Debswana Bounces Back after Eight Months of Border Closures
December 01, 21
(IDEX Online) - Debswana exported $2.589bn of rough diamonds in the first nine months of 2021 - an increase of 73 per cent on the same period last year.
The company, a joint venture between De Beers and the government of Botswana, suffered a 30 per cent slump in sales 2020, down from $3.05bn in 2019 to $2.02bn.
Figures for 2021 sales were released yesterday by the Bank of Botswana on Tuesday.
Botswana closed its borders for eight months last year, forcing De Beers to relocate viewings for Sight holders.
Debswana has since bounced back from lockdowns and travel restriction, buoyed by demand from the US and China.
In June Debswana announced the recovery of 1,098-carat diamond (pictured) - the third largest in the world - at Jwaneng. the richest diamond mine in the world by value.
A planned switch to underground mining after 50 years of open-cast operations should help to create over $920m of extra revenue in the next four years, Debswana said in April.