Author

Mbongeni Mguni
Financial Journalist

Twitter: @MboBW

Email: [email protected]
  • HB Antwerp plans expansion after gov’t deal

    HB Antwerp, a three-year-old firm that focuses on applying high technology to extract the best value from the diamond ecosystem, opened a state-of-the-art facility at the Diamond Technology Park on Monday.Last November, the firm leveraged its...

  • The P40bn miracle hidden in the hills above Kanye

    Giyani Metals officials are sensitive to the need to manage expectations. And with good reason. It’s not every day that geological studies confirm the existence of billions of Pula in revenue, or verify millions of tonnes of a mineral desperately...

  • A dimming copper dream suddenly burns bright

    Since the base metal meltdown of 2016, when a commodity price rout crashed operations at BCL Ltd, Discovery Metals and African Copper, the local copper sector has slowly and painfully pulled itself back up from the collapse.As prices have picked up...

  • Stanbic raises P150m through bond placement

    The latest bond, which carries a 9.15 percent fixed rate and matures in March 2028, was listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) last week. With the placement, Stanbic now has nine outstanding bonds issued under its P2 billion programme, which...

  • Norway firm budgets P650m for Phikwe solar plant

    The Norwegian firm won a highly contested tender for the contract last August and this week published an estimate for the costs, as part of disclosures in its annual report.The project is being done on an Independent Power Producer (IPP) basis, where...

  • ‘Lost’ Lerala diamonds finally back in local hands

    Local authorities secured a key legal victory in Brussels recently and have the stones under their control, a situation that will bring finality to the saga at Lerala where creditors had filed claims worth P30 million.“The diamonds are still in...

  • Ghaghoo Mine faces final closure

    Since February 2017, Ghaghoo Mine has been on care and maintenance activities which entail keeping the mine's infrastructure in prime condition in preparation for a possible reopening.However, after prioritising a sale of the mine last year and...

  • Pension withdrawal debate: NBFIRA focuses on old-age poverty

    For the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA), the question of what a pension fund and what it does, is crystal clear.“A pension fund provides for financial stability after you stop working, by providing a stream of income...

  • Bank profits reach P2.7bn in 2022

    Previously, the highest after-tax profits the banks enjoyed was in 2018 at P2.02 billion. Bank of Botswana (BoB) figures released last week indicate that the collective net interest incomes of commercial banks rose to P5 billion last year from P4.4...

  • Okavango Blue set to finally go on sale

    The 20.46-carat blue diamond was unearthed at Debswana’s Orapa Mine in the third quarter of 2018. It drew comparisons with the world-famous Hope Diamond, although the local stone has a higher purity and clarity level.The Okavango Blue is expected...

  • BMC, Air Botswana, BotsPost default on P618m gov’t loans

    According to the Auditor General’s latest report, which covers the year to March 2021, BMC owed government P248 million while the national airline was on the hook for P230 million and BotswanaPost P140 million.In all three instances, the loans were...

  • DPF eyes infrastructure as pension assets overhaul nears

    Known as the Pension Fund Rule 2 or PFR 2, the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) statute at the moment requires pension funds to invest at least 30% of their assets locally.Under changes to the Retirement Funds Act, local...

  • Inflation slows further

    Statistics Botswana figures released earlier today show that the reduction in annual inflation between January and February was largely due to base effects related to price increases in February 2022.In an update, Statistics Botswana noted that major...

  • De Beers’ sales reach P6.7bn

    The performance for the second auction of the year is however 24% lower than the values sold at the corresponding auction last year, a trend that largely reflects stronger than average pricing and demand last year. New CEO, Al Cook said demand...

  • Grit to exit Letlole la Rona

    Grit, a Mauritius-domiciled entity with roots in London, at one point was the second largest shareholder in LLR with 30% equity, second only to the founding shareholder, the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) with 40%. However, the real estate...

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