During the visit, the ambassador, Sisa Ngombana, said it was one of the first visits he has made in Israel since taking up the position and that he was excited to visit the exchange.
South Africa's ambassador to Israel, Sisa Ngombana, visited the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) yesterday (April 29). He met the IDE President Yair Sahar and members of the IDE's leadership. The ambassador was accompanied by the embassy's First Secretary, Freddie Jordaan.
Ambassador Ngombana said the visit to the IDE was one of the first he has made in Israel since taking up the position and that he was excited to visit the diamond bourse.
Photo: Fuchs
The ambassador explained that several days ago he met the Italian ambassador to Israel, Francesco Maria Talo who told him about his positive experience during his last visit which was to the diamond exchange with his wife.
IDE President Yair Sahar said the ambassador should feel at home in the exchange and invited him and his wife to make further visits to the exchange. Sahar told him that as a Diamond Trading Company sightholder, he had been used to flying to London but with the DTC's transfer to Botswana, sightholders from across the world, including not a few Israelis, would visit Africa to inspect and collect their sights.
IDE Vice-President, Rafi Yerushalmi, told the ambassador about the factory that Dalumi Diamonds established in Botswana and the good work relations with local residents. And Diamond Controller Shmuel Mordechai congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and briefed him on his role in the Israeli diamond trade.
IDE General Manager Moti Besser told the ambassador about the development of the diamond sector over the past few generations and presented statistics relating to polished exports and rough imports, the rise in net polished exports over the years, polished exports compared with Israel's overall exports, export markets and other information. He also explained about the exchange's contribution to the wider community and the mutual respect in the exchange.
Ngombana told participants that South Africa's Minister of Mineral Resources Susan Shabangu will be arriving in Israel next week to take part in the World Diamond Council's Ninth Annual Meeting in Tel Aviv.
IDE President Yair Sahar invited the minister to join an organized visit to the exchange for members of the WDC and CIBJO whose annual congress takes place in Tel Aviv following the WDC meeting.
