The northwestern coast of South Africa & Namibia has been a mining hub for diamonds since the 1900’s. Local workers labor through long shifts and hazardous working conditions in order to feed their families. The pay? Roughly five cents per carat of rough diamonds found. While some may argue that the industry stimulates the local economy, once a company deems an area to be over-mined, it pulls out, leaving behind nothing for locals except ravaged land.
Guest Information:
- Matthew Gavin Frank, professor, nonfiction, creative writing, poetry, Northern Michigan University, author, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession, and Greed Along Coastal South Africa.
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