Namibia Bemoans Popularity of Lab-Grown Diamonds On Global Market

Windhoek — Namibia is one of Africa’s top five diamond exporters, right behind Angola, Botswana, and South Africa. In 2022, the country exported more than $940 million worth of diamonds.

The world’s demand for natural diamonds has bounced back from a slump during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Namibia’s largest marine dining company, Debmarine, reporting a sales increase of 83% in 2022 from the previous year.

Still, Debmarine CEO Willy Mertens is worried about competition from synthetic diamonds,…