Lewellyn Delport, chief executive of Trans Hex, says he sees diamond prices moving either sideways or up depending on the demand over Christmas and the perception of the industry created by a Hollywood movie in coming months. "We are mindful of the issues like the <i>Blood Diamond</i> film’s effect on Christmas sales," said Delport.

With Sasol’s headline earnings figure already in the market following a trading update last week, investors will be looking at other corporate issues including growth, cost and cash management, when the company releases its full year results on Tuesday.