Author

Mbongeni Mguni
Financial Journalist

Twitter: @MboBW

Email: [email protected]
  • Botswana secures $200m OPEC Fund loan

    Gaolathe, who is also the Finance Minister, attended the OPEC Fund’s Development Forum earlier this month as part of his engagements with investors and funding partners.A statement released by the OPEC Fund says the loan complements a package from...

  • African leaders meet amidst global trade tensions

    At least 6,000 delegates from across the continent and the Caribbean are meeting this week in the Nigerian capital, hosted by Afreximbank, the pan-African trade bank with assets exceeding $40 billion.The annual meeting comes under the shadow of...

  • Call now and make a trade deal, key Trump ally says

    Jason Miller, widely recognised as Trump’s right-hand man and a key adviser in his 2016, 2020 and 2024 election campaigns, told more than 3,000 delegates at the Afreximbank Annual Meetings yesterday that much had changed in the countries benefiting...

  • Glimmers of hope in mining’s doom and gloom

    It’s quite easy to conflate the downturn in diamonds with a slump in the general mining industry. In fact, it’s almost inevitable.After all, diamonds dominate receipts earned from the mining sector in terms of tax revenues, royalties and...

  • Wilderness Supplier Expo returns

    In a statement, OWS officials said the event would be held from June 26 to 27 in Maun. The officials said the Expo stands as a testament to OWS's enduring commitment to building a sustainable tourism value chain anchored in citizen economic...

  • Debswana’s carbon neutrality efforts gather pace

    As explained by Mompoloki Lettie Pitlagano, Senior Manager - Environment, Social and Governance Integration, Debswana aims to leverage its position as one of the country’s leading corporate entities, to set the standard for responsible mining and...

  • Biodiversity, water conservation, equity: Debswana and sustainability

    Debswana’s tagline “Mining Diamonds, Enriching the Nation,” belies the fact that the company takes great care to ensure that this effort is carried out in the most ethical and sustainable way possible, through the efforts of a diversified and...

  • Botswana headlines Vegas as industry eyes rebound

    “You can’t grow love in a lab,” was President Duma Boko’s rallying call in Las Vegas and New York last week, as he marshalled the natural diamond world to partner for a recovery.Natural diamonds have been in a slump since late 2023 due to a...

  • ODC, GIA sign up as Tracr expands

    The global natural diamond industry met in Las Vegas and New York last week, with players agreeing that provenance as well as highlighting the ethical, sustainable, and developmental role of natural diamonds, is key to their recovery from a nearly...

  • Foreign reserves’ drop threatens pula value

    The prolonged decline in diamond receipts, coupled with steady imports and the lack of other strong foreign currency earners, has meant a slide in the reserves over the months.In January, the Bank of Botswana (BoB) increased the trading margin used...

  • Boko leads global rally for natural diamonds in Vegas

    Boko, Minerals and Energy minister Bogolo Kenewendo, and leaders of other key organisations such as Debswana, the Okavango Diamond Company, and the Minerals Development Company of Botswana, are in the west American city for the biggest trade show of...

  • Growth now expected near zero, deficit set to widen

    The latest forecast comes as Finance ministry technocrats prepare the country’s inaugural mid-term budget, which will provide a half-year revision of the estimates provided in the February budget.In a week in which the country was shaken by more...

  • Inside the fightback by natural diamonds

    In the diamond world, traditionally, each player in the pipeline focuses on their core strengths. Producers such as Botswana focus on how they can extract diamonds most efficiently, while also taking care to bring these natural rarities from deep in...

  • Diamond downturn: Boko leads US charge to rally recovery

    President Duma Boko has a busy June, rallying global partners for the recovery of natural diamonds at a time when the dreaded trade tariffs by the United States administration are weeks away from kicking in. Boko, accompanied by his top lieutenants,...

  • Debswana, BPC join hands for renewable energy

    Debswana intends to reach carbon neutrality at its operations by 2030 and the adoption of renewable energy forms a major component of this effort. The diamond group presently consumes 410MW of electricity and is engaged in various efforts to convert...

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