A diamond’s brilliance isn’t just in its cut—it’s in the ecosystems that sustain it, the industries it fuels, and the futures it builds.

In this episode, we sit down with Richard Steenkamp, Senior Sales and Office Manager at De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa, a leader with deep expertise in luxury goods, global diamond markets, and strategic sales growth. With a career spanning the USA, Belgium, and Southern Africa, Richard has played a pivotal role in shaping how African-mined diamonds create value beyond extraction—through beneficiation, skills development, and entrepreneurship.

He shares insights on how beneficiation is reshaping Southern Africa’s diamond landscape, moving beyond extraction to value creation. From skill development to local entrepreneurship, we unpack what it really means to engineer opportunity in the diamond sector.

With beneficiation at the heart of the conversation, we explore the real impact of keeping value on the continent, the evolving role of miners, manufacturers, and traders, and why the future of Africa’s diamond industry is about more than just carats—it’s about community and collaboration.