Editor’s take: Africa is home to the largest diamonds ever produced – from the 3106.75 carat Cullinan diamond to the 1.109 carat Lesedi La Rona and the third placed 995.2 carat Excelsior Diamond, but the latest find – an anomaly – a diamond within a diamond named the Beating Heart, was discovered in Surat, India. The diamond was recovered by De Beers Group and highlighted by its Sightholder VD Global. The 0.329 carat, D-colour, Type IaAB diamond was found to have an internal cavity enclosing a smaller diamond that is trapped, yet free to move around within the space.
On the cover : New Volvo excavator punches well above its weight
Babcock’s Construction Equipment business has introduced the Volvo EC550E crawler excavator to the local market. Sales of the 55-tonne machine, which delivers the type of performance normally associated with excavators in the 60/65 tonne class, have got off to an excellent start, with five units ordered and some already working on site. The EC550E fills the gap between the highly successful 48-tonne EC480D excavator and the 75-tonne EC750D, also a very strong seller. It is one of the most advanced excavators in the Volvo line-up and offers class-leading productivity and fuel economy. According to Babcock, it is the perfect partner to Volvo’s 30-t and 40-t capacity articulated haulers, the A30G and the A40G, with the ability to reduce the number of required passes and dramatically improve cycle times.
De Beers achieves success with Small Beneficiators Customer project
Following De Beers’ success with its Small Beneficiators Customer (SBC) pilot programme, which is helping small-scale beneficiates to ensure future sustainability, the diamond producer will officially launch the project in May. The company partnered with key industry players – The South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator, South African Diamond Manufacturers Association, South African Diamond Dealers Club and the State Diamond Trader – to identify players in industry keen to participate in its SBC pilot programme. The project, initiated in early 2022, identified seven businesses in need of assistance in areas including requisite business strategy, networking opportunities, marketing, and access to smaller more affordable parcels of rough diamonds.
Ndalamo Resources on exponential growth trajectory
Mid-tier coal producer, Ndalamo Resources has many irons in the fire as it targets an aggressive growth path including diversifying into other energy related metals and expanding into the renewable energy space. The company’s growth path is focused on advancing its existing suite of assets through organic growth, consolidation and acquisition of adjacent assets that have a strategic fit with the existing business, as well as new investment opportunities outside of coal into commodities such as iron ore, chrome, battery and EV minerals.
Bara Consulting targets growth through diversification
Engineering consultancy firm, Bara Consulting’s new management structure and shareholding, underpin its strategy for geographical diversification aimed at ensuring future sustainability. The company, which celebrates a decade in business this year, already has a firmly established presence in the South African and UK markets and is now making a play for the Canadian market, chairman Jim Pooley and MD Etienne de Villiers tell Modern Mining.
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