Andre Messika Diamonds has placed local beneficiation at the centre of its operations, with a focus on buying Namibian diamonds, cutting and polishing them locally, and marketing them internationally as a Namibian product.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah toured the Andre Messika Diamonds factory and processing facility in Windhoek, where company leaders pointed to local diamond beneficiation, job creation and worker ownership as key pillars of the business.

The company's workforce includes people living with disabilities, and the employees hold a 25 percent stake in the company, making them shareholders in the business.

"The most important thing is to have a dedicated workforce, and we are really blessed with a great team. And for us, we hope that the beneficiation will continue, and we'll be able to grow and cut and polish more diamonds in Namibia, as the Namibian diamond industry should flourish all together. And that beneficiation should be a priority not only for diamonds but also for all natural resources in the country, because we can see the benefit that our people have from it. So for sure, we're very much aligned with Her Excellency in terms of creating employment and beneficiating the country's natural resources," says Marc Friendman, Andre Messika Diamonds' Director.

The presidential visit marked a significant milestone for the company and its employees, it says, as a moral booster and recognition of the factory's success.

Ilan Messika, the CEO of Andre Messika Diamonds, further added that "so I can say we've waited for this day for 19 years." For us, it's a big honour. But more than that, for the people who are sharing this factory with us, it's a big honour for them, and I think they deserve to see Her Excellency and to meet her because they're doing terrific work, and they deserve it."

President Nandi-Ndaitwah's visit to the diamond processing facility comes as the industry navigates shifting global demand, price pressures and increasing competition in international markets.