Botswana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Phenyo Butale, attended the fifth edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026) in Antalya, Türkiye.
The three-day event centred on the theme “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties” and brought together dignitaries from over 150 countries to address global challenges, conflict resolution, and emerging trends. During the forum, Butale spoke to TRT Afrika, where he highlighted one of Botswana’s pressing economic concerns: the overuse of the diamond sector.
To sustain this industry, which can no longer be the backbone of Botswana’s economy without backup, Butale said they had to come up with alternative solutions.
“I think for the longest time, Botswana was a mono-sectoral economy, which means that we depended too heavily on the diamond sector, which then exposed us to vulnerability in the global diamond market,” said Butale.
He added that the slump in the global diamond market has significantly impacted the country’s economy, prompting a stronger push towards diversification within the minerals sector rather than continued reliance on diamonds alone.
“The current government is very deliberate and intentional about diversifying to other minerals such as copper, nickel, coalbed methane and other rare earths that we have potential in. But I think the emphasis of our strategy going forward is on diversification, is on value addition, is on ensuring that we have strategic partnerships,” he said.
In other news, Botswana’s President, Duma Boko, is currently in Zimbabwe attending this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, taking place in Bulawayo under the theme “Connected Economies, Competitive Industries”.
