Diamonds in the rough: corporate paternalism and African professionalism on the mines of colonial Angola, 1917-1975

'Diamonds in the Rough' explores the lives of African labourers on Angola's diamond mines from the commencement of operations in 1917 to the colony's independence from Portugal in 1975.

The mines were owned and operated by the Diamond Company of Angola, or Diamang, which enjoyed exclusive mining and labour concessions granted by the colonial government.

Through these monopolies, the company became the most profitable enterprise in Portugal's African empire.

After a tumultuous initial period, the company's mines and mining encampments experienced a remarkable degree of stability, in striking contrast to the labour unrest and ethnic conflicts that flared in other regions.