An almost-abandoned Northern Cape town wants to use X-ray and 3D mapping technology to stage its diamond-mining comeback.
Kleinzee was once a prominent diamond-mining town in South Africa, but as on-shore deposits depleted, the town was almost abandoned. Today, it is planning a diamond-mining comeback.
The coastal Northern Cape town’s origins date back to the early 20th century. It was first the site of a freehold farm named Kleyne Zee, or “small sea”, referring to the lagoon at the mouth of the Buffels River.
In 1926, Jack Carstens, who was searching the Northern Cape coast for diamonds, received word of diamond discoveries on the grounds of Kleyne Zee.
Two locals made the discoveries, and a crater was opened to dig for the gemstones within a week. The site of the dig was a farm co-owned by the Kotze and Goosen families.
In 1927, the two families agreed to sell the land to the Cape Coast Exploration Company before they were informed of the diamond deposits.
It was incorporated into the global diamond company De Beers in 1928. The company’s Namaqualand Mines Division established Kleinzee as a private alluvial-diamond-mining settlement.
People quickly flooded into the town, and at its peak, it reportedly had a population of around 4,000 residents.
Due to the town’s isolation, it was primarily inhabited by middle-class mineworkers and managers, along with their families.
De Beers paid residents’ electricity bills and invested in recreational infrastructure like pools, sports fields, a golf course, and various hobby clubs, including a yacht club.
However, the diamond deposits began to run dry by the 2000s, and so people started to leave the town. At the time, the town was home to roughly 2,000 residents.
Its population has declined considerably since the scaling down of mining activities in the area in 2009, and it is now often referred to as a “ghost town”.
While mining activity in Kleinzee was significantly scaled down, it has not stopped completely. In August 2023, De Beers sold the Buffels Marine Mining Right to Kleinzee Holdings Proprietary Limited.
Kleinzee’s coastline with the Atlantic Ocean
It should be noted that, while De Beers sold the Buffels Marine Mining Right to Kleinzee Holdings in August 2023, there is no confirmation that mining has resumed in the region.
However, Kleinzee Holdings plans to restart operations. The company is a consortium led by Melki Mining Proprietary Limited and HolGoun Investment Holdings Proprietary Limited.
The consortium plans to revive the De Beers Namaqualand operation on a smaller, but more targeted basis.
It plans to use geological surveying and 3D mapping to identify diamond-rich gravel along the coast, as diamonds are not evenly distributed and tend to accumulate in potholes and depressions in bedrock.
Once a suitable deposit is identified, Kleinzee Holdings’ miners must determine how much diamond it contains and its grade.
This will be achieved through systematic sampling and geographical analysis, after which excavation can begin.
Miners will use excavators and earthmoving equipment to remove the overburden and gravel containing diamonds.
Efficiency is key, and the challenge is to extract valuable diamond-bearing gravel deposits without unnecessarily moving large quantities of earth.
The extracted paydirt, also known as diamondiferous gravel, will be processed thereafter. The gravel is screened to remove large rock fragments before undergoing concentration processes.
The final stage of processing is X-ray sorting. Diamonds glow when exposed to X-rays, enabling X-ray sorters to spot the gemstones and separate them from other materials.
Road sign for the Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee on the R355. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
An empty street in the Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
The Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
The Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
The Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
Abandoned bus in the Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook The Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
School courtyard in the Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
The Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
The Kleinzee Squash Club and Restaurant. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
The Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
A park in the Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
Classroom in the Northern Cape coastal town of Kleinzee. Photographer: Lara Schriek-Servaas / Facebook
