Sodiam reports sharp rise in Angola polished diamond exports in 2025
Angola’s polished diamond exports more than doubled during 2025, with strong growth in both volumes and total export value despite softer average prices, according to a statement published by Angola’s national diamond trading company Sodiam on January 26.
The company said that between January 1 and December 31, 2025, Angola exported 23 300 ct of polished diamonds at an average price of $4 705.74/ct, resulting in total export revenues of $109.7-million.
Compared with the same period in 2024, exported volumes increased by 126.5%, while export value rose by 107%.
Sodiam noted that the strong growth in export volumes occurred alongside an 8.6% decline in the average price per carat. This decrease was attributed to prevailing international market conditions, including continued growth in demand for synthetic diamonds and an oversupply of natural sourced polished diamonds.
Despite the price pressure, Sodiam said the average price level achieved during the year reflected the high quality of Angola’s polished diamonds, which continued to meet strong international standards in terms of purity, size and overall value.
According to the company, performance within the polished diamond segment was strongly influenced by a sharp increase in exports from the Indian company KGK. The company recorded a 176% increase in the quantity of polished diamonds exported during 2025, which Sodiam identified as a determining factor behind the overall rise in export volumes and revenues.
Sodiam also reported increased activity within Angola’s local diamond processing sector. During the year, local polishing factories purchased 62 500 ct of rough diamonds for processing, with a total value of about $104-million. Compared with 2024, this represented a 67.6% increase in volume and a 69.6% increase in value.
The statement said these figures pointed to greater dynamism within the local polishing industry, although performance across the sector remained uneven. While some factories recorded higher levels of activity, other polishing operations continued to deliver more modest results, reflecting their smaller production capacities.
Sodiam highlighted that diamond polishing is inherently complex, both from a technical and a financial perspective. The process requires high levels of specialised knowledge, precision, and several years of technical experience, while also involving complex financial and logistical management across multiple processing cycles.
The company said the development of polishing activity requires significant capital mobilisation to ensure stable operational flows, noting that each capital turnover cycle can last between three and five months, placing additional pressure on factory management and operational performance.
Despite challenges arising from shifts in the international diamond market, Sodiam said the 2025 results demonstrated the resilience of Angola’s diamond sector. The company added that the performance of the polishing segment underscored the importance of continued investment in local beneficiation to support value creation and the long-term sustainability of the industry.
Sodiam further stated that the incentive concession strategy adopted for Angola’s diamond polishing industry had played a central role in sustaining activity, while also supporting the creation of direct and indirect employment within the sector.
