The Catoca kimberlite pipe, 35 km north of Saurimo, is the fourth-largest diamond mine in the world and the engine of Lunda Sul's economy. It accounts for more than three-quarters of Angola's total diamond output and has been in production since 1997. The mine is not open to casual visitors — a permit through the operating company Sociedade Mineira de Catoca is required — but the scale of the operation is visible from the approach road, and the nearby town of Catoca has grown entirely around it. For those with an interest in industrial-scale mining or Angola's economic story, the effort to arrange a visit is worthwhile.
Catoca Diamond Mine
A story
Angola's diamonds first attracted international attention in the late 19th century, but the Catoca pipe went unexploited for decades because of the civil war. When production finally began in 1997, the country was still fighting — the mine operated under armed guard, and the revenue from its gems helped fund both sides of the conflict.