TRANS HEX RECEIVES ALL-CLEAR ON GEM MERGER

TRANS HEX GROUP LIMITED
NEWS RELEASE
APPROVAL OF GEM MERGER CLEARS THE TRANS HEX DECKS

THE FINAL HURDLE IN THE MERGER OF GEM DIAMONDS WITH WORLD-LEADING ALLUVIAL
DIAMOND MINING SPECIALIST TRANS HEX GROUP HAS NOW BEEN CLEARED FOLLOWING THE
APPROVAL OF THE DEAL BY THE HIGH COURT.

GEM DIAMONDS BRINGS WITH IT A NUMBER OF HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER MINING CONCESSIONS
LOCATED ALONG THE MID-ORANGE RIVER IN THE VICINITY OF CONCESSIONS RECENTLY
ACQUIRED WITH THE BENGUELA CONCESSIONS MERGER.

"THE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER OF THE MID-ORANGE CONCESSIONS WILL ESTABLISH THE
REGION AS ANOTHER OPERATIONAL FRONT OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST FOR TRANS HEX,"
SAYS MANAGING DIRECTOR PETER DANCHIN.

"THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THESE TWO DEALS COMBINED WITH THE RECENT DISPOSAL
OF OUR LIME DIVISION SERVE NOTICE OF OUR INTENTION TO REMAIN TOTALLY FOCUSED
AND COMMITTED TO DIAMOND MINING," HE ADDS.

THE CORPORATE ACTIVITY NOW CONCLUDED HAS HAD THE ADDED BENEFIT OF BRINGING WITH
IT A NUMBER OF INFLUENTIAL AND EXPERIENCED PEOPLE TO THE TRANS HEX TEAM.  THE
INSTALLATION OF TOKYO SEXWALE - PREVIOUSLY CHAIRMAN OF GEM DIAMONDS - AS DEPUTY
CHAIRMAN PRECEDED THE APPOINTMENT OF ANDRE LOUW AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR
MARINE OPERATIONS.

THE ACQUISITION OF BENCO'S SEA CONCESSIONS HAS INVIGORATED THE MARINE DIVISION
AND A NUMBER OF EXCITING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY
DESIGNED TO SOURCE DIAMONDS FROM THE PREVIOUSLY UNDER-EXPLOITED SHALLOW-WATER
ZONE OF LESS THAN 30 METRES WATER DEPTH.

IN A DEVELOPMENT CONCERNING THE DISPUTED PRICE AT WHICH THE PURCHASER ACQUIRED
OCEAN DIAMOND MINING (ODM), THE SECURITIES REGULATION PANEL HAS RULED ON APPEAL
THAT THE EFFECTIVE PRICE OF R8.25 WAS CORRECT.  REASONS FOR THE DECISION WERE
NOT YET AVAILABLE BUT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED.

CHAIRMAN BERNARD VAN ROOYEN ADDS : "WE ARE OBVIOUSLY DISAPPOINTED AT THIS
RULING, NOT ONLY FOR US BUT ALSO FOR OTHER ODM MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS.  WE CAN'T
COMMENT FURTHER UNTIL WE HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE WRITTEN RULING,
SUFFICE TO SAY AS WE SEE IT, THE DECISION WILL HAVE FAR REACHING IMPLICATIONS
FOR THE SECURITIES INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA."

"A YEAR OF FRENETIC CORPORATE ACTIVITY HAS NOW BEEN WOUND-UP BRINGING WITH IT A
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN DIAMOND RESOURCES AND KEY PERSONNEL," SAYS DANCHIN.
"WE ARE IN A STRONGER POSITION THAN EVER TO PURSUE OUR CORPORATE OBJECTIVE OF
STAKING OUR CLAIM AS A WORLD-LEADING DIAMOND MINING GROUP."
ENDS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION       :    BERNARD VAN ROOYEN    082 659-1421

                                   PETER DANCHIN         082 374-7649
ISSUED BY                     :    CULLUM JOHNSTON

                                   BHA COMMUNICATIONS

                                   TEL :     (021) 683-2685 083 212-2455
DATE                          :    10 MAY 2000