"The diamond mines were a Godsend, and rapidly transformed the economy, increasing the revenue of the country from less than P10 million a year at Independence to over a billion today."
The then Honourable Minister of Mineral Resources and Water Affairs, Mr A.M Mogwe, 1990.
 |
Operations Debswana is a key player in the national economy of Botswana, producing in excess of 70% of Botswana's export earnings, 30% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 50% of government revenue. |
Debswana diamond mining operations are situated at Jwaneng, Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa.
Jwaneng is the richest diamond mine in the world and is situated 170 kilometers west of the capital Gaborone. Orapa, Letlhakane and the youngest Damtshaa mines are located roughly 240 kilometers west of Francistown. The Orapa pipe is the world's second largest diamond-producing kimberlite pipe.
All Debswana mines are open pit operatins and the Jwaneng mine is undergoing a landmark expansion which will see the pit elevated to the status of a superpit. A project dubbed Cut 8 will see the Jwaneng pit go to a depth of over 800 meters.
Click on the thumbnails below to go to the respective operations pages to learn more.