De Beers Marks New Era With First Sight in Botswana

(IDEX Online News) –De Beers' first sight began in Gaborone, Botswana, today (Monday) following the relocation of Sights to the country as part of the transfer of many of the Diamond Trading Company's operations to Botswana.

De Beers said that around 200 representatives of its Sightholders would attend the Sight at the De Beers offices in Gaborone which were built at a cost of $35 million. Botswana nationals account for approximately 50 percent of the 160 people employed in the Global Sightholder Sales division.

De Beers CEO Philippe Mellier said: “The relocation of our Sightholder Sales activity to Botswana, and the opening of this new Sight facility today, are a further demonstration of our clear commitment to beneficiation and to our partner’s aspirations to transform Botswana into one of the world’s leading diamond centres.”

De Beers announced earlier this month that the most senior De Beers executive  nott to make the move to Botswana would be Varda Shine, Executive Vice President of Global Sightholder Sales, who will be leaving the firm at the end of January 2014.