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As bad as the diamond numbers are, some analysts on the retail end of the spectrum are seeing some positive signs.And the retail end is where the light is required. The slump that caused a 5.3% contraction in the economy this year, largely traces...

According to the 2024/25 forecasts from the Finance Ministry, mineral revenues were expected to provide about 27% of budget revenues for the financial year, at an estimated P25.2 billion. Mineral revenues comprise taxes, royalties and dividends on...

Statistics Botswana figures indicate that the annual rate of inflation was slightly softer in June owing to base effects particularly associated with transport.In the 12 months to June 2024, the single highest increase in average prices has been in...

Directors say the move, which could involve P250.1 million for 217 million shares, would also be a signal to investors that Letshego has excess capital and is “therefore attractive to other investors that they should invest in Letshego”. This...

A half-year trading report released by the bourse this week indicates that the market capitalisation of firms listed on the Domestic Companies Index (DCI) rose from P42.9 billion on June 30 last year, to P50.3 billion on June 30 this year.Average...

The United States may not directly admit it, but to a great extent, the world’s most powerful military believes part of the reason it is losing allies in areas like West Africa, is because geopolitical rivals, particularly Russia, have amped up...

As at December 2023, Access Bank PLC held 78.15% equity in the local bank, a stake acquired through the purchase of ABC Holdings’ equity in early 2021. Over the two deals last week, Access reduced its direct shareholding in Access Bank Botswana...

The US is battling to recover lost influence in parts of Africa, as Russia – in particular amongst the rival superpowers – makes inroads in terms of strategic alliances on the continent. The US has agreed to Niger’s demands to withdraw from the...

Joshua Sibonge, the chairperson of the Green Finance Mainstreaming Working Group, has a delightfully compact and enlightening explanation of why sustainability needs to be incorporated into the country’s budgeting process.As a principal economist...

Since at least 2020 when government dug deeply into the reserves to finance the COVID-19 budget response, the central bank has been advocating for a portion of the savings to be set aside or “ringfenced”. The Pula Fund, which houses the...

Afreximbank, the pan-African trade bank with assets of nearly $40 billion, is championing closer trade and economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean. Recently the Bank took its annual meetings to The Bahamas where more than 30 African and 12...

At a time when the world is retreating from multilateralism and pushing back against globalisation, Africa and its Diaspora are mounting a historic attempt to forge closer economic, trade and cultural ties.Separated by thousands of kilometres of the...

The level of external public debt owed by African governments reached $1.2 trillion last year (P16.3 trillion), driven by the impact of the global financial crisis of 2008, the COVID-19 disaster, slowing growth, rising interest rates and the urgent...

The April deficit is the eighth successive month of shortfalls in the country’s merchandise trade balance, the measure of exports and imports of goods. Statistics Botswana revised the March deficit to P363.7 million from an initial estimate of P2.5...

FCB Botswana is part of the FMB Capital Holdings, a Malawi-born but Mauritius headquartered financial group with other operations in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.According to the results made available last week, FCB Botswana enjoyed a...