Author

Mbongeni Mguni
Financial Journalist

Twitter: @MboBW

Email: [email protected]
  • Gov't warns of austerity measures

    Vice President and Finance minister, Ndaba Gaolathe, told the Youth Budget pitso last Thursday that the measures were necessary to safeguard the economy against future shocks and mitigate the risks of unsustainable public debt levels. “Central to...

  • Inside the fightback by natural diamonds

    In the diamond world, traditionally, each player in the pipeline focuses on their core strengths. Producers such as Botswana focus on how they can extract diamonds most efficiently, whilst also taking care to bring these natural rarities from deep in...

  • Diamond exports down 50% by Q3

    Figures released by the Bank of Botswana recently indicate that between January and October, Debswana sold P22.7 billion in rough diamonds, compared to P45.2 billion over the corresponding period in 2023.Debswana is the country’s primary producer...

  • Singita enters Delta high-end tourism

    The Delta is the country’s most prized tourism destination, with nights fetching in the thousands of US dollars, and the clients who fly in from across the world have to book well in advance to experience the World Heritage Site.Singita, a...

  • Absa affirms commitment to sustainable growth

    Mmegi: You recently participated in the National Renewable Energy Dialogue at which Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe made his inaugural remarks. Why was it important for the Bank to participate in this dialogue?Pheko-Moshagane: The bank's...

  • De Beers doubles down on local exploration

    In its heydays, De Beers, which is responsible for discovering 40% of all the planet’s known diamond-bearing rocks in history, was exploring in 20 countries, spending $100 million annually. However, in recent years, it trimmed its search down to...

  • Banks lead BSE’s charge

    The country’s oldest commercial bank has this year continued the robust performance seen in 2023 when its share price jumped 85%, second only to leisure tourism group Chobe Holdings, whose share price jumped nearly 88%. This year,Stanchart’s...

  • Pension funds near PFR 2 target

    Under the updated Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) Pension Fund Rules, local pension funds are required to gradually increase the proportion of assets they hold domestically to 50% in the years to December 2027.According...

  • Quill Hermans: A lifetime of service

    Former Bank of Botswana governor, Moses Pelaelo, remembers Quill Hermans’ steadfast integrity.“In Quill Hermans’ central bank, if you stole a bar of soap from the bathroom, you are gone.“You cannot be in the central bank and steal.“He...

  • De Beers sees surprise jump in festive sales

    Speaking at the FACETS diamond conference in Antwerp, Belgium on Tuesday, Cook said early indications were that retail demand for diamond jewellery was warmer than the diamond giant had expected this season.Traditionally for De Beers, the period...

  • NBFIRA sees better compliance as fines drop 30%

    NBFIRA regulates the activities of the insurance sector, non-bank lenders such as pawn brokers, capital market players such as the stock exchange, pension funds and asset managers, as well as virtual asset services such as cryptocurrencies. As at...

  • Bond market activity jumps

    Bonds are financial instruments issued by government and corporates to borrow money from the market. Secondary market trades involve sales of bonds by those who bought the bonds at their original floating by issuers such as governments and...

  • Bidders squeeze BoB in P55bn debt programme

    Since July, the central bank, acting as the government’s agent, has floated treasury bills and bonds seeking a total of P13.1 billion, but has only raised P9.4 billion or about 72%.Before July, the BoB was meeting its debt targets, with...

  • Worse than we thought: Gaolathe on first sight of budget numbers

    The country’s vice president and finance minister, Ndaba Gaolathe, says the state of public finances is worse than the new administration expected to find. Addressing journalists on Thursday, three days after he was appointed Finance Minister,...

  • De Beers hails spirit of renewal after Boko meeting

    While government and De Beers signed an agreement in principle last June and heads of terms in October, the two sides are yet to finalise the agreement that will govern the sale of diamonds from Debswana mines into the future.Under the agreement in...

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