Procurement
Gem Diamonds is committed to being a positive force for good in our host countries. In addition to our social investment programmes, Letšeng mine makes a substantial contribution to the Lesotho economy by supporting the local economy of Lesotho through local procurement initiatives.
In 2020, US$126.2 million was spent on in-country procurement (2019: US$164.6 million). In total, US$2.2 million was procured directly from project affected communities (PACs) (2019:US$2.4 million) and US$27.4 million from regional communities around Letšeng (2019: US$30.5 million).
Our procurement strategy ensures fair payment terms, offering procurement opportunities to local suppliers first and verification that suppliers adopt responsible environmental and social practices. We were also mindful of supporting the sustainability of local businesses during COVID-19; to safeguard local employment for our PACs.