De Beers Botswana’s Post

From Gold to Diamonds!

To the 700 million youth in Africa, this is a journey that you must emulate.A steadfast mind to succeed. To businesses, a case study of grit and sturdiness. To Botswana Government, here is a classic example of how to implement mindset change using the tenets of Botho, an embedded value in our cultural heritage.

DE BEERS GROUP iS DOING THE EXACT RIGHT THING - UTILISING SPORTS AND EDUCATION IN FOSTERING AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT Yes, Africa has lots of natural resources - #gold, #diamonds, #oil & #gas etc, but Africa has something much more important and of a much higher value - her #abundant #talented #human_resources, which to this day haven't yet been exploited to the benefit of all Africans! #Ambassadors for businesses in many sectors like #mining and #energy from #sports, #education or #technology areas will be serving as #catalysts for #fostering the future African development in a sustainable manner! Yes, #Africa with her #youthful, #technology_affin and #creative people is predestined for #evolving a novel #ecosystem in which the rich collection of all the natural resources should be optimally exploited to the benefit of all her people! That's why it's great when #experienced companies in #exploitation like the DE BEERS GROUP partner with #exceptional #Ambassadors in #sports and #technology to drive the future developments of Africa in a sustainable manner! Getting #true-#wealth, out of these undertakings, shall however only remain achievable, if implementations are conducted in the right manner! #Ambassador #mineIT for #Africa.

How sport is playing a vital role in driving #Rwanda's development 🏃♂️ ⚽ 🏌♀️ Last weekend, Rwanda hosted the third edition of the Ironman 70.3 triathlon race. Beyond just being a very cool event in the beautiful setting of Rubavu on the shores of Lake Kivu, the Ironman event is part of a much wider strategy to use sport to drive the country's development... 🏀 Visit Rwanda is a founding sponsor of the NBA-backed Basketball Africa league. Some of the BALs stars past and present featured in the South Sudan's Olympic team. 🚗 Later this year, Kigali will be the setting for the FIA (world motorsport's governing body) annual awards ceremony where the champions from all 7 different motor racing disciplines will be in town... along with their cars/bikes! 🚵♀️ Next year Rwanda will host the UCI 2025 world road cycling championship- a first for Africa. ⚽ Visit Rwanda continues to partner with Arsenal, PSG and Bayern Munich to attract tourism to the country. 🏌♀️ Kigali now has a lovely golf course encircled by a running track (yep, that's the one I'm struggling around!) And, by any measure, it's working... 🛄 Tourism revenue hit $620 million USD last year, up 36% 🤝 Global sporting brands increasingly see Rwanda as the country to partner with in Africa. 💵 Investment in Rwanda's sporting and tourism infrastructure (to serve the increase in sports tourism) is growing. Creating jobs in the local sports economy. 💡 Partnerships are helping to slowly change the perception of the country. Like cycling, golf, running, football, basketball etc etc?...Visit Rwanda! #Rwanda #Investment

Reflecting on Paris 2024: A Lesson in Preparedness for Nigerian Sports Authorities Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic cyclist, Ese Ukpeseraye, recently reflected on a challenging yet unforgettable experience at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Ukpeseraye, originally registered for the women's road race, found herself unexpectedly competing in two track events at the last minute. These events required specialized bikes that she did not have. Thanks to the generosity and sportsmanship of the German team, who provided her with the necessary equipment, she was able to compete. Her story has since sparked debate among Nigerians, with many questioning the competency of their national sports authorities. Nigeria's Sports Minister, John Owan Enoh, addressed the situation, explaining that the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) had offered Nigeria last-minute slots in the track events following another country's disqualification. He emphasized that the specialised bikes needed for these events take months to order and deliver, making it impossible to have them ready on such short notice. “Ese Ukpeseraye’s debut as Nigeria’s first Olympic cyclist was marked by resilience and an unforgettable act of sportsmanship. Competing on a German team-provided bike in the Paris 2024 Olympics highlighted gaps in our national sports infrastructure. As we move forward, the key question is: how can we ensure better preparedness for our athletes in future competitions?” #Paris2024 #Sportsmanship #NigerianSports #OlympicsReflection

The 2052 Olympics is set for Accra, Ghana, and will feature African surf brand Mami Wata Surf as an official partner… #playbookafrica This is the headline the apparel and accessories company is looking to manifest. Mami Wata made this announcement via Instagram, intending to raise the conversation around an African Olympics, a great display of intention and strategic alignment to an event that will undoubtedly land on the African continent within the next few decades. While it may seem far off, the movement for an African Summer Olympics has already made strides. The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as Dakar 2026, will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026, and many sports business leaders inside and outside of the IOC are supporting the effort to bring the Olympics to the home of the world’s greatest sporting talent. My question is, is 2052 too far off? How soon can we expect an African Olympics, and which city will most likely be the host? If it does end up in Accra, Mami Wata has taken the liberty of drafting the logo. Swipe and take a look. For more news and analysis on the emerging sports economies of Africa and the Middle East, check out Playbook - Sports Business for Emerging Markets. __________ #linkedinsports 

"Thank you, Sandrine, for sharing this thought-provoking article. The journey to hosting the Olympics begins with aggressive bidding, requiring substantial budgetary resources to secure the support of partner nations. This initial phase sets the stage for a long and challenging process. Once the bid is accepted, the host nation embarks on a painstaking journey that spans nearly 7-9 years. During this time, the host nation must undergo rigorous assessments of various critical components outlined in the bidding documents. This includes meticulous planning and preparation, construction of state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure, and fostering robust stakeholder support for the event. Throughout this period, the Olympic Committee maintains a watchful eye, sending teams to audit the progress of work and assess the host country's readiness to deliver on time. These regular evaluations ensure that the host nation is on track to meet the Olympic Committee's stringent requirements. This is a critical area where Africa needs to intensify its efforts if it hopes to bridge the gap and host the Olympics sooner than the projected 2052. !! The continent's bid to host the Olympics requires a concerted effort to demonstrate its capacity to manage complex projects, mobilize resources, and build world-class infrastructure. By doing so, Africa can prove its readiness to join the elite group of Olympic host nations and showcase its capabilities on the global stage."

While there is still a long road 🛣️ some actions are going the right way. #sustainability 🌱 The Lithuanian Modern Pentathlon Federation planted over 1,500 pine trees 🌿 in the city where they held the 2024 U19 World Championships. One week after delivering the event. This has become the 1st ever green championships in Lithunia 🇱🇹🏆 And a great example of how sports can play their part for a more sustainable future 🌍💚 The idea 💡 Launch a reforestation to compensate for more than 19 000 kg of CO2 thrown into the atmosphere during the event Every little tree planted by the Lithuanian federation 🌲will absorb about 13.14 kg CO2 annually. It is estimated that these seedlings will compensate for around 20 000 kg of CO2 🌬️ Carbon dioxide emissions were calculated, including event transport 🚐, accommodation 🏨 and sports bases activities 🏟️ Great team ! ~ leading the way following International Olympic Committee – IOC Agenda #green #sport #event

I worked on the Sports Hub project and the 2010 Youth Oympic Games bid years ago as a sports administrator. Some thoughts on Singapore's hosting of next year's World Aquatics Championships: First, it's ideal if there's a clear plan to reuse or reconfigure the temporary swimming complex to be built at the Kallang car park. Perhaps the facility could be transformed into an Olympic ice skating rink -- this is a missing facility as our one and only recreational and competition rink at JCube has been demolished. Second, we should build on next year's event by hosting an annual elite-level swimming competition in 2026 onwards. This would make use of existing infrastructure (e.g. the 3,000-seat Aquatic Centre at the Sports Hub and the Olympic-standard pool at the Sports School that can hold up to 1,000 spectators by using temporary stands). After all, as shown in the SG Grand Prix, there's a lot more value capture and reduced costs in hosting recurrent rather than once-off sports events. Third, the tourism and economic benefits of major sports events are not clear cut. An Oct 2023 paper published in the Journal of Sports Economics showed that only 4 of 18 marquee sports events had a positive effect on tourist arrivals. One reason is that while sports fans may visit from overseas, they could crowd out other inbound tourists. As such, the rationale and benefits for hosting sports events would and should be non-economic -- building country-to-country ties (like the SEA Games that rotates across the SE Asia countries), getting SG residents excited about sports, and giving our athletes a chance to play against the world's best on home ground. And perhaps a child cheering for our swimmers at next year's event will become the next Joseph Schooling or Katie Ledecky. #sportingsingapore

Did You Know? Fun facts about the Olympics in Paris As the Olympics unfold in Paris, here's an interesting fact: South Africa has a delegation of 142 athletes participating in the games. In comparison, the combined strength of the Nordic countries amounts to 426 athletes. Even Iceland, with its small population, is represented by a commendable group of 5 athletes. South Africa is showing remarkable potential, especially in swimming. Their track and field team are also a strong contender, set to compete against our Nordic athletes in these arenas. SA has already secured their first gold medal in the women's 100m breaststroke. As for the Nordic countries, the question remains: which nation will be the first to clinch a gold medal? At Nordic House, we are excited to follow the progress of these games in Paris. We extend our best wishes to all the athletes from South Africa and the Nordic countries. May the spirit of competition and excellence shine through for everyone involved. #Olympics2024 #Paris2024 #NordicHouseCapeTown #OlympicSpirit #NordicHouseCapeTown #CapeTownNetwork #NordicHub #Nordic #NetworkingHub #BusinessHub #scandinaviannetwork #scandinavianhub  #sørafrika #SuðurAfríka #EteläAfrikka #Sydafrika #Kapstaden #Kapkaupunki #Höfðaborg