News

Global coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns and travel bans have crippled Botswana’s mining and tourism, the country’s primary foreign currency earners. This has led to a trade deficit, the difference between the value of imported and exported goods, rose to P4.1 billion in May, further eating away at the country’s precarious foreign …

GV Gold, also known as Vysochaishy, one of the fastest-growing Russian gold mining companies, has rolled out the Zyfra OpenMine fleet management system (FMS) at its Ugakhan Mine in Russia’s Irkutsk Region in Siberia. The implementation of the project has resulted in a year-on-year ore production volume increase of 11%. …

Minergy CEO Morné du Plessis has described the first coal export to South Africa by the company as a milestone achievement for Botswana’s coal industry. Minergy, the coal mining and trading company with the Masama coal mine located in the Mmamabula Coalfield of Botswana, announced the export of Botswana’s first …

Petra CEO Richard Duffy says the disposal of its exploration assets in Botswana, held through Sekaka Diamonds is part of the company’s strategy of focusing on driving efficiencies from its producing mines. The LSE-listed company is selling its exploration assets in Botswana to Aim-listed Botswana Diamonds (BOD) for $300 000 …

When I last visited Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana, I was horrified by the dreadfully long queues of heavily laden trucks waiting to cross through border posts. I chatted to a few of the truck drivers and they complained bitterly about their long waits. It’s simply nonsensical and a gross brake …

Pangolin Diamonds has revealed that activities at its various projects in Botswana, with all field teams, are now fully operational. The company also said that the Botswana Department of Mines had granted the company’s joint venture partner, Makunwu Civil Blasting, permission to proceed with a 500 t bulk sample on …

Owner De Beers, which mines and auctions most of its gems in Botswana, has barely sold any rough diamonds since February. Neither has Russian rival Alrosa PJSC. Now, as the coronavirus restrictions that froze the global industry for months begin to lift, the unsold diamonds present a dilemma: how to …

The announcement of a prolonged shut-down across many major African countries as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 could have dramatic negative effects on the economy of the entire continent. Africa’s GDP is largely driven by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the informal sector that accounts for …

Despite the short-to-midterm challenges of the global pandemic, the biggest challenge for multinational mining companies over the next decade will be responding to investors’ growing focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. As a focal point of how seriously the extractives industries are now taking ESG investing, over the …

The expectations and priorities of a modern-day investor in the mining sector have significantly changed in line with global demand for more responsible and sustainable extraction of mineral resources. ESG, referring to the performance of investment portfolios against Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, has firmly established itself across the …