarough.
Headquartered in Belgium and present on four continents, Diarough brings to Angola international expertise in diamond cutting and polishing, together with an established presence on the African continent, particularly in South Africa and Botswana. The Saurimo operation expands that presence and integrates Angola into the group’s international industrial network.
The new facility will also have a significant regional impact. Located in Lunda Sul, close to some of the country’s main diamond-producing areas, the Saurimo Diamond Development Hub was designed to bring the processing of raw materials closer to production sites, concentrating industrial activity, training, services and trading within a single ecosystem.
The creation of skilled employment and the transfer of expertise to Angolan professionals are, in this context, central components of the investment, helping to ensure that a greater share of the economic value chain associated with diamonds is developed within the producing regions themselves.
The expansion of cutting and polishing capacity in Angola forms part of the country’s strategy to increase the value added to diamonds before export, progressively strengthening Angola’s presence across the different stages of the industry’s international value chain, from the production and trading of rough diamonds to industrial processing.
With Diarough commencing operations at the Saurimo Hub, Angola adds further capacity to this process and reinforces its ambition to position the country not only among the world’s leading diamond producers, but also as an African centre for diamond processing and value creation.
