Lesotho

2024 Report

Full data release with tables here.

In 2024, Lesotho was the world's eighth-ranked producer of gem-quality natural diamond accounting for about 1% of global production. Other mineral commodities likely produced in the country included clay, gravel, sand, semiprecious gemstones, and stone, but available information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). The mining and quarrying sector contributed about 7.3% or \$166 million¹ to the country’s nominal gross domestic product. Diamond accounted for 23.8% of the total value of all Lesotho’s exported goods and was the second-ranked export product in the country in terms of value. In 2024, Lesotho's total exports of goods were valued at about \$991 million. The majority of diamonds were exported to Belgium (72%) and France (27%) (Bureau of Statistics, 2025a, p. 7, 8; 2025b, p. 13, 15, 16; Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, 2025; Zen Innovations AG, 2025; Olson, 2026). 

The legislative framework for the minerals sector in Lesotho is largely provided by the Mines and Minerals Act 2005, the Mines and Mineral (Amendment) Act 2022, the Minerals and Mining Policy of 2015, the Mine Safety Act 1981, and the Precious Stones Order 1970 (No. 24/1970). The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for the regulation of Lesotho's mineral sector. Diamond was primarily produced by foreign private companies. The Government was a minority owner in the country's diamond mines. Aggregate, clay, and sandstone operations were privately owned. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of the mineral industry of Lesotho can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Africa and the Middle East, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/africa-and-middle-east (Ministry of Mining, 2018; Lesotho Government Gazette, 2022, p. 563–565; Osall Organization of SA Law Libraries, 2023).  

Commodity Review 

Diamond.—In 2024, according to reported rough diamond statistics data from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, Lesotho produced 695,888 carats, exported 1,244,193 carats (valued at \$459 million), with no imports. The contribution of the artisanal and small-scale mining industry to total diamond production in 2024 was unknown as of yearend. Companies that produced diamond in Lesotho included Letšeng Diamonds (Pty.) Ltd. of the United Kingdom, Liqhobong Mining Development Co. (Pty.) Ltd. of the United Kingdom, Mothae Diamonds (Pty.) Ltd. of Australia, and Storm Mountain Diamonds (Pty.) Ltd. of South Africa; the corresponding mines were Letšeng, Liqhobong, Mothae, and Kao, respectively. In 2024, the Liqhobong Mine was placed in care-and-maintenance status owing to low diamond prices, and Lucapa Diamond Co. Ltd. of Australia sold all its shares in Mothae Diamonds (Pty.) Ltd. to Lephema Executive Transport (Pty.) Ltd. (Facilities table; Firestone Diamonds Ltd., 2024; Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, 2025; Lucapa Diamond Co. Ltd., 2025, p. 59).   

Production table

(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)

References Cited 

• Bureau of Statistics, 2025a, Annual foreign trade statistics report 2024: Maseru, Lesotho, Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Report no. 9, 2025, 19 p. (Accessed September 17, 2025, at https://www.bos.gov.ls/New%20Folder/Copy%20of%20Economics/Foreign_Trade….) 

• Bureau of Statistics, 2025b, Quarterly national accounts of Lesotho fourth quarter 2024: Maseru, Lesotho, Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Report no. 07, 2025, 38 p. (Accessed September 17, 2025, at  https://www.bos.gov.ls/New%20Folder/Copy%20of%20Economics/QGDP_Final_Re….) 

• Firestone Diamonds Ltd., 2024, Firestone Diamonds Limited announces suspension of operations at Liqhobong Mine due to weak global diamond market conditions: London, United Kingdom, Firestone Diamonds Ltd., October 15, 1 p. (Accessed September 15, 2025, at https://firestonediamonds.com/wp-content/uploads/FDI-announcement-Care-….) 

• Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, 2025, Annual global summary—2024 production, imports, exports, and KPC counts: Gaborone, Botswana, Kimberley Process Rough Diamond Statistics, July 17, 1 p. (Accessed September 18, 2025, at https://kimberleyprocessstatistics.org/static/pdfs/public_statistics/20….) 

• Lesotho Government Gazette, 2022, Mines and Minerals (amendment) Act, 2022: Lesotho Government Gazette, v. 67, no. 40, June 10, p. 563–566. (Accessed September 17, 2025, at https://archive.gazettes.africa/archive/ls/2022/ls-government-gazette-d….) 

• Lucapa Diamond Co. Ltd., 2025, Annual report 2024: West Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Lucapa Diamond Co. Ltd., April 22, 103 p. (Accessed September 15, 2025, at https://www.lucapa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/61260878-1.pdf.) 

• Ministry of Mining, 2018, Publications: Maseru, Lesotho, Ministry of Mining. (Accessed September 23, 2025, at https://www.mining.gov.ls/?page_id=15.) 

• Olson, D.W., 2026, Gemstones: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 86–87. 

• Osall Organization of SA Law Libraries, 2023, The laws of Lesotho: Sandton, South Africa, Osall Organization of SA Law Libraries, 8 p. (Accessed September 5, 2024, at https://osall.org.za/docs/2011/03/Lesotho-Mine-Safety-Act-4-of-1981.pdf.) 

• Zen Innovations AG, 2025, Global trade tracker—Lesotho: Bern-Kehrsatz, Switzerland, Zen Innovations AG database. (Accessed September 26, 2025, at https://www.globaltradetracker.com/gtt/secure/analytics#4bd2bb24-d4c5-4….)