Diamond Technology Park for Botswana

Botswana announced plans to build a $50-million state-of-the-art diamond technology park on June 20, 2006. �The concept of the diamond technology park is that of a supply chain cluster that could house the entire diamond industry in a centralised, finite manner,� said Shanee Orbach, director Diamond Technology Park. The park would be built in phased developments, creating opportunities for small, medium and micro enterprises.

Diamond Technology Park tenants would be drawn from the worlds leading diamond companies, which had superior levels of expertise and solid experience. Orbach also announced that the first two founding members were the 520-employee South African Diamond Corporation (Safdico), which had offices in Johannesburg, New York, Geneva, Mauritius and Antwerp, and the Steinmetz group, which covered the entire diamond pipeline from mining to manufacturing and electronic retailing. Orbach said that Safdico recognised the importance of public-private sector initiatives and had a deep understanding of international co-operation, particularly in a global business such as the diamond industry. The company was thus working with government to address key Botswanan issues and to build a solid skills base off which related communities could thrive.

�Aggregating diamonds in Botswana rather than in London would save De Beers money, MD Gareth Penny said in an interview. �The aggregation in London is expensive by comparison.� Penny fully endorsed the South African Diamond Corporation (Safdico) initiative to establish the upmarket park, in which the global Steinmetz group would also have a cutting-and-polishing factory. He said aggregation would bring sightholders from the region to Botswana and create jobs in South Africas neighbouring areas.

Orbach concluded that the uniquely-themed Diamond Technology Park would help the Botswana government to fulfill its ideal of creating a sustainable, finite and economically-viable diamond industry.