Botswana Diamond Exports Return to 0% U.S. Tariff as Section 122 Duties Expire Botswana’s exports to the United States, including its globally renowned natural diamonds, have regained duty-free access following the expiry of temporary U.S. tariffs on 24 July 2026. The expiration of the Section 122 tariffs under the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 means Botswana-origin products now face a 0% tariff while continuing to benefit from preferential market access under the African Growth and
Anglo American Says No Preferred Bidder as De Beers Sale Could Fetch $1 Billion Anglo American has denied favouring any particular buyer for its diamond business, De Beers, as the mining group continues to explore options for the struggling unit. Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad said on Thursday that the company was “not exclusive with any consortium”, rejecting reports that it was favouring a consortium led by former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny. The comments
African Diamond Miners Face Continued Market Pressure in First Half of 2026 Africa’s diamond industry continued to face challenging market conditions in the first half of 2026, with major producers in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho struggling to achieve a sustained recovery in natural diamond demand. Financial results released during the period point to continued pressure across the industry, driven by weaker prices, economic uncertainty and growing competition from laboratory-grown diamonds. In South Africa,
Botswana Highlights Diamond Leadership After Lucara Recovers 1,300-Carat Stone Botswana has reaffirmed its position as one of the world’s leading diamond-producing nations following the recovery of an extraordinary 1,300-carat diamond by Lucara Botswana. President of Botswana highlighted the discovery as a major milestone for the country’s diamond industry after the stone was presented by Lucara Botswana. The diamond is among the largest ever recovered by the company and ranks as the sixth-largest diamond ever discovered
Anglo American in Talks to Sell De Beers for About $1bn as Diamond Market Struggles Anglo American is in discussions to sell its De Beers diamond business for about $1 billion, a fraction of the value attached to the company when it was once the world’s dominant diamond producer. Anglo American has been seeking to divest De Beers since rejecting BHP Group’s nearly $50 billion takeover approach in 2024. However, the sale process has been
Rostam Aziz’s $124m LPG Terminal Set to Disrupt Kenya’s Cooking Gas Market Taifa Gas, controlled by Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Aziz, is nearing completion of a $124-million liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal in Mombasa, Kenya, in a move that could significantly increase competition in the country’s cooking gas market. The 30,000-tonne facility is being developed at the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone near the Port of Mombasa. It includes 12 spherical storage tanks and can potentially
Nigeria Awards 37 Oil Blocks to 31 Firms as Frontier Basins Attract Investors Nigeria has awarded 37 oil and gas blocks to 31 companies as the country seeks to attract investment, increase exploration and strengthen its petroleum reserves. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) said 143 companies submitted 200 bids for the 37 blocks during the 2025 licensing round. The awarded assets include 16 blocks in the Niger Delta onshore, 18 in shallow waters
Namibia Rejects N$4bn Oil and Gas Base Proposed by Ghanaian Entrepreneur Jory Adu-Boahene Namibia’s plans to develop an oil and gas supply base at the Port of Lüderitz have hit a setback after the Namibia Ports Authority (Namport) rejected a N$4-billion proposal led by Ghanaian entrepreneur Jory Adu-Boahene. The proposed development was intended to expand Lüderitz’s capacity to support Namibia’s emerging offshore oil and gas industry, which has attracted significant international interest following major discoveries
Ghana Gives GoldBod $430m to Boost Gold Purchases and Build National Reserves Ghana has approved a 5-billion cedi ($430 million) allocation to the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to finance domestic gold purchases as the country seeks to strengthen its reserves and retain more value from its gold industry. The funding will enable GoldBod to increase purchases of locally produced gold, particularly from artisanal and small-scale miners, as part of the government’s broader strategy to formalise
Dangote Refinery Restores Naira Petrol Sales at N1,215 per Litre After Dollar Pricing Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reversed its decision to sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, in US dollars, restoring naira-denominated sales at its loading gantry in Nigeria. The refinery has set its new ex-depot price at N1,215 per litre, an increase of N140, or 13%, from the previous price of N1,075 per litre. The move follows a week of uncertainty
