Botswana is positioning itself to benefit from the growing global demand for industrial synthetic diamonds, with President Duma Boko revealing plans for a technology partnership involving De Beers subsidiary Element Six and the United States.
Speaking during his State of the Nation Address this afternoon, Boko said Botswana’s proposed increased stake in De Beers would also give the country exposure to advanced diamond technologies through Element Six, a global leader in synthetic diamond technology.
He noted that demand for industrial synthetic diamonds is expected to grow alongside the expansion of artificial intelligence, supercomputing and large-scale data centres, where the material has important technological applications.
Boko further revealed that the United States Government had approached Element Six over a potential technology partnership. He said US President Donald Trump had announced a new US$600 million facility in Georgia, while discussions with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had explored a partnership involving Botswana and the United States.
The President said the intention was to place Element Six at the centre of a new technology relationship between the two countries, potentially opening opportunities for Botswana beyond traditional diamond mining.
He also highlighted the participation of Angola and Namibia in the proposed De Beers transaction, describing it as a historic opportunity for the region’s major diamond-producing nations to participate collectively in the ownership of the company that markets their diamonds.
Boko said the broader ambition was to ensure that the region’s mineral wealth translates into greater local prosperity, technological advancement and economic opportunities
