When diamond sharpens diamond
Business
Diamonds are the best mutual friend of the two girls, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Botswana is the largest producer of diamonds by value on planet earth. Zimbabwe too is said to have the largest reserves of diamonds in the world. While iron is said to sharpen iron, it gives up that might when it comes to the diamond. Diamond sharpens diamond!
The relationship between Zimbabwe and Botswana can be understood on the fundamental basis of the above. Beyond that, the two countries are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), whose headquarters is in Botswana and whose incumbent chairman is Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.
Both countries are therefore inspired by the SADC objectives, one of which is to "achieve sustainable utilisation of natural resources and effective protection of the environment."
….The wisdom in this objective is that diamonds don't belong to the current generation. We actually borrow them from the future generations to meet our current needs and have the responsibility to leave enough for the generations to come after us. In utilising the diamonds, we also have to pay particular attention to ensure that we don't distort the environment to the end that it will be unsafe and not healthy to the generations to come. It's almost like that polite messages we read in public toilets: "Please leave the toilet in the state you would like to find it."
But how come is it that public toilets still stink the most, despite the existence of such polite messages? Ok, let's not talk about public toilets – we don't want anybody to lose their hard-earned appetites.
Let's talk about diamonds.
So, diamonds are Botswana's number one export, and number five to Zimbabwe. They play a very significant role in the socioeconomic transformation of the two countries' economies. What is saddening to note, however, is that the two countries, despite owning these precious resources in remarkable quantum, don't have the right to put price tags on them.
They simply carry them to the market, and take whatever ridiculous price the market has to offer on that day – which is the total opposite to that wine you import from France, or that watch you import from Switzerland, or that designer suit from France.
How can we sustainably manage the resources of the future generations when we are condemned to just but price-takers who don't even know what we are going to sell at come next year? What legacy are we going to leave for the future generations? Dungeons and mine shafts exhausted of all the diamonds there were?
The poverty and inequality levels in Zimbabwe and Botswana also prove that diamonds are still not being optimally used for the betterment of the citizenry's quality of lives. The World Bank says that income inequality is very high in Botswana; while a survey conducted by the Zimbabwe Statistical Agency also established that Zimbabwe inequality levels are amongst the worst in the world.
Both countries are still facing fiscal consolidation challenges and have been advised by the International Monetary Fund to reduce the wage bill relative to GDP, broaden the revenue base, amongst a cocktail of other measures.
The same pressure that makes diamonds is apparently threatening to destroy some key aspects of these two countries. Their state owned enterprises are posting losses and the vulnerability to external shocks is apparently inevitable.
We surely cannot continue like this – living as if we are the last generation on planet earth. In any case, it's not like there is no solution to this problem. If a mistake is repeated more than once, it becomes a decision. Have we made the decision to live with this problem and not implement the solution – value addition and beneficiation? The reason why we can't write price tags on the diamonds we sell is that the majority of our diamonds sales occur in their raw state. It is also why we get peanuts for selling these raw diamonds and why we also still have unacceptable unemployment rates.
Value addition is a costly exercise as it requires a lot of money to acquire machinery, training human resources, amongst other costs. This is where these two girls (Zimbabwe and Botswana) need to show that they are not just a bunch of pretty faces – talk of beauty without brains; and brains without beauty too! Why can't these two beauties pool resources together to establish a plant that value-add our diamonds? Doing it together will speedy the process of raising the funds needed and ensure that adequate funds are raised. One of the objectives of SADC is to "promote self-sustaining development on the basis of collective self-reliance and the interdependence of Member States." There is not even a single need to invent the wheel here, we just need to spin it fast.
The Extra-Ordinary SADC Summit to be held this month must emphasize the need for concrete partnerships amongst Member States endowed with similar resources with a view to accelerate value addition in the region. Otherwise the gutter will be our deathbed.
Business
Grit divests from Letlole La Rona
Grit Services Limited, a member of the pan African real estate group, London Stock Exchange listed Grit Real Estate Income Group is divesting from Letlole La Rona Limited (LLR), a local real estate company established by government investment arm Botswana Development Corporation over a decade ago.
The Board of Directors of Letlole La Rona Limited this week announced in a statement to Unitholders that Grit Services Limited (‘Grit’) has informed them of its intention to exit its investment in the company.
Grit has been a material shareholder in LLR since 2019. On 07 March 2023, Grit sold 6 421 000 linked units, representing 2.29% of the Company’s total securities in issue, at a market value of BWP 22 537 710.
This trade follows previous sales of 6.79% in December 2022, as communicated to Unitholders on 10 January 2023, as well as a further sale of 4.78% (representing 13 347 068 linked units) on 24 February 2023 to various shareholders.
In aggregate, Grit has sold 13.9% shareholding in the Letlole La Rona between December 2022 and March 2023, resulting in current shareholding of 11.25% in the Company.
Letlole La Rona said in the statement that the exit process will take place in an orderly manner so as to maintain stability of the Company’s share price.
The statement explained that Grit’s sale of its entire shareholding in LLR is in line with its decision to exit investments where it does not have majority control, or where it has significant exposure to currencies other than US dollar, Euro or hard-currency-pegged revenue streams.
“Grit has announced similar decisions pertaining to certain of its hospitality assets in Mauritius recently. The Company would like to advise Unitholders that it remains focused on long-term value delivery to all stakeholders” LLR said
In July last year as part of their Go-to-Africa strategy Letlole La Rona acquired an initial 30% equity stake in Orbit Africa Logistics, with an option to increase this investment to 50%. OAL is a special purpose vehicle incorporated in Mauritius, owning an industrial asset in a prime industrial node in Nairobi, Kenya.
The co-investment was done alongside a wholly owned subsidiary of London listed Grit. The Orbit facility is situated on a prime industrial site on Mombasa Road, the principal route south of Nairobi center, serving the main industrial node, the port of Mombasa and the industrial town of Athi River and is strategically located 11 kilometers south of the international airport and 9.6 kilometers from the Inland Container Depot.
Grit shareholding in Letlole La Rona was seen as strategic for LLR, for the company to leverage on Grit’s already existing continental presence and expand its wings beyond Botswana borders as already delivered by Kenya transaction.
Media reports have however suggested that LLR and Grit have since late last year had fundamental disagreements on how to go about the Go-to-Africa strategy amongst other things, fuelled by alleged Botswana government interference on the affairs of LLR.
Government through LLR founding shareholder – Botswana Development Corporation has a controlling stake of around 40 percent in the company. Government is the sole shareholder of Botswana Development Corporation.
Letlole La Rona recently released their financial results for the six months ended December 2022, revenue increased by 4% to P50.2 million from P48.4 million in the prior comparative six months, whilst operating profit was up 8% to P36.5 million. Profit before tax of P49.7 million was reported, an increase of 8% on the prior comparative six months.
“We are encouraged by the strong results, notwithstanding a challenging economic environment. Our performance was mainly underpinned by annual lease escalations, our quality tenant base and below average market vacancy levels, especially in our warehouse portfolio,” Kamogelo Mowaneng, Letlole La Rona Chief Executive Officer commented.
LLR reported a weighted average lease expiry period of 3.3 years and escalation rates averaging 6.8% per annum for the period ended 31 December 2022.Its investment portfolio value increased by 14% year-on-year to close the period at P1.4 billion, mainly driven by the acquisition of a 30% stake in OAL in July 2022.
The Company also recorded a significant increase in other income, predominantly due to foreign exchange gains on the OAL shareholder loan. “We continue to explore pipeline opportunities locally, and regionally in line with our Go-to-Africa strategy and our interest remains on value-accretive investments,” Mowaneng said.
An interim distribution of 9.11 thebe per linked unit was declared on the 6th of February 2023 for the half-year period to 31 December 2022, comprising of a dividend of 0.05 thebe and debenture interest of 9.06 thebe per linked unit which will be paid to linked unit holders registered in the books of the Company at the close of business on 24 February 2023.
Business
Stargems Group establishes Training Center in BW
Internationally-acclaimed diamond manufacturing company StarGems Group has established the Stargems Diamond Training Center which will be providing specialized training in diamond manufacturing and evaluation.
The Stargems Diamond Training Institute is located at the Stargems Group Botswana Unit in Gaborone.
“In accordance with the National Human Resource Development Strategy (NHRDS) which holds the principle that through education and skills development as well as the strategic alignment between national ambitions and individual capabilities, Botswana will become a prosperous, productive and innovative nation due to the quality and efficacy of its citizenry. The Training Centre will provide a range of modules in theory and in practice; from rough diamond evaluation to diamond grading and polishing for Batswana, at no cost for eight weeks. The internationally- recognized certificate offered in partnership with Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Training School presents invaluable opportunities for Batswana to access in the diamond industry locally and internationally. The initiative is an extension of our Corporate Social Investment to the community in which we operate,” said Vishal Shah, Stargems Group Managing Director, during the launch of the Stargems Diamond Training Center.
In order to participate in this rare opportunity, interested candidates are invited to submit a police clearance certificate and a BGCSE certificate only to the Stargems offices. Students who excel in these programs will have the chance to be onboarded by the Stargems Group. This serves as motivation for them to go through this training with a high level of seriousness.
“Community empowerment is one of our CSR principles. We believe that businesses can only thrive when their communities are well taken of. We are hoping that our presence will be impactful to various communities and economies. In the six countries that we are operating in, we have contributed through dedicating 10% of our revenues during COVID-19 to facilitate education, donating to hospitals and also to NGOs committed to supporting women and children living with HIV. One key issue that we are targeting in Botswana is the rate of unemployment amongst the youth. We are looking forward to working closely with the government and other relevant authorities to curb unemployment,” said Shah.
Currently, Stargems Group has employed 117 Batswana and they are looking forward to growing the numbers to 500 as the company grows. Majority of the employees will be graduates from the Stargems Diamond Training Center. This initiation has been received with open arms by the general public and stakeholders. During the launch, the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Honorable Lefoko Moagi, stated that the ministry fully endorses Stargems Diamond Training and will work closely with the Group to support and grow the initiative.
“As a ministry, we see this as an game changer that is aligned with one of the United Nations’ Six Priority Sustainable Development Goals, which is to Advance Opportunity and Impact for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). What Stargems Group is launching today will have a huge impact on the creation of employment in Botswana. An economy’s productivity rises as the number of educated workers increases as its skilled workmanship increases. It is not a secret that low skills perpetuate poverty and widen the inequality gap, therefore the development of skills has the potential to contribute significantly to structural transformation and economic growth by enhancing employability and helping the country become more competitive. We are grateful to see the emergence of industry players such as Stargems Group who have strived to create such opportunities that mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on the economy,” said the Minister of Minerals and Energy.
Business
Food import bill slightly declines
The latest figures released by Statistics Botswana this week shows that food import bill for Botswana slightly declined from around P1.1 billion in November 2022 to around P981 million in December during the same year.
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