News Summary

• Debswana Diamond Company, a joint venture between the government and De Beers, cut production by about 27% in 2024 to 17.9 million carats.
• Botswana’s output contracted by about 5.3% in the second quarter of 2025, the sharpest fall since the pandemic, driven largely by declining diamond production.
• Diamonds account for around 70% of export earnings and roughly a third of government revenue, according to Reuters and S&P Global Ratings.
• The diamond downturn is no longer just a business issue.
• It is a human issue affecting workers, families, contractors and entire mining communities, said Mbiganyi Gaekgotswe, General Secretary of the Botswana Mineworkers Union.