Kapwanga ready for task

Kombadayedu ‘KK’ Kapwanga, who took office as Managing Director of LLD Diamonds Namibia on Thursday, has expressed joy at his new post and says he is ready for the task.

Kapwanga said he was overjoyed to become LLD Namibia’s new Managing Director, and in a heartfelt speech told of his delight in managing a “successful venture, already ahead of its business plan”. Stressing his long-time role at the factory, he called the venture “my baby from the start” and set some impressive goals for the company’s future: a monthly production of five to six million carats and an expansion in employment to 1 100 trainees and workers.Kapwanga replaces Yaaqov Adir at the Windhoek diamond polishing and cutting factory, the largest of its kind in Africa.LLD Diamonds is part of the Leviev Group of Companies, an Israeli-owned global conglomerate that, besides its various diamond enterprises, deals in a multitude of industries including real estate, TV and construction.The diamonds sector of the company has an annual turnover of US$2,5 billion, and overall the group hits a US$15 billion annual turnover.Currently 430 employees are being trained in diamond cutting and polishing at the Windhoek factory, though the facility has the capacity for 550 workers.Production is around 4 000 carats a month, worth US$4 million.Armenian expertise has been called in to assist with the training, which began last June and will be completed in June this year.The Leviev Group has a strong history of extending cutting and polishing facilities in the countries within which it mines diamonds.It has opened similar factories in Angola and is doing the same in Botswana and South Africa, investing millions in production facilities and sparing no expense.All of the high-quality gemstones mined by the group in Namibia are cut at the factory, and production is so high that the company is even importing stones from foreign mines to be cut in Windhoek.Stressing his long-time role at the factory, he called the venture “my baby from the start” and set some impressive goals for the company’s future: a monthly production of five to six million carats and an expansion in employment to 1 100 trainees and workers.Kapwanga replaces Yaaqov Adir at the Windhoek diamond polishing and cutting factory, the largest of its kind in Africa.LLD Diamonds is part of the Leviev Group of Companies, an Israeli-owned global conglomerate that, besides its various diamond enterprises, deals in a multitude of industries including real estate, TV and construction.The diamonds sector of the company has an annual turnover of US$2,5 billion, and overall the group hits a US$15 billion annual turnover.Currently 430 employees are being trained in diamond cutting and polishing at the Windhoek factory, though the facility has the capacity for 550 workers.Production is around 4 000 carats a month, worth US$4 million.Armenian expertise has been called in to assist with the training, which began last June and will be completed in June this year.The Leviev Group has a strong history of extending cutting and polishing facilities in the countries within which it mines diamonds.It has opened similar factories in Angola and is doing the same in Botswana and South Africa, investing millions in production facilities and sparing no expense.All of the high-quality gemstones mined by the group in Namibia are cut at the factory, and production is so high that the company is even importing stones from foreign mines to be cut in Windhoek.

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