INTRODUCTION

"The partnership between De Beers and Botswana has been likened to a marriage. I sometimes wonder whether a better analogy might not be that of siamese twins."
His Honour the then Vice President of the Republic of Botswana, Mr F G Mogae, March 1997.

Diamonds  Botswana diamonds continue to play a significant role in the development of the country and its people.

Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd is a unique partnership between the Government of the Republic of Botswana and De Beers Centenary AG. The main purpose of the company is to mine, recover and sort diamonds. Although Debswana uses the most up to date technology to carry out its business, it is the people it employs and the skills they bring that make Debswana a successful operation. The Botswana diamond mining industry is characterised as the lifeblood of the country, nurturing the entire population to a higher standard of living and better quality of life.

Debswana is the world's leading diamond producer by value and has played a significant role in the transformation of Botswana’s economy that it was. It is the largest non-government employer and the largest earner of foreign exchange in Botswana.

Debswana's mining operations have been largely responsible for transforming Botswana from an agriculturally based economy in the 1960s to a country that has consistently displayed one of the highest economic growth rates in the world.

For information about De Beers, visit the group's website at www.debeersgroup.com.
The official Botswana government website is at www.gov.bw.