Debswana (Botswana): Divided at one table
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Show notes
Since 1969 the value of Botswana's diamonds has been divided at one table, between the state and De Beers, through the company now called Debswana. The state started with fifteen per cent and won half in 1975. In 2025 a new government signed a sales agreement giving the state's own diamond trader a growing share of Debswana's output. The state also holds a right of first refusal over Anglo American's shares in De Beers, which Anglo American is selling. Meanwhile, the value of what is being divided has fallen sharply.
