By Sharyn Macnamara
Mining and Technical Exhibitions (MTE) is destined for Letlhakane, Palapye and Jwaneng in March to host its popular ‘Botswana Combo’ tour in the mining and power sectors in the company’s first over-border shows of 2024.
Image supplied by © MTE
Botswana’s stable political environment and its consistent growth in the power and mining sectors – including coal, diamond, nickel, copper and soda ash sectors in particular – make it an attractive destination for the travelling exhibitions company and exhibitors. With Botswanan growth forecast to pick up slightly in 20241, Andrew Macnamara, operations director at MTE, is hoping that the success of the 2023 expos will be replicated.
First stop – Letlhakane
MTE will host its first show of the expo trilogy in Letlhakane on 4 March 2024 at Thakadu Hotel from 12:00 to 17:00. This expo is customised for the diamond operations, which include the Orapa, Letlhakane and Karowe mines.
Currently, Orapa is mining at a depth in excess of 305 metres and is expected to reach 350 metres by 2026, with production normally varying according to mining plans at an average of 10 million carats per year.2
Debswana, the 50:50 diamond mining joint venture between the De Beers Group and the government of Botswana, continues the reprocessing of tailings at its Letlhakane Mine, after having reached the end of its economic open pit mining in 2017. The plant for processing of tailings, which will extend the life of the operation to 2043, is operating at a capacity of up to 800 000 carats per annum.3
Lucara Diamond Corporation continues to recover large, high-quality diamonds from its Karowe mine – the latest of which is a 166ct, Type IIa diamond, the 328th diamond recovered from the mine weighing more than 100ct. This underscores the strategic importance of the underground expansion at the mine, which promises to extend LOM to 2040.4
Next stop – Palapye
The MTE Palapye expo is planned for 6 March 2024 at Kgaswe Primary School between 12:00 and 17:00. This expo is ideal for exhibitors supplying to coal operations and power stations. The Morupule Coal Mine (MCM) and the Morupule A and Morupule B power stations are set to benefit from this expo. The Motheo project – the flagship project at MCM – has changed mining methods to expand production through development and operation of an opencast, coal and processing plant and associated infrastructure.
Final stop – Jwaneng
The last stop of the tour is Jwaneng where MTE will host the expo at Jwaneng Rugby Club on 8 March from 12:00 to 17:00. This final expo in the trilogy is also customised for surrounding diamond producing operations. Jwaneng mine, run by Debswana, is the major diamond mine in the area. The company announced on 10 January this year that it had approved investment for a key development phase of the Jwaneng underground project, paving the way for the world’s most valuable diamond mine to transition from open pit to underground operations.5
The company notes that the USD1-billion (BWP13.6-billion) investment in this phase of works, known as the Exploration Access Development Phase, is for establishing a drilling platform to facilitate comprehensive sampling of the kimberlite pipes, delivering the early access decline for the underground mine and developing essential infrastructure to support forthcoming stages of the project. Initial works are to start in May 2024. Following the Exploration Access Development stage, the project will be developed in two further phases, Phase 1 mining and Phase 2 mining.
De Beers Group CEO and Debswana deputy board chairman, Al Cook, said “Jwaneng stands proudly as the world’s greatest diamond mine. It is a central pillar of both the Botswana economy and the De Beers Group business. The global supply of natural diamonds is falling, so moving forward with the Jwaneng Underground Project creates new value for investors, brings new technology to the country, creates new skills for our workforce and provides new gems for customers around the world. This investment is aligned with our strategy to prioritise investments in the highest quality projects. We are proud to work in partnership with the Botswana Government in creating a bright future for Debswana.”
Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s drive to diversify the economy and the newly agreed deal with De Beers, supported by the company’s BWP1-billion (USD73-million) investment in Botswana’s economic diversification, promises to see fixed investment growth pick up from 3.9% in 2023 to a possible 6.5% in 2024.1 This can only bode well for the country and those who seek business opportunities there.
Watch this space for the second article in our series on DOING BUSINESS IN BOTSWANA: PART 2 – WORD ON THE GROUND.
References:
- Article by BMI, a Fitch Solutions’ company, entitled “Botswanan growth will pick up slightly in 2024”, Country Risk/Botswana/Tues 3October 2023
- https://www.debswana.com/Operations/Pages/Orapa-Mine.aspx
- https://www.debswana.com/Operations/Pages/Letlhakane-Mine.aspx
- https://lucaradiamond.com/newsroom/news-releases/2022-guidance-on-track-following-strong-operationa-122851/
- Debswana Board approves key development phase for Jwaneng Underground Project – De Beers Group
| Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2ExOkt02Hs – Mining and Technical Exhibitions (youtube.com) to take a walk through a typical high-impact MTE expo. |
Access the calendar here: MTE_Calendar_2023_digital.pdf (https://mteexpos.co.za) or contact Macnamara on
+27 (0) 82 720 0083 or andrew@interactmedia.co.za to book a stand or if you have enquiries about an operation in the area.
| Visitor/exhibitor benefits
MTE’s proven ability to customise expos to appeal to specific operations and visitors that work in surrounding operations is unique, creating fast-tracked, high-impact exhibitions for both visitors and exhibitors. Visitors get to meet a number of relevant suppliers in a single location, close to their place of work, addressing their specific needs with a front row seat to the latest technology and innovation demos. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to meet with key personnel and senior management from surrounding operations. Perfectly placed to showcase solutions for current industry challenges to the right people, suppliers can establish a new client base and meet with existing clients too. Macnamara points out that the exhibitions are hosted in close proximity to the operations in the area making the shows more accessible to decision makers with busy schedules. Tailored content according to the engineering requirements of surrounding operations, or that particular operation, at the time is included in the composition of the expo to make the visit worthwhile. These ‘high-impact’ expos are traditionally run for 5 hours, allowing visitors enough time to see all the technology in action through demos at the exhibition, end-to-end, before s/he leaves. MTE shows have benefitted exhibitors and visitors for over two decades in the SADC region as stakeholders are strategically and conveniently brought together to share needs and solutions. This creates endless opportunities for business to be generated and potentially fruitful relationships to be established. If you are a supplier to diamond, copper or coal mines (whether it be underground or surface mining) or the power industry, then these are the expos for you! 30 years’ experience in the industry has enabled MTE to fine-tune its offering to what works for both visitor and exhibitor. “There have been many changes over the years after tracking the trends in the industry and taking heed of the feedback from both exhibitors and visitors, and we have adjusted and transformed our business accordingly. This fact together with our strong relationships built on a ‘boots on the ground, face-to-face’ strategy have stood us in good stead,” says Macnamara. |