It has been over 55 years since the first diamond was mined in Orapa, located in the Boteti District. A decade later, the first diamond was extracted from Jwaneng—a mine that would go on to become Debswana’s flagship operation.
Before any of this could happen, the Government of Botswana had persuaded tribal leaders to relinquish the mineral rights of their territories to the state. This historic decision was made in the spirit of national unity, with the aim of ensuring that the country’s mineral wealth would benefit all citizens equally.
Despite not receiving exclusive royalties from diamonds mined in their areas, local communities remain integral to Debswana’s operations. Their role is especially crucial in helping the company, which is partly owned by the Government of Botswana, maintain its social licence to operate.
In Botswana, diamonds are more than just precious stones, but instruments of transformation—that have powered the nation’s journey from one of the poorest in the world to a middle-income economy. For communities, the story of success is even more palpable. Debswana is continually working to deepen its impact in communities through strategic socio-economic development initiatives, underpinned by principles of transparency, inclusiveness, and sustainability.
In 1974, Debswana introduced a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme, which at the time was called the Donations Programme, aimed at funding projects that would uplift communities and create a sustainable legacy of prosperity.
From 2011 to 2021, the annual CSI budget and spend was P15 million. This was increased in 2022 to P30 million. In addition to the P30 million, Debswana’s Socio Economic Development strategy includes high impact initiatives focused on promoting economic diversification, building strong and collaborative partnerships with government and private sector, as well as a broad portfolio of community programmes and social initiatives. Furthermore, Debswana’s foremost flagship programme that has run for decades is the company’s P160 million annual investment in running two state-of-the-art hospitals in Jwaneng and Orapa; these hospitals are accessible to communities and serve over 200,000 patients annually. This is impressive impact.
Debswana CSI cuts across various sectors and are a combination of infrastructure development, capacity development and enterprise development initiatives. A significant portion of this support goes to communities around Debswana operations. Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM) have 20 villages under area of influence and Jwaneng has 23 villages under its zone of influence.
The story of diamonds
At the centre of Debswana’s approach is a deep commitment to provenance—a term that has gained increasing importance in the global diamond industry. In essence, provenance refers to the origin and traceability of a diamond. It is the ability to trace a diamond from the mine where it was extracted all the way to the final point of sale. In today’s socially conscious marketplace, consumers—particularly younger generations—want to know that the diamonds they buy are not only conflict-free, but that they have contributed positively to the lives of the people in the countries and communities they came from. For Debswana, provenance is more than a technical traceability tool—it’s a narrative.
“Debswana has a role to play in provenance, as the diamonds are sourced from mines operated by the company,” said Rachel Mothibatsela, Executive Head of Corporate Affairs.
“With every diamond that Debswana sources, it is able to tell a story of the socio-economic development of the communities around Botswana due to the impact that the diamonds have.”
This narrative of impact is anchored in Debswana’s broader Socio-Economic Development (SED) strategy, which seeks to ensure that the wealth generated from mining benefits Batswana at every level. To avoid short-term fixes and ensure lasting benefits, Debswana carries out impact assessments on all its community projects on a three-year cycle.
“This Monitoring and Evaluation process allows us to define the sustainability of each project,” said Mothibatsela.
Crucially, the company integrates partnerships into the development of SED initiatives, building strong and collaborative partnerships with government, civil society, development agencies and the private sector to leverage resources, share knowledge, and build capacity and ensure that local communities are involved in the development process and have a say in how resources are used. This fosters ownership and accountability.
For example, health-related initiatives are developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and District Health Management Teams so that, at the end of Debswana’s involvement, the Ministry is well-positioned to take over and maintain the investments made.
This strategy not only strengthens the long-term viability of projects but ensures alignment with national development priorities. “Partnerships provide us with the opportunity to involve relevant stakeholders at the concept development stage, so that sustainability is taken into consideration from the onset,” Mothibatsela adds.
Yet, perhaps the most critical stakeholder in the development of SED initiatives is the community. In recent years, the company has strengthened its focus on giving communities a voice in shaping the projects that affect them. Through a structured stakeholder engagement process and a bottom-up participatory approach, communities are empowered to participate in the decision-making processes.
Debswana utilises the Social Way framework which recognises and leverages the existing strengths, skills, and resources within communities.
“Communities are involved in the decision-making process of projects that are undertaken in Debswana’s areas of influence ,” Mothibatsela says. “This ensures that projects are contextually relevant, locally owned, and therefore more sustainable.”
Looking ahead, Debswana is not resting on its laurels. As the company prepares for the future, it is taking bold steps to reimagine its role in the socio-economic landscape of Botswana. Debswana in partnership with Botswana Chamber of Mines and Botswana Bureau of Standards are in the process of development a Social Sustainability Standard which will harmonize approach to social sustainability, CSI/CSR in Botswana.
Mothibatsela describes the next decade as an opportunity to drive a new generation of sustainable, inclusive growth. “We envision being able to influence positively the growth of local communities through the creation of ecosystems that allow the economy to tap into different funding mechanisms, such as green funds,” she explains. These ecosystems will be geared towards creating alternative livelihoods and local economies that are less dependent on mining but still enabled by the infrastructure and investment that mining has made possible.
Debswana aims to build resilient enterprises and communities, capable of thriving long after the diamond mines have been closed. The vision is not just to extract value from the ground but to embed value into communities—turning Botswana’s diamond wealth into a lasting foundation for inclusive prosperity.
The convergence of provenance and development is where Debswana finds its strategic sweet spot. Being able to trace every diamond back to a story of positive impact—be it a new clinic, a school, or a small business supported in a rural village—the company strengthens its ethical standing in global markets while reaffirming its commitment to the people of Botswana.
In a world where the ethics of extraction are under greater scrutiny, and where consumers are increasingly value-driven, Debswana’s approach offers a blueprint for responsible mining. It is not just about where a diamond comes from—but what it leaves behind.
Through partnerships, transparency, and community empowerment, Debswana is not just mining diamonds; it’s shaping legacies.
