The Global Ambassador for Natural Diamonds, Lupita Nyong'o, expressed admiration for the role women play in the diamond industry. 

The Kenyan-Mexican actress was speaking at an exclusive dinner extraordinaire in Windhoek. 

Academy Award-winning actress Nyong'o is on a visit to Namibia in her role as the Global Ambassador for De Beers' Natural Diamonds. 

She stars in De Beers' new brand campaign, De Beers: Where It Begins, which highlights the journey of diamonds from their discovery as rough stones to their transformation into fine jewellery.

This campaign aims to emphasise De Beers' commitment to sustainable practices and the positive impact of the diamond industry on local communities. 

Nyong'o says her involvement with De Beers goes beyond just being a brand ambassador, saying it aligns with her advocacy for women's empowerment and environmental sustainability.

"I was especially impressed by the role women are playing in the diamond industry; it was a woman who showed me how the drilling gets done, and before this, when I thought of diamonds, a woman was not what I saw, and it was a woman who walked me through the complex sorting of diamonds here in Namibia at NDTC, and when I thought of a diamond sorted before, a woman was not what I thought of. I am not saying this because men don't matter, but because, as a woman, I see myself in other women, and we can achieve, as far as my imagination, anything." 

Attendees at the dinner hosted in Nyong'o's honour underscore the significance of the diamond industry.

 De Beers and Nyong'o are working to engage 10,000 girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, support 10,000 women entrepreneurs, and invest at least US$10 million across southern Africa by 2030. 

Nyong'o, who is a winner of an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, has starred in roles in various films and movies such as 12 Years A Slave, Wakanda Forever, Black Panther, Star Wars, and an Emmy-winning role as the narrator of her children's book, Sulwe.