Botswana to boost mining exploration as diamond market struggles 

Botswana plans to ramp up mining exploration, including for critical minerals, as it seeks to diversify beyond diamonds by surveying the roughly 70% of its territory that remains unexplored, mines minister Bogolo Joy Kenewendo said on Tuesday.

The Southern African country, long viewed as an African success story, has been hit hard by a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market, driven by economic uncertainty and the growing popularity of lab-grown stones. Diamonds typically contribute about one-third of Botswana’s national revenue.