Botswana must harness its mining sector as the foundation for a diversified, resilient and future‑ready economy, Vice President Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe emphasised today at the opening of The Future of Mining Summit 2026.
In his keynote address under the theme “Mining for Transformation: Economic Diversification and Shared Prosperity”, the Vice President said the country’s diamond success proved that natural resources can drive national progress when managed with integrity.
He challenged the nation to ask “what will Botswana build before the shafts fall silent?” and declared that “the second miracle will not come from discovering another mineral deposit. It will come from discovering everything Botswana is capable of building because we found those minerals in the first place.”
Mining, he said, “must evolve, from being the foundation of our economy to becoming the catalyst for a far more diversified, innovative and resilient one. He added that “every mine should become the nucleus of a wider industrial ecosystem”, supporting manufacturing, engineering, skills development and citizen enterprises, which turns mineral wealth into enduring opportunities for future generations.
The Vice President highlighted the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) as the delivery framework to achieve this vision, mobilising investment and creating jobs through stronger mining linkages across energy, manufacturing and supply chains.
