Botswana’s first underground diamond mine at Ghagoo was inaugurated by Botswana’s President Ian Khama last week. This is the company’s first diamond mine in Botswana and its second in Africa after the Letseng mine that it already operates in Lesotho.

The mine uses a decline shaft sunk 80m into the soil. This ‘unconventional’ underground mining method mine was described as an ‘innovative’ solution by President Khama. The site had generated much discussion since it is located in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

As a result of the shift away from the open cast mining that is followed in other mines in Botswana, the area covered is now about 20 sq km as against the 100 sq km that was initially envisaged.

In its first phase, at a cost of $ 95 mn, the mine is expected to yield up to 300,000 cts annually beginning next year. The diamonds are expected to be mainly white in colour fetch prices of between $260 and $270 per ct.

Initially the company will be selling its production through auctions conducted in Antwerp, but the government is keen that these should eventually move to Gaborone.