Botswana’s revised diamond deal could offer model for resource sharing

Botswana has agreed a revised deal with diamond miner De Beers, giving the state a larger role in trading the gemstones and providing a model that others could follow as they seek greater control over their mineral resources.

But with longer-term revenues under pressure from changing consumer habits and synthetic diamonds, the authorities are pushing to develop a more diverse minerals industry, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi in Gaborone.