Debswana Announces Plans to Diversify Beyond Diamonds, Leveraging 55 Years of Mining Expertise
Debswana, the mining powerhouse that has been the backbone of Botswana’s economy for over 55 years, is charting a new course beyond its traditional diamond business.
Speaking at the African Mining Summit in Gaborone this morning, Bakani Motlhabani, Chief Technical Officer at Debswana Diamond Company, revealed that the firm is exploring diversification opportunities to sustain long-term growth as diamond resources decline.
“We all know that diamonds are finite,” said Motlhabani. “As time goes on, revenues from diamonds will begin to decline. When this happens, it becomes critical to explore what can replace that revenue.”
Motlhabani acknowledged that diversification was not always a priority for Debswana, but that the changing economic landscape has made it a strategic imperative.
“As we look to the future, diversification is becoming an increasingly important topic,” he noted. “We’ll be launching our next strategy in a few weeks, and I’m pleased to say it includes growth opportunities.
We’re reviewing our core diamond business while actively exploring new avenues for expansion. If that means moving into other minerals, we’re open to it—provided there’s a strong business case.”
The Chief Technical Officer emphasized that Debswana’s diversification journey will build on its existing strengths rather than start from scratch.
“At Debswana, we’ve developed deep expertise over the past 55 years—particularly in open-pit mining,” he added. “We have the right skills, significant capacity, and we’re proud that other countries now come to Botswana to benchmark against Debswana.”
With this strategic shift, Debswana signals its readiness to evolve from a diamond-centric enterprise into a diversified mining and resource company, ensuring its continued contribution to Botswana’s economy for generations to come.
