- The diamond producer is looking beyond mining by linking its procurement ecosystem with CEDA’s financing and enterprise-development mandate
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Debswana is looking to use the commercial ecosystem surrounding its diamond operations to help build stronger citizen-owned businesses, as Botswana seeks to diversify an economy long anchored by mining.
The approach is centred on connecting Debswana’s procurement power, technical expertise, markets and supplier networks with the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA)’s financing and enterprise-development capabilities.
Speaking at a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between the two , CEDA caretaker CEO Khalala Mokefane said the opportunity was to connect Debswana’s commercial ecosystem with CEDA’s mandate to develop citizen enterprises.
“What becomes possible when Debswana’s commercial ecosystem is deliberately connected to CEDA’s financing and enterprise development mandate?” Mokefane asked.
He said the answer should include more citizen-owned businesses built around real demand, stronger local supply chains and more competitive Botswana-based producers and service providers.
From Funding to Industry
The emphasis represents a broader approach to citizen empowerment. CEDA says businesses should not be judged only by the number funded, but by whether they operate in productive sectors, supply major industries, manufacture locally what Botswana currently imports and create skilled employment.
The partnership will explore opportunities within and adjacent to the mining value chain, including manufacturing, engineering services, processing, logistics, infrastructure, innovation and business services.
Mokefane said the intention was to build citizen enterprises that are “not peripheral participants, but capable and competitive suppliers and industrial partners.”
For Debswana, the strategy forms part of an effort to diversify its income streams and expand its contribution beyond diamond mining.
The Managing Director of Debswana in Andrew Maatla Motsomi said his organization recognized that Botswana’s next chapter of growth required the country to use the legacy of diamonds to “build new industries, create new opportunities and develop new sources of economic value.”
Testing the Model
The partnership will also focus on identifying a pipeline of commercially viable projects, reflecting an emphasis on businesses with identifiable markets rather than enterprises created without clear demand.
Mokefane said successful entrepreneurship required more than capital, pointing to business planning, market access, mentorship and post-launch support.
Businesses seeking to supply major corporate buyers will also need to demonstrate governance, quality assurance, financial discipline, safety and operational reliability.
The measure of success will ultimately be practical: sustainable citizen enterprises, jobs, increased procurement from citizen suppliers, greater local value retention and the emergence of new productive industries.
Motsomi described the approach as an “ecosystem” model, involving the private sector, government institutions, entrepreneurs, investors and communities.
For Botswana, the proposition is straightforward but demanding: use the capabilities and purchasing power developed through decades of diamond mining to create businesses capable of standing on their own.
As Mokefane said, “The real work begins now: translating commitments into a pipeline of projects, supporting entrepreneurs to execute, and delivering measurable outcomes for citizens.”