Last year, Botswana’s state-run Okavango Diamond Company sold $963 million of rough diamonds. The revenue was the highest since the company began operations in 2012. The State-run diamond trader reported record revenues in 2021, with sales surging almost five times more following exports from the US.

The demand for natural rough diamonds remained strong throughout 2021 driven primarily by positive market sentiment in key markets such as the United States. Sales may rise further this year after De Beers, the world’s biggest producer of the stones, pushed through one of its most aggressive diamond price increases in recent years. Okavango also received higher than normal prices in the sole auction it held this year.

Botswana’s mining industry consists mainly of diamonds which accounts for approximately a third of government revenue. Other mined minerals include copper, coal, gold, silver, semi-precious stones, and granite.  Botswana reportedly also has untapped uranium, lead, and zinc reserves.

This month, the renowned Mining and Technical Exhibitions (MTE) Botswana, takes place in three locations-Letlhakane, Palapye and Jwaneng. The MTE events will take place throughout the country and other African countries with the main aim being to nurture the mining and related industries by showcasing the lastest technologies and solutions that can help improve productivity, safety and energy efficiency.

Operations Manager for MTE, Andrew Macnamara said that the past 24 months have been challenging for mining and manufacturing, but he was optimistic about the future. “Covid-19 has definitely had long-lasting effects on many industries across the globe but with Africa’s tenacity and resilience we can navigate through these uncertain times and make a full recovery. At the upcoming MTE Botswana events visitors will be able to meet suppliers that can provide products, services and solutions that improve safety protocols, reduce costs, and increase output.  

RS Components South Africa will also attend the MTE Botswana events and will showcase some of the latest products in automation & control, test & measurement, safety equipment and tools. RS Components is a global industrial distributor based in the UK with operations in over 32 countries with over 1.2 million customers. Erick Wessels, Africa Export Sales Manager for RS South Africa said that these events present an opportunity to touch base with customers and to engage on how suppliers can help local operations improve and grow.

RS Components has a dedicated Exports website for Africa, where businesses can order online, and once payment is received the goods are shipped out from the UK and delivered to customers within 3-5 working days. RS Components only deals with leading OEMs and component manufacturers like FLUKE, Schneider, Siemens, 3M, FESTO, OMRON and SKF to name a few. This consolidation of suppliers has allowed the company to build an offering of over 650 000 products that are kept in-stock across twelve global distribution centres, making it seamless to transfer stock from one location to the next depending on what customers require. Customers in Africa now have easy access to the entire product range plus they can also check their delivery costs in real-time online at www.RSonline.africa

All three MTE Botswana events are free to attend:

MTE Letlhakane - Thakadu Hotel: Monday, 14 March from 12:00 - 17:00

MTE Palapye - Kgaswe Primary School: Wednesday, 16 March from 12:00 - 17:00

MTE Jwaneng - Jwaneng Rugby Club: Friday, 18 March from 12:00 - 17:00

There will be strict Covid-19 safety protocols in place and visitors will only be permitted into the venue with masks on. More information can be found here: http://MTEexpos.co.za/