Namibia joins the Luanda Agreement, strengthening regional collaboration in diamond marketing.
The question arises as to whether this agreement can go beyond symbolic diplomacy and become a cooperative marketing strategy.
Angola has shown resilience and output is expected to reach 17 million carats.
Namibia officially signed the Luanda Agreement on Monday, joining Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Botswana. Established in 2025, the agreement brings together African diamond producing countries and industry stakeholders with a vision to increase sustainable investment in the protection and marketing of the natural diamond industry. A key question is whether producer coordination under this agreement can transform diplomatic alignment into a collective strategy that can protect the value of natural diamonds from the expanding market share of lab-grown alternatives.
The rise of lab-grown diamonds
The global diamond market is undergoing structural changes. Lab-grown diamonds are rapidly expanding, changing consumer perceptions and putting sustained pressure on natural stone prices. For Africa, which produces the majority of the world’s natural diamonds, this change has highlighted the vulnerability of its diamond-dependent economy. Botswana’s diamond production alone decreased by 40% in 2025 compared to 2023 levels, with production reaching 15 million carats. Lab-grown diamonds, coupled with the newly imposed US trade tariff (30%) on diamond imports, had a decisive demand impact.
In response, the continent’s major diamond producing countries moved towards establishing the Luanda Agreement. The agreement, led by the international marketing organization Natural Diamond Council (NDC), aims to address a fragmented national marketing campaign that has struggled to compete with the scale and coherence of the lab-grown diamond story.
“At the moment, Africa produces the majority of the world’s diamonds, so we have a big responsibility and we need to work together. If we don’t work together, we won’t be able to reap all the benefits of the industry,” Senji Vieira Díaz, head of planning at Angola’s state-owned diamond marketing organization Sodiam, told Energy Capital & Power.
The Luanda Agreement reflects a growing recognition that demand is global and category-driven rather than country-specific and requires a collective response by producing countries. By working together to increase consumer interest in natural diamonds, the Luanda Agreement supports the sustainable promotion and development of the continent’s natural resources by the Association.
Symbolic diplomacy or cooperative demand strategy?
Although the Luanda Agreement has diplomatic significance, its underlying purpose is fundamentally economic. Mr. Diaz emphasized the importance of the agreement, saying, “NDC is making a significant contribution to our marketing strategy.”
This approach reflects a broader shift in the way diamond-producing countries view market engagement. Rather than competing for marginal profits through isolated marketing, the Luanda Agreement aims to align producers behind common messaging, coordinated promotions and long-term demand protection. In doing so, we reframe diamonds not only as an industry defined by transparency and long-term growth, but also as a category that must be collectively defended.
Angola proves resilient
Despite continuing global impacts, Angola’s diamond industry has proven to be highly resilient, with production increasing over the past three years. Diaz highlighted the role of the mining register and national policies, which will be introduced in 2025, in strengthening investor confidence and increasing production across markets, positioning proactive policies as a catalyst for production expansion.
“The government has a clear strategy from 2023 to 2027. The idea of this plan is to achieve 17 million carats in production. Last year we produced around 15 million carats, of which more than 16 million carats Of course, due to the influence of lab-grown diamonds, the market is not strong, but we have a clear goal and we are doing everything to achieve it, ”he explained.
The expansion of the Luanda Agreement follows increased participation by Angolan’s state-owned diamond company in the NDC. In July 2025, Angola’s Endiama and Sodiam joined NDC as contributing members, contributing $8 million to the international marketing organization. This membership not only supports Angola’s broader diamond marketing objectives, but also strengthens the collective voice of both the NDC and the Luanda Agreement in promoting Africa’s natural diamonds.
The success of the Luanda Agreement depends on implementation. If effective, the agreement could establish a new benchmark for how African producers respond to structural disruption, not just in diamonds but across other mineral value chains facing similar competitive pressures.
