Antwerp-based diamond manufacturer Pluczenik is completing the construction of a diamond cutting and polishing plant near the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. The multi-million euro facility will be fully operational this summer.
Pluczenik already has cutting plants in Botswana and Namibia. The Antwerp-based company employs between 200 and 300 people. Together with a local partner, it is currently building a new site in the Gauteng Industrial Development Zone (GIDZ), a free trade area near Johannesburg airport, with a hub for the diamond industry.
Belgium's King Philip visited the factory under construction on Friday during his state visit to South Africa. The King, Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib and Flemish Finance Minister Matthias Diependaele took part in a round table discussion with local entrepreneurs from the sector and the head of the Antwerp diamond association AWDC, Ari Epstein.
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During the discussion, Kealeboga Pule, founder of Nungu Diamonds, Pluczenik's local partner, expressed his wish to see the South African diamond sector recover by hiring local workers.
South Africa exports a lot of diamonds, especially to Belgium. In 2021, Belgium imported €1.4 billion worth of metals and precious stones from the southern African nation, representing more than 40% of total imports into Belgium.
