South African Diamond

What South African Diamond does

South African Diamond Corporation (Safdico) is a privately held diamond manufacturing and trading company headquartered in Ramat Gan, Israel, with operating subsidiaries in Belgium (Antwerp), South Africa (Johannesburg), and Botswana (Gaborone). Founded in the early 2000s on a longer operating lineage, the company sources rough diamonds from African producers and Canada, then cuts, polishes, and sells polished stones to international diamond traders, luxury jewelers, and tender houses. Its portfolio includes several record-grade and named diamonds, notably the 603-carat Lesotho Promise rough, the 102.79-carat D-Flawless 'The Constellation,' and the 118.78-carat 'The Venus.'

The company holds De Beers sightholder status in Botswana and operates the Diamond Technology Park in Gaborone, which co-locates cutting and polishing with GIA grading, customs, and tendering infrastructure. Proprietary technical capabilities include microscopic inclusion mapping, spectrophotometry, laser-engraving, and a tracking system positioned around stone provenance and traceability.

Revenue is generated through per-stone transactions on unique rough and polished diamonds, supplemented by tender-house sales and partnerships with mining counterparties such as Lucapa Diamond Company (2019 equity and supply agreement). Customers span international traders, luxury jewelry brands, and institutional tender buyers, with regulatory standing under the Kimberley Process, Responsible Jewellery Council, and World Diamond Council frameworks governing the chain of custody.

Name

South African Diamond

Legal name

Safdico Israel Ltd.

Website

https://safdico.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diamond Manufacturing and Trading

NAICS

All Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (32799)

SIC

Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)

akta.pro primary industry

Diamond Cutting & Polishing (Manufacturing) (CRAKAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polished Diamond Trading & Brokerage (CRAKAJAD), Rough Diamond Trading & Brokerage (CRAKAJAC)

Keywords

• Diamond manufacturing services
• Rough diamond trading
• Polished diamond supply
• Diamond cutting polishing
• Conflict-free diamonds

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Diamond Manufacturing: Processing rough diamonds into polished diamonds through cutting and polishing operations. Revenue generated from the sale of polished diamonds to traders and jewelry manufacturers.
2. Diamond Trading: Trading of rough and polished diamonds globally through network of offices and diamond exchanges

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Safdico sources rough diamonds from preeminent miners in Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Western Africa, Canada, and Angola, then cuts and polishes them into large, iconic polished diamonds. The company sells these polished diamonds directly to diamond traders, wholesalers, mining companies, and luxury jewelry manufacturers through its global office network, the Antwerp Diamond Exchange, and manufacturing partnerships. It also operates the Diamond Technology Park in Botswana as a secure polishing and processing facility.

Product overview

Safdico (South African Diamond Corporation) is a single unified product offering centered on diamond manufacturing and trading, not a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of sourcing, cutting, and polishing large rough diamonds into iconic polished stones, with a portfolio of named flagship diamonds including The Venus, The Constellation, The Lesotho Promise, The Sunrise, The Letseng Legacy, The Eternal Twins, and The Princess Rose. Supporting operations include the Diamond Technology Park facility in Botswana for polishing and secure processing, and manufacturing partnerships such as the Lucapa Pink Diamond Partnership for specialized colored diamond production. The company operates across four locations: Israel (headquarters), Belgium (Antwerp), South Africa (Johannesburg), and Botswana (Gaborone).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rough Diamond Sourcing and Trading Sourcing of rough diamonds from preeminent miners in Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Western Africa, Canada, and Angola, with full traceability and conflict-free certification through the Kimberley Process. Provided to diamond traders, mining companies, and downstream manufacturers via global offices and the Antwerp Diamond Exchange.
• Diamond Cutting and Polishing Manufacturing Precision cutting and polishing of large and exceptional rough diamonds into iconic polished stones, combining master craftsmanship with proprietary tracking, microscopic inclusion mapping, spectrophotometry, and laser-engraving technology. Output is sold to diamond traders, wholesalers, mining companies, and luxury jewelry manufacturers.
• Diamond Technology Park Highly secure diamond hub in Gaborone, Botswana providing polishing facilities, GIA gemological services, customs, tender houses, and 24/7/365 security. Developed in partnership with the Botswana Government to realize a downstream diamond industry.
• The Venus 118.78-carat D Flawless heart-shaped polished diamond, recognized as the largest and most perfect heart shape diamond ever created, cut from a 357-carat rough diamond sourced from Lesotho. Showcased as a flagship product in the Safdico gallery.
• The Constellation 102.79-carat D Flawless brilliant-cut round polished diamond, recognized as the world's largest D-color internally flawless round diamond and the first round-shaped diamond to surpass the 100-carat mark at GIA and Hoge Raad voor Diamant.
• The Lesotho Promise Historical collection derived from a 603-carat rough diamond, the 15th largest diamond ever discovered, sourced from Letseng mine in Lesotho. Yielded 26 D-color flawless polished diamonds ranging from 55 points to 75 carats.
• The Sunrise 118.08-carat square emerald-cut Fancy Vivid Yellow polished diamond, the largest of its kind in the world, cut from a 221.81-carat rough diamond from an alluvial mine in South Africa.
• The Letseng Legacy Collection of 20 polished diamonds produced from a 193-carat rough diamond sourced from Letseng Mine in Lesotho, including a historical matching pair of 50-carat pear shapes and a 35-carat round brilliant.
• The Eternal Twins Matching pair of 50.23-carat D Flawless emerald-cut polished diamonds, produced from a single rough diamond and considered one of the world's most exquisite and rare matching pairs.
• The Princess Rose 12.82-carat Flawless Fancy Intense Pink polished diamond, cut by Safdico in New York from a 27.92-carat rough stone, named for its delicate pink hue resembling a rose.
• The Lesedi La Rona Polished diamond produced from the world's second-largest rough diamond at 1,109 carats, recognized as the largest, highest color, highest clarity diamond ever certified by the GIA.
• Lucapa Pink Diamond Manufacturing Partnership Manufacturing partnership with Lucapa Diamond Company producing colored polished diamonds from rough stones sourced through the Lulo operation in Angola, including a 15.2-carat heart-shaped fancy-intense-orangey-pink VVS1 diamond cut from a 46-carat pink rough diamond.

Quantifiable outcome

• World's largest D Flawless round diamond at 102.79 carats
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lucapa Diamond CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Safdico purchased a substantial stake in Lucapa Diamond Company and entered into a partnership for the marketing and polishing of Mothae mine's diamonds in Lesotho. Under the partnership, Lucapa sold a 46-carat pink rough diamond into the manufacturing partnership, yielding a 15.2-carat heart-shaped fancy-intense-orangey-pink diamond. Safdico retains a percentage of the polished sale proceeds.
• De Beers Group (Sightholder)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSafdico holds Sightholder status with De Beers Group, enabling direct purchase of rough diamonds from De Beers' global operations. Sightholders are authorized to purchase rough diamonds directly from De Beers' sites worldwide.
• Diamond Technology Park (DTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafdico partnered in the development of Diamond Technology Park in Botswana, a government initiative to establish a downstream diamond industry. The facility includes polishing facilities, GIA, customs, tender houses, and 24/7 security. Safdico established manufacturing operations at this hub.
• Botswana GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Botswana Government to realize the vision of building a diamond center through the Diamond Technology Park. Safdico operates in a professional, socially responsible, commercially viable and sustainable manner satisfying government aspirations.
• South Africa GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafdico has been active in South Africa for over three decades, building a diamond center that satisfies government vision for the diamond industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Petra Diamonds: Mid-tier diamond miner producing exceptional stones from Cullinan (South Africa) and Finsch. Comparable to Safdico as a source of historic large and blue diamonds, though Petra mines rather than manufactures—sells rough to manufacturers including Safdico.
• Alrosa: Russian state-owned diamond miner and the world's largest rough producer by volume, with growing in-house cutting and polishing division (ALROSA Diamonds). Broader incumbent that overlaps with Safdico on rough supply and increasingly on manufacturing.
• De Beers Group: Vertically integrated diamond major (mining through retail via De Beers Jewellers) and parent of the sightholder system through which Safdico sources rough. Comparable as a counterpart rather than direct competitor on the manufacturing side, but central to Safdico's supply chain.

Direct peers

• Diarough: Belgian-headquartered sightholder and one of the world's largest polished diamond manufacturers, operating manufacturing in India and Africa with branded retail programs (Omega, Leo Schachter). Closely mirrors Safdico's sightholder-driven manufacturing and trading model.
• Rosy Blue: Family-owned global diamond manufacturer and sightholder with cutting facilities in India, Thailand, and Africa. Rosy Blue is the most direct comparable to Safdico's model of combining rough sourcing, large-stone polishing expertise, and global B2B distribution.
• Dalumi Diamonds: Israel-based diamond manufacturer and sightholder specializing in large and fancy-color diamonds. Closely comparable niche—exceptional stones, sightholder status, and Israeli HQ—just like Safdico.
• KGK Group: Vertically integrated diamond miner, manufacturer, and jewelry brand with operations spanning sourcing (Canada, Africa), cutting (India, Botswana), and retail. Comparable to Safdico on the manufacturing/trading leg and on a similarly global footprint.
• Eurostar Diamonds: Antwerp-headquartered sightholder and manufacturer with significant presence in India and Africa. Operates a similar rough-to-polished B2B platform and competes with Safdico on sightholder-supply large stones.
• Laurelton Diamonds: Tiffany & Co.'s rough diamond procurement and polishing subsidiary, which sources, cuts, and traces diamonds end-to-end. Comparable to Safdico as a vertically integrated manufacturer with strict provenance tracking and large-stone capability.

Emerging players

• BlueRock Diamonds: Small-scale South African alluvial miner producing high-value small stones. Adjacent emerging player in the same African sourcing ecosystem that supplies Safdico, representing the upstream end of the value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safdico-rsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South African Diamond