De Beers soon to open Voorspoed

De Beers Group is preparing to open the Voorspoed mine, this year on November 4. The mine is expected to produce some 1 million carats per year. The mine is located in South Africa, some 30km northeast of Kroonstad in the Free State province. The mine is expected to have reserves of large and exotic coloured stones, however the production is believed to be of low - quality.

De Beers would be able to club the production of Voorspoed with Snap Lake mines in Canada, which it recently opened, and supplement its present purchase of roughs from Alrosa. The Voorspoed mine will have the potential to create 420 jobs and would be the first opened under the BEE (black empowerment) initiative.