Gaborone: The Government of Botswana in collaboration with the Diamond Sector, has launched the 60 Years of Diamond Leadership Initiative and unveiled the diamond embedded medals for the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 at the Botswana National Museum.
This moment marks a defining shift in Botswana’s diamond journey: from resource extraction to global reputation; from mineral value to public value; and from provenance to purposeful international engagement through sport, culture, tourism and local enterprise.
The initiative brings together key players across the diamond value chain, including Okavango Diamond Company, De Beers Group, Debswana Diamond Company, Diamond Trading Company Botswana, Lucara Botswana and KGK Diamonds, working through the House of Botswana. Within this collective effort, ODC’s partnership with Ankit Gems and SRK, who covered the cost of polishing the Botswana natural diamonds, alongside Nungu Diamonds, demonstrates how collaborative investment can connect diamond polishing, jewellery-making capability, creative industry development and sport-for-development impact.
Speaking at the launch, Hon. Bogolo Kenewendo, Minister of Minerals and Energy, said Botswana’s next chapter is anchored on advancing provenance, deepening socio-economic impact, expanding citizen participation across the value chain and accelerating downstream development.
In remarks delivered at the event, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, President of the Republic of Botswana, reflected on the broader national significance of diamonds, noting their contribution to infrastructure, healthcare, education and Botswana’s global standing. The President positioned the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 as a platform of resilience, growth and excellence, and as a moment through which Botswana can host the world with confidence.
The unveiling of medals featuring Botswana natural diamonds, sponsored and produced through ODC, provides a powerful symbol of this ambition. The medals connect the excellence of athletes with the discipline, resilience and value of natural diamonds, allowing Botswana’s story to travel globally through sport. The sponsorship reinforces ODC’s commitment to ensuring that diamonds do more than shine: they must create visibility, build enterprise, support national development and open new pathways for economic impact.
The launch also foregrounded Botswana’s creative economy. The Main Gallery featured artworks by local artists, giving the event a distinctly Botswana visual language and affirming that diamond leadership must also create space for culture, creativity and local talent to be seen on national and international platforms.
One of the initiative’s enterprise-development highlights is the Tokafala-supported Leteise Tote Bag project. Through the programme, Debswana has supported the training of 34 textile operators across Botswana, the majority of whom are women, including participants from mining communities such as Boteti. Curated by AfroFusion, the tote bags will represent Botswana’s heritage at international trade fairs and global engagement platforms.
Delivering the Vote of Thanks, Hon. Jacob Kelebeng, Minister of Sport and Arts, acknowledged the collective effort behind the moment and the significance of bringing the world to Botswana. He thanked Batswana, the diamond sector, sponsors, organisers and partners whose support continues to strengthen sport as a platform for national pride, unity and international visibility.
The diamond sector’s contribution to the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 reinforces a broader national principle: mineral value, when managed with intention, can be transformed into public value, supporting sport development, local enterprise, tourism linkages, creative industry growth and Botswana’s global positioning.
As Botswana marks 60 years of independence and diamond leadership, this initiative signals a more confident and coordinated approach to telling the country’s story: one that links origin to impact, natural wealth to shared progress, and Botswana’s diamonds to the world’s imagination.
