29 Jun 2026

otswana is well positioned to become a trusted destination for value addition, industrial development and long-term investment, Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe has said.

Officially opening The Future of Mining Summit in Gaborone yesterday, Mr Gaolathe said Botswana had an ambitious vision to move beyond being merely a supplier of raw minerals and toward becoming a centre for value addition and industrialisation.

He said the country’s strategy was to climb higher up global value chains, ensuring that a greater share of the wealth generated from the country’s mineral resources remained within its borders and benefited its citizens.

“As the world accelerates its transition toward cleaner energy, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies, demand for strategic minerals such as copper, nickel, manganese and other critical minerals continues to grow, as such Botswana is well positioned not only to supply those minerals responsibly, but to become a trusted destination,” Mr Gaolathe said.

He noted that Botswana was positioned not only to supply these minerals responsibly, but also to establish itself as a trusted destination for investment in processing, manufacturing and downstream industries.

The Vice President said Botswana’s appeal extended beyond its abundant mineral resources.

He pointed to the country’s political stability, strong institutions, adherence to the rule of law and prudent macroeconomic management as key factors that continued to inspire international confidence.

More importantly, he said, Botswana offered a government committed to creating certainty for investors and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships.

“Our commitment is to create an environment in which investors can deploy capital with confidence because they know that Botswana values certainty, partnership and mutual success,” he said.

Mr Gaolathe encouraged potential investors to commit capital across the mining value chain and collaborate with local stakeholders to deepen citizen participation in the sector.

While acknowledging challenges facing the natural diamond industry, he said the country was presented with significant opportunities to diversify its mining portfolio and reposition itself within the rapidly evolving global market for critical minerals and rare earth resources.

Central to this vision, he said, was the transformation of mining operations into catalysts for broader economic activity.

He envisioned each mine becoming the nucleus of an industrial ecosystem supporting manufacturing, engineering services, logistics, finance, research, digital innovation and citizen-owned enterprises.

He said the true wealth of mining was found in the industries, capabilities and opportunities it created above ground.

Reflecting on Botswana’s development journey, Mr Gaolathe highlighted the country’s transformation driven by diamond revenues.

“Since mining began in 1971, Botswana has produced more than 700 million carats of diamonds. The discoveries of the Orapa Mine and later the Jwaneng Mine laid the foundation for one of Africa’s most celebrated post-independence development stories. Within less than four decades, Botswana rose from being one of the world’s poorest nations to attaining upper-middle-income status.”

Mr Gaolathe credited the country’s founding leadership for using mineral wealth to build institutions, invest in human capital and prioritise long-term national prosperity.

“Rather than allowing mineral wealth to divide our nation, our founders used it to unite it. They built institutions before monuments, invested in people before prestige, and consistently placed long-term national prosperity above short-term political gain,” he said.

He said Botswana’s success story belonged to generations of citizens whose resilience, discipline and shared sense of purpose transformed natural resources into national progress. ENDS