Author

Mbongeni Mguni
Financial Journalist

Twitter: @MboBW

Email: [email protected]
  • Food prices stubborn as inflation eases to 3.5%

    Statistics Botswana figures show annual food inflation dropped from 6.7% in November to 6.1% in December, while inflation associated with transport fell to 1.5% from 2.2%. Annual inflation associated with personal care fell from 8.9% to 7.7%.The...

  • Govt raises P770m debt

    Two Treasury Bills (T-Bill) were offered in the December 29 auction which capped a period in which the central bank has seen declining yields for the notes it has been floating. The three-month bill, which offered P400 million, received bids worth...

  • BOCRA speaks on festive season Internet woes

    Mmegi: As you may have noted, over the festive period, social media was flooded with consumer complaints about poor data and Internet services by the different operators. Did BOCRA receive any formal complaints over this period?Nyelesi: For the...

  • Work starts on Jwaneng underground

    With a total budget estimated at $6 billion, the underground mine at Jwaneng will be the country’s single biggest project ever by value and, according to Debswana, will create the world’s largest underground diamond operation.On Wednesday,...

  • Trade deficit widens to P5.6bn

    Figures released late last month by Statistics Botswana also indicate that the September deficit of P3.9 billion was revised deeper to P4.5 billion. Both the September and the October deficits are the first recorded in 2023 and are directly linked to...

  • The missing links in regional electricity supply

    Establishing regional electricity connections was not always as slow as it has been in recent years. Those who track regional interconnectivity remember the golden years where electricity utilities and their governments steamed ahead with linkages of...

  • Serame named Africa’s Finance Minister of the Year

    According to the magazine, the awards recognise officials that have best managed to stimulate growth and stabilise their economies. The annual awards select outstanding Finance Ministers from across the globe.The Banker’s editors noted that...

  • Pula’s downward crawl maintained at 1.51%

    In a statement, the Finance Ministry said the weighting of the Pula against the basket of currencies would be maintained at 55 percent Special Drawing Rights currencies and 45 percent South African rand. The International Monetary Fund’s Special...

  • In pursuit of the diamond deal

    There was no choice. Having pursued the single biggest story in the country’s economy for the better part of five years, there was really no question of sleeping when matters finally neared a head. That would be akin to travelling 20 hours to the...

  • Gov’t doubles Mmadinare solar contract to 120MW

    The original 60MW plant, to be built between Selebi-Phikwe and Mmadinare by June 2024, was the largest renewable procurement signed off by government. Government and Scatec officials signed a binding 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in August...

  • Top business stories we tracked in 2023

    BSE hits recordThe Botswana Stock Exchange’s flagship platform, the Domestic Companies Index (DCI) was the talk of the town this year, cruising towards a share price performance last seen 10 years ago. As at mid-day Wednesday, the DCI was up 15.4%...

  • Hot, dry conditions to persist from January

    In a mid-season update, meteorologists said El Nino conditions, which are associated with drier conditions over the country, would continue through the second half of the season. El Nino is expected to ease to neutral between May and July next...

  • Govt’s big plans for a railway revolution

    Mmegi: In recent months, we have the seen the Ministry push forward with railway projects towards the East and West, moving closer towards project development. What is the over-arching goal in securing the construction of these railways?Molale: This...

  • Ngwaketse West least electrified area

    In absolute numbers, just 626 households in the sub-district are connected to electricity, while 3,739 are unconnected and forced to use other methods of heating and lighting. According to the survey, Orapa and Sowa have 100% electricity connection...

  • Pheko exits as BTCL chair

    In a notice to investors on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) today, BTCL directors said Pheko would leave with effect from December 31. He has been a non-executive director in the corporation since 2018 and will also be leaving that position on...

arrow up