Latest news in Botswana? September 27th, 2026

Diplomacy and the UN General Assembly President Duma Boko addressed the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, calling for fundamental reforms to the global financial system. He emphasized that developing nations face disproportionately high borrowing costs and urged greater inclusion for resource-rich countries in setting rules for emerging industries and technologies. Boko also highlighted the urgency of addressing youth unemployment across Africa and appealed to international partnersincluding the World Bankto bridge funding gaps for public health initiatives, particularly malaria eradication and HIV/AIDS management.

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Diamond Sector and Mining Developments Belgian diamond trader HB Antwerp announced a major restructuring and workforce downsizing of its operations in Botswana. The move follows the stalling of an agreement originally proposed in 2023 under the previous administration, which envisioned the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) supplying 10% of its rough diamonds alongside state equity participation. Meanwhile, Botswana continues to push for greater domestic diamond beneficiation while accelerating investments into non-diamond mineral exploration, such as manganese, to reduce reliance on rough gem markets.

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Economy and National Celebrations The country is preparing for its 60th Independence Day (Botswana Day) on September 30, with national dialogues centering on economic resilience, public sector efficiency, and economic diversification following recent rebounds in mineral production.