Our Scans · Botswana · Weekly Summary

• [New] High unemployment and limited government support will dampen household purchasing power through 2026. / Botswana Fitch Solutions
• UNHCR's Southern Africa Multi-Country Office is funding refugee livelihood and economic empowerment programming in Botswana under the same Community-Based Protection Strategy 2026 to 2029 anchoring the parallel Eswatini and Namibia calls. Impact Funding
• Botswana holds no country standard, and plans to adopt the SADC minimum food fortification standards delineated in its first food fortification strategy. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Underground production is planned to follow completion of open-pit operations and is expected to ramp up to full capacity in the first half of 2028. / Botswana The Diamond Press
• Across South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, the mobile industry is going through one of its biggest upgrades yet, the gradual shutdown of 3G networks to make space for faster, more powerful 4G LTE and 5G connectivity. 3G Mobile
• Several sectors in Botswana offer promising opportunities for venture capitalists. Univ-dschang
• As Botswana moves to develop its untapped mineral potential, further partnerships and project-level developments are expected to follow, potentially creating opportunities for international mining companies and investors. The Assay
• Botswana pushes for control of De Beers through an ambitious acquisition strategy that could fundamentally alter global diamond supply chains. Discovery Alert
• Regional Partnership Potential: Combined diamond production capacity from Botswana, Angola, and Namibia could establish an African diamond alliance controlling significant global supply chains while coordinating pricing and distribution strategies. Discovery Alert
• For Botswana, the broader takeaway is that economic resilience will depend less on a single dominant export and more on a diversified ecosystem of industries and investors. Energy Capital & Power
• Botswana diamond sales decline reflects persistent macroeconomic volatility, cautious inventory management across midstream segments, and growing synthetic diamond penetration as factors expected to limit rough diamond demand in the near term. Discovery Alert
• By shifting toward private-sector-led growth, diversified minerals and export-oriented industries, Botswana hopes its transformation program will build a more resilient economy capable of weathering the next global shock. Energy Capital & Power
• A new feasibility study indicates a proposed underground expansion will extend production at the Karowe mine in Botswana by about 10 years, generating an estimated $3.4 billion from 4.5 million carats. The Diamond Press
• A National Fund of Funds for MSME financing is under development and is expected to become operational in the 2027/2028 financial year. / Botswana Andersen in Botswana
• The Botswana Pula maintains relative stability compared to other regional currencies, reducing foreign exchange risk for international mining investors. Discovery Alert
• Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are forecasted to lead Africa in diamond production by 2026 due to their stable mining operations, established infrastructure, and massive resource base. Farmonaut
• Consistently High Output: Botswana and DRC are projected to remain the top two for diamond production in Africa for 2026. Farmonaut
• The period from 2025 to 2026 will see Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo headline as the Africa country highest diamond production 2026. Farmonaut
• Botswana remains one of the world's leading sources of natural diamonds, and any sustained pressure on its mining sector could have implications for rough supply, pricing stability, and investment flows. Diamond World
• Botswana was not merely a model; it was proof that intelligent management of resource revenues could work. Or Noir Africa

Last updated: 23 June 2026