Government

By; Ulla Setswalo Botswana has a weakness for mega-projects. The bigger the railway, water transfer scheme, power station or highway, the more readily it is presented as evidence of economic transformation. Billions of pula are announced, construction jobs are counted, kilometres and megawatts celebrated and another great national development project …

The future of Africa’s mining industry will be shaped not only by the minerals beneath the continent’s soil but by who has the opportunity to build, lead and benefit from the industry above it. That message is emerging strongly from the 8th annual Women in Mining Conference (WIMCON) 2026, running …

National Geographic Society and the international diamond miner De Beers have extended Okavango Eternal Partnership for five more years. The new pact is building on five years of conservation, livelihoods and storytelling impact and the renewed Okavango Eternal partnership will deepen collaboration with governments and communities across Botswana, Angola and …

Botswana’s energy transformation reached a defining milestone on 28 August 2026, when Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Joy Kenewendo officially launched the country’s first large scale renewable energy project, the Mmadinare 100MW solar PV plant. The facility forms part of the Integrated Resource Plan for electricity, the national generation …

The race to modernise Botswana’s mining workforce is moving underground, with industry and Government placing advanced mechanised mining technology at the centre of vocational training and future workforce development. The Ministry of Higher Education and MMG Khoemacau signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) in Gaborone yesterday, paving the way for …

The newly appointed Board of Directors of the Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) has begun its mandate with a strategic engagement with the Ministry of Minerals and Energy, focused on strengthening the company’s contribution to Botswana’s diamond economy. Minister of Minerals and Energy, Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, met the new ODC Board, …

Botswana’s food import bill fell by almost P1 billion in the first five months of 2026 but the decline appears to reflect weakening household demand rather than a straightforward improvement in domestic food production. Between January and May, the country spent P4.9 billion on food imports, down 15.5% from the …

Botswana needs sound tax policy design backed by strong institutional enablers to mobilise domestic revenue more effectively, according to the African Development Bank Group’s Country Focus Report 2026, Mobilizing Botswana’s Development Financing at Scale in a Fragmented World. The report identifies sustained political commitment, a stronger Botswana Unified Revenue Service …

The Ministry of Higher Education and China invested Khoemacau Copper Mining have signed a collaboration agreement to establish a Mining Center of Excellence at Maun Technical College in the country’s North West District, aimed at training technical workers for the local mining sector. Speaking at the signing in Gaborone, Minister …

A century of jewellery heritage has come full circle in Botswana, with the Udell family, owners of US luxury retailer London Jewelers, visiting Orapa Mine alongside the Klein family as part of the company’s 100th anniversary celebrations. The visit brings together two fourth-generation family businesses whose relationship is closely tied …