The Projects Magazine

[Watch] On the sidelines of FNBB 2024 Full year Financial Results presentation RMB Botswana Director Harriet Mlalazi spoke to The Projects Magazine about the bank sustainability and green financing solutions.

[Watch] First National Bank of Botswana Limited CEO Steven Lefentse Bogatsu speaks to The Projects Magazine following the bank’s Full year Financial Results.

𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗦 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 - 𝑻𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒔 The African Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA) conference, hosted by the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE), is set to propel Botswana to the forefront of Africa's financial markets through innovation. BSE Chairperson Neo Mooki said in a media briefing recently that "The conference will provide a platform for global market makers from across Africa's capital markets to meet, discuss, and strategize about the future of Africa's financial markets." The event will commence with the ASEA executive committee meeting on November 27, followed by the main conference discussions on November 28 and 29 at the Royal Aria Conference Centre. This year's theme, "Fostering Transformation in Capital Markets through Innovation," might sound like something out of a tech startup pitch, but it is highly relevant. As Mooki emphasized, "Innovation is the spice of life—and in our case, the spice of markets. African exchanges must innovate to compete globally." She also mentioned that the discussions will focus on AI, fintech, and ESG. Mooki highlighted that Botswana is an attractive investment destination due to its political stability, sound governance, and stable credit rating. Acting BSE CEO Kopano Bolokwe noted that Botswana previously hosted the conference in 2019, a challenging period due to the coronavirus pandemic. He explained that this year’s theme reflects the major global shifts that have occurred since then, including political tensions, macroeconomic changes, and regulatory evolution. Bolokwe added that the theme aligns with the BSE’s vision to advance innovative and transformative services and products within the investment landscape. The speaker lineup includes Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and His Excellency Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana. The BSE expects a diverse group of over 300 delegates, including policymakers, industry professionals, and financial leaders from Africa and around the world. ASEA is a 28-member association representing 32 African countries. 📷Botswana Stock Exchange

𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗧 𝗞𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗘 Lucara Diamond Corp today announced the recovery of an extraordinary 1,094 carat rough diamond from its 100% owned Karowe Mine in Botswana. This remarkable stone bears striking similarities to the 692 carat diamond announced in August 2023, which was polished by HB Antwerp and yielded polished diamonds that sold for in excess of USD13 million. Lucara confirmsthat this newly recovered 1,094 carat stone will also be polished by HB Antwerp, as part of the ongoing partnership between the two companies. The newly recovered 1,094 carat diamond, the sixth stone in excess of 1,000 carats recovered by Lucara, continues the Company’strack record of unearthing large, high-value stones from the EMPKS ore type in the South Lobe of the Karowe Mine. Its exceptional size and quality underscore the unique characteristics of the Karowe ore body and reinforce the Company's position as the leading producer of large, high-quality diamonds. William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara, commented on the significance of this latest recovery:"The recovery of this exceptional 1,094 carat diamond is a testament to Karowe's remarkable potential and further validates our investment in the underground expansion project. "These continued discoveries of large, high-value diamonds demonstrate the consistent quality of our resource and its ability to deliver substantial returns. "As we progress with our underground development, we're increasingly confident in Karowe's capacity to produce these legendary diamonds well into the future, cementing our position in the high-end diamond market." The recovery of a second historic +1,000 carat diamond this year aligns with Lucara's underground expansion projectwhich aims to extend the life of the Karowe Mine to beyond 2040 and has been designed to access the parts of the South Lobe at depth where the EMPKS ore type is prevalent.

𝗣𝟮𝟲𝟬 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗚𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗘 - 𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗣𝗔 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗝𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 Ongoing works of the Gumare - Sepopa road captured by our drone pilot yesterday. Awarded to Bango Trading at a cost of more than P260 Million, the works entail shoulder re-instatement and widening, asphalt overlay and cold recycling from Gumare to Sepopa including Junction access roads of Etsha 1, 6, 13 and Ikoga. Most of the access roads are under construction at the moment with some already completed. Such as the Nxamasere T junction also pictured below. 📷BashiKikia@TheProjects©

Botswana Banks donate 12 Vehicles to Botswana Police for cash in transit escort. 📷FNBB

𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗔𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗞𝗔𝗪𝗘 𝟭𝗠𝗪 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧 - Plant now officially into commercial operation Today, Minister of Minerals and Energy Lefoko Maxwell Moagi officiated at the launch of the Shakawe 1MW solar plant, an independent power production renewable energy project under the Integrated Resource Plan. Delivered by Sturdee Energy, the Shakawe and Bobonong solar PV projects are the first among 12 small-scale grid-tied solar PV projects to be commissioned. Shakawe and Bobonong will contribute a combined 4 megawatts out of the 36 megawatts to be generated from 12 sites in various locations, including Maun, Kasane, Ghanzi, Lobatse, Molepolole, Serowe, Tutume, Tsabong, Kang, and Charleshill. Sturdee Energy is expected to generate over 10,000 MWh of electricity in their first year of operations. Under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed with national utility BPC in 2021, the electricity produced by these solar plants will be sold exclusively to BPC for a period of 25 years. The Shakawe 1MW solar project created 284 temporary jobs for citizens during its construction period. At the launch, Minister Moagi revealed that 48.6% of engineering and procurement costs and 86.9% of installation costs were awarded to Batswana. Currently, the project employs 12 citizens as it enters the operational phase. 📷 BashiKikia/TheProjects©

[Watch] Highlights from The Future of Mining Summit. Lucara Botswana Karowe Diamond Mine General Manager Johane Mchive shares his thoughts about the summit and touches on Karowe's exceptional record of historic diamond recoveries and exciting future inthe horizon.

𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗖 𝗖𝗔𝗝𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗪𝗘𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗔 - Schweppes is exploring local citrus fruit processing Botswana Investment & Trade Centre (BITC), the country's leading investment promotion agency, is actively collaborating with various stakeholders to attract investors and companies to Botswana, aiming to boost local economic diversification and industrialization. In line with its mandate to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), BITC has conducted several missions to Zimbabwe, working closely with the Botswana High Commission there. These efforts have resulted in interest from various Zimbabwean companies looking to expand into Botswana as a gateway to the African market and the free trade agreement. One such company is Schweppes Holdings Africa Limited, renowned for its beverage brands such as Mazoe and Minute Maid, as well as its fruit processing operations. Schweppes is considering expanding into Botswana by integrating into the agriculture sector through citrus production and the establishment of a fruit processing plant. BITC is collaborating with multiple stakeholders, including the Ministry of Agriculture, to facilitate the project's development and ensure it generates employment opportunities for Batswana. #InvestInBotswana Botswana Investment and Trade Centre

𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗣𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔’𝘀 𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗟 Today, Barloworld Equipment handed over this earth moving machine to Debswana Jwaneng Mine , marking the successful completion of a project to rebuild Africa’s largest shovel. The project was accomplished on schedule, within 120 days (4 months of continuous effort), adhering to the highest safety and quality standards. This overhaul will extend the machine's operational life by an additional 8-10 years. This marks the second overhaul in Jwaneng; the first was completed in 2022 and was notable as Africa’s inaugural de-decking exercise.