Namibia’s total diamond production fell by 2% in the first half of 2025, reaching 1.166 million carats, down from 1.194 million carats recorded during the same period in 2024, according to the De Beers Group.
The decline was largely driven by reduced output from marine miner Debmarine Namibia, which contributed 846,000 carats in the first half of the year—a 9% drop from 932,000 carats in H1 2024. De Beers attributed the decrease to planned production cuts.
“Debmarine contributed 846,000 carats in H1 2025 compared to 932,000 carats the previous year, reflecting a 9% decline,” the group said.
In contrast, land-based producer Namdeb recorded strong growth, increasing its production by 22% to 320,000 carats, up from 262,000 carats in the first half of 2024.
“Namdeb’s output rose to 320,000 carats, up 22% from 262,000 carats in the same period last year,” De Beers confirmed.
For the second quarter of 2025 alone, Namibia produced 535,000 carats—5% lower than the same quarter in 2024 and 15% down from Q1 2025. Of this, Debmarine accounted for 385,000 carats, representing a 10% year-on-year decline and a 16% drop compared to the first quarter. Namdeb’s second-quarter output stood at 150,000 carats, up 12% compared to Q2 2024, although slightly lower than its Q1 contribution.
“Production in Namibia decreased by 5% to 0.5 million carats, as a result of planned actions to lower production at Debmarine Namibia,” De Beers stated.
Debmarine’s lower output followed structural changes to its fleet. “Following a fleet optimisation study, the Coral Sea vessel was retired and the Grand Banks vessel has been taken out of service, pending a decision on potential decommissioning or sale,” the group explained.
Despite the national decline, Namibia’s performance remained relatively stable compared to other regions in the De Beers portfolio. Botswana recorded a 44% drop in output in Q2 2025, Canada saw a 46% fall, while South Africa increased production by 17% from the Venetia mine.
“Across all operations, De Beers’ total diamond recovery declined by 36% in Q2 2025 and by 23% for the half-year period,” the group reported.
