De Beers Group pledges further £5m in Covid-19 support

De Beers Group has announced that together with its joint ventures it will pledge $6.8m (£4.8m) to support the national vaccine procurement and roll-out programmes of its government partners in Botswana and Namibia.

The latest pledge will see the company, in partnership with its joint ventures, contribute £3.6m to Botswana and £1.3m to Namibia to support each country’s national Covid-19 vaccine programmes.

The group will also provide $270,000 (£191,133) to support Covid-19 response efforts for India’s gem and jewellery industry, as the country battles the second wave of the virus.

The additional pledges build on the more than $10m (£7m) that both the group and its joint ventures have already contributed in both financial and in-kind support to its diamond producing partner countries of Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa.

Bruce Cleaver, CEO, De Beers Group, said: “From the outset of Covid-19 we have been committed to supporting our diamond producing partner countries in responding to and recovering from the impacts of the pandemic.

“The delivery of successful national vaccine programmes is a critical part of the recovery phase and we are committed to working with our government partners to ensure we support their national vaccination strategies in the best way possible.”

He added: “As the global heart of the diamond manufacturing sector, the situation in India affects us all in the diamond industry and our thoughts are with everyone in India as the country faces its greatest challenge yet with regards to Covid-19.

“It’s heartening to see the GJEPC and GJC playing such a vital role in helping those in the Indian diamond sector affected by the virus and we are proud to support their critical work. This is a global issue that requires a shared solution and we must all pull together to fight this pandemic.”