Author

Mbongeni Mguni
Financial Journalist

Twitter: @MboBW

Email: [email protected]
  • BTCL shares record slight recovery

    The telecomms group, the trading of whose shares is limited to citizens, plunged to the record low of 65 thebe at the beginning of May, continuing a general downtrend since it listed at P1.15 in 2016.However, in the past month, BTCL’s share price...

  • Inflation returns to 13-year high

    Inflation was measured at 9.6 percent in April, having come down from 10% in March and 10.6% in both February and January.Data released by Statistics Botswana this morning (Wednesday) indicates that the biggest contributor to the latest inflation...

  • SADC reignites fight to sell ivory, but to who?

    North Korea. This is the only country a leading elephant conservation biologist says would be the sole target market in the world for any ivory Southern Africa states may want to sell.The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species...

  • Diamond surge turns 2021 budget deficit into surplus

    The 2021–2022 final budget outcome is due in August and should it be achieved, the surplus would be the first in the country’s books since the 2016–2017 financial year. In her February budget speech, (Finance) Minister Peggy Serame had...

  • SA backs Botswana’s bid to host Kimberley Process HQ

    Austria and China are also bidding to host the two-decade-old diamond group’s secretariat and lobbying is intensifying ahead of a vote scheduled for one of the Kimberley Process’ upcoming meetings. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is...

  • Gov’t raises additional P1.1bn debt

    The amount raised at the auction was 74% of the total P1.5 billion offered by the central bank to bidders at the auction, compared to 59% allotted in the April auction. Minimal movements in yields were seen in the auction, while Kgori Capital...

  • Bank profits up in Q1

    The latest Bank of Botswana figures released recently indicate that the difference between the two periods was higher net interest income and lower provisions for bad or doubtful debts.The banks’ performance in the first quarter of the year...

  • COVID cases, hospital admissions rising, MoH warns

    Briefing members of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee this afternoon, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Grace Muzila said authorities were seriously concerned about the numbers of cases and admissions, in recent weeks.She revealed that as...

  • Russia blocks inclusion of Ukraine debate at Kasane meet

    KP, consisting of 85 countries, diamond producers, observer groups, and civic organisations, is the diamond industry’s broadest and most authoritative grouping, enjoying the backing of the United Nations (UN).While the West has sanctioned Russian...

  • Inside the bittersweet “record” economic growth figures

    Cynics of economic growth figures frequently cite the quote made famous by US literary legend Mark Twain: “'There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics”.When Statistics Botswana recently announced that the local economy...

  • Crypto fraud shock: Batswana lose millions to scams

    The poor response comes as a report from the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) indicates a 400% increase in the value of suspicious transaction reports received last year, with cryptocurrency scams leading the pack.Under the Virtual Assets Act...

  • Mineral explorers flock to the wild west

    Local geologists say the country’s eastern half has been well prospected and to an extent, well developed, as seen in the establishment of several mines that have supported the well-documented mineral-led revolution of post-Independence...

  • Doubts raised as gov’t fast-tracks power projects

    Although few details have been provided about the review of the IRP, it is understood the fast-tracking of several projects is in line with supporting the country’s energy transition from its current near-total reliance on fossil fuels such as...

  • Gov’t debt burden climbs to P10bn

    The higher bill, insiders say, is due both to government’s deepening credit appetite since COVID-19 arrived and upset the budget, as well as rising interest costs incurred when the local market prices in higher inflation and a sovereign credit...

  • Motsomi takes over at Debswana

    Motsomi takes over from Lynette Armstrong who has been acting in the position since August 2019.“While we were fortunate to have a number of very strong candidates for this important role, the Debswana Board selected Mr. Motsomi as the ideal person...

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