Some of the most enduring legacies begin with a simple idea and a belief in what Batswana can become. In the 1980s, In the 1980s, Debswana established what was then known as Debswana Accounting Training Centre to train the company’s accountants.
But it soon became clear that the need was bigger than Debswana. The institution started to attract the interest of Government, who had also identified a similar need within the public service and in the country generally.
The government then took a decision to enroll some public servants on the program. Debswana suggested that in view of the national demand for qualified accountants, Government should become a shareholder rather than pay training fees. Government welcomed the idea, and this was seen as an opportunity for building capacity for the entire economy. And from that shared ambition, Botswana Accountancy College, today the Botswana School of Business Sciences (BAC), was born.
Thirty years later, that seed has grown into an institution that has educated generations of Batswana and expanded far beyond accounting, contributing skills and talent to Botswana’s economy.
As we join BAC’S 30th anniversary Golf Day today in Francistown and as Botswana marks 60 years of independence this history carries even greater meaning. It reminds us that Botswana’s natural diamonds have never been only about what we recover from the ground. Their greatest value is what we build with them – our people, our institutions, our knowledge and our future.
Today, through our Ya Masa Strategy, we are writing the next chapter of that journey: strengthening and transforming Debswana, sustaining the value of Botswana’s natural diamonds and contributing to a more resilient, diversified and prosperous Botswana.
This is more than BAC’s 30-year story. It is a legacy we at Debswana are proud to have helped build.
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For more information, please contact:
Montlenyane Baaitse
Senior Corporate Affairs Manager
Debswana Diamond Company
About Debswana
Debswana Diamond Company was established in 1969, and it is owned in equal shares by the Government of the Republic of Botswana and De Beers Group. It is one of the world’s leading diamond producers by value and volume. Debswana operates four diamond mines in Orapa, Letlhakane, Damtshaa and Jwaneng. The company is a major contributor to the national economy of Botswana – contributing significantly to the gross domestic product, foreign exchange earnings and government revenues. Debswana is one of the largest private sector employers, with over 5500 employees and over 6000 contractors. Debswana is also the largest contributor to the De Beers Group rough diamond production. The company is committed to mining safely, optimally and responsibly, as well as making a meaningful contribution to the development of communities around its mines and the nation at large, thus making life brilliant. For further information visit www.debswana.com.
