The Diamond Route, a stretch of land of almost 1000 square miles owned by De Beers and the Oppenheimer Family, is being opened up as a tourist attraction.  Beginning in western South Africa at the Namaqualand diamond coast site, the tour next goes to east to Kimberley—including a stop at the Big Hole site, the Benfontein Reserve, the Dronfield Nature Reserve, the Rooipoort Nature Reserve, and the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.  From there, the tour goes to the Brenthurst Gardens of Johannesburg, the Ezemvelo Nature Reserve near Pretoria, and then finishes at the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve near Musina.  The hope is that it will bring insight into South Africa’s historical, cultural, and diamond-centered attributes, and further understanding of De Beers and its influence on Africa as a whole.

Birdlife South Africa, and environmental group focused on maintaining birds and their natural habitats.  The Diamond Industry has the potential to destroy a lot of the vegetation and wildlife in South Africa and other countries, so the organization made a proposal to De Beers and the Oppenheimers in 2004.  Together, they signed a memorandum of understanding between De Beers, Oppenheimer and Son, and Birdlife South Africa.  Since then, De Beers has funded upgrades to accommodations and facilities; initiatives to protect birds, insects, heritage sites, and trails; conservation initiatives; and the training of 14 birding guides and 5 cultural guides. 

“The Diamond Route starts with us understanding nature, and that we must interact responsibly with nature,” says De Beers Consolidated Mines MD David Noko.  “We must preserve the areas where we operate so that people can see the legacy of what we leave behind when we finish mining.”  Ironically, the main attraction of the Diamond Route is Kimberley and the 42-acre-wide pit, which is visible from space.  It is the result of 43 years of above-ground mining to a depth of 790 feet and later below-ground mining into the kimberlite pipe once it became too dangerous to work on the surface. 

Nonetheless, the Big Hole is the star attraction of the tour.  Included in the stop at Kimberley is a visit to its historical museum and the old town in which miners lived and De Beers and the Oppenheimers got their start.  Surrounding these are three nature reserves: the Dronfield, Rooipoort, and Benfontein, each with upgraded facilities in which to stay. 

According to statements released by the Diamond Route consortium, the goal of opening the Diamond Route is to increase environmental awareness among communities, children, and De Beers employees, and to support community development in surrounding areas.  They hope to, at some point, expand the route to include diamond-rich locations in Botswana and Namibia, where De Beers also owns land and maintains active mines.  Noko went on to say, “I extend the invitation to jealously guard against degradation of the environment.  The shareholders and the Oppenheimer family are absolutely committed to this journey.  I am, and my organization is committed.  The challenge is that we all must be.”

Staring into the Big Hole at Kimberley, it is clear that he is right, and, hopefully, genuine.

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