But as the global diamond market cracks under pressure—synthetic stones, lab-grown alternatives, and a post-pandemic slump in romance—a tense question is emerging from Gaborone: The 50/50 illusion Legally, Botswana and De Beers have a 50/50 partnership in Debswana, the mining giant that digs up roughly 20% of the world’s diamonds by value. On paper, this is equality. In practice, critics argue it is a feudal arrangement dressed in modern suits.
For decades, the partnership between Botswana and De Beers has been held up as the gold standard (or should we say, diamond standard) of resource extraction. Unlike the "resource curse" that plagues so many African nations, Botswana used its gemstones to build schools, roads, and a stable middle class. But as the global diamond market cracks under
Is Botswana getting a raw deal? Perhaps the better question is: For decades, the partnership between Botswana and De
They warn that if Botswana takes too much rough to cut locally, the global market will be flooded, prices will collapse, and the very value of the stone will vanish. Furthermore, they point out that Botswana lacks the skilled labor and energy grid (power cuts are common) to run a high-end polishing industry on its own. Talks are ongoing, but the clock is ticking. De Beers is under pressure from its parent company, Anglo American, to spin off or sell the diamond unit. Meanwhile, Botswana is sitting on shrinking reserves and an urgent need to diversify its economy before the mines run dry in two decades. Perhaps the better question is: They warn that
When a diamond is pulled from the Kalahari desert, it is worth $X. After it is cut in Surat (India) and set in a ring in New York, it is worth $10X. Botswana currently captures very little of that $10X. They provide the raw material but don't own the brand.