Debswana Diamond Company Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Motsomi, has highlighted that the company’s approach to community development and social impact initiatives is firmly anchored in collaboration and empathy.
He emphasised that Debswana works closely with beneficiary communities to co-create programmes, rather than implementing initiatives without their input.
Speaking at Mining Indaba 2026 in a panel discussion titled “Reimagining Mining Partnerships Through Empathy,” Motsomi said Debswana recognises that communities are best placed to understand their own needs.
“For optimal impact, we realised that the best approach is to establish robust engagement platforms with communities and their leadership. This enables us to build strong partnerships that respond directly to their priorities,” he said.
Motsomi highlighted various initiatives aimed at communities surrounding Debswana’s mining operations.
“We should have a culture of empathy that cuts across the entire organisation. This is anchored in our strong values, including ‘Show We Care’ and ‘Be Passionate,’ among others,” he added.
Debswana Head of Strategy & Corporate Affairs, Wanatsha Moakufi, the diamond company’s participation is meant to showcase the depth of Botswana’s mining experience.
“For Debswana, this time around, it is a little bit personal. We have an exciting strategy, through which we seek to position our company competitively within the diamond mining industry, and are also looking for other opportunities,” Moakufi said.
“Events like the Mining Indaba are very important for the networking opportunities that one gets. We meet our suppliers, and we are not only participating in terms of attendance, but also through panel discussions and solo presentations.”
Moakufi said the new strategy will be launched in the coming weeks, which emphasises that Debswana needs to protect its core business and showcase that the company is still relevant in the diamond mining industry.
“We believe that for us, when it comes to diamonds, it is more than a luxury product. It is a lifeline in Botswana and we need to put our all in distinguishing the product that we mine as opposed to the competition,” he said.
