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ODC revenues pass $1bn; De Beers, gov’t wrangle

One of a kind: ODC is entitled to purchase up to 25% of Debswana’s production, which has included rare gems such as the Okavango Blue PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI
One of a kind: ODC is entitled to purchase up to 25% of Debswana’s production, which has included rare gems such as the Okavango Blue PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI

State diamond trader, Okavango Diamond Company (ODC), raked in revenues of $1.1 billion (P14.4 billion) in the 2022 calendar year, nearly 15% higher than 2021, in a performance that likely fortifies government’s demands for a higher allocation of stones to the company from Debswana.

The revenues in 2022 were an all-time high for the ODC, the 11-year old wholly government-owned company that is entitled to purchase up to 25% of Debswana’s output. ODC was borne out of the 2011 negotiations between government and De Beers for a new sales deal, which saw the state successfully securing an agreement to establish its own diamond trading platform independent of the De Beers sales ecosystem.

The revenue performance in 2022 came off the sale of six million carats, ODC managing director, Mmetla Masire told BusinessWeek.

Editor's Comment
Ramogapi & Co should clear the Bonno confusion

According to a report elsewhere in this publication, various district councils announced that a one-bedroom home now costs over P130,000 more, a near-unthinkable 32% increase. This isn't just a minor adjustment, but a devastating blow to the dream of affordable home ownership for ordinary citizens.What is most alarming is not just the scale of the increase, but the profound confusion it has exposed. Minister Ramogapi has publicly...

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