The sales agreement signed between De Beers and the government last year seems to be paying off. One of the highlights of the agreement is the provision of rough diamonds by Namdeb to local diamond factories, leading to the mushrooming of new entities. This week, the Julius Klein Group (JKG) and its Namibian partner, the Dinamo Group, opened a new diamond manufacturing facility and corporate office, JKD Namibia (Pty) Ltd, in Prosperita, Windhoek.

This marks the second manufacturing facility that the Julius Klein Group has opened in southern Africa, joining its sister operation in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Since the company’s incorporation in June 2007, JKD Namibia has committed embrace beneficiation in Namibia, recruiting Namibian citizens and providing them with intensive internal training in the art of diamond cutting and polishing.
In tandem with ongoing development courses in South Africa, both at Julius Klein and at the prestigious Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Training School, the company has helped impart the skills and knowledge necessary to become proficient in all aspects of diamond manufacturing.
More than N$30 million has been invested thus far in building a state of the art manufacturing facility, which currently employs 91 staff, of which 68 are Namibian and, once at full operational capacity, will employ over 125 workers.
“With this new venture, we bring with us the same traditions and values upon which Julius Klein Diamonds was built: integrity, trust, dedication and pride in craftsmanship,” said A D Klein, JKG President. “It is these same values we are fully committed to instilling throughout everything we do today and always at JKD Namibia.”