• Botswana Diamonds renames to Botswana Minerals Plc

• Company shifts focus toward copper exploration

• Diamonds account for nearly 80% of exports

Botswana Diamonds, a London AIM-listed and Botswana Stock Exchange-listed junior miner, said on Wednesday it has changed its name to Botswana Minerals Plc as it broadens its focus beyond diamonds.

The move reflects the company’s shift away from its historical reliance on diamonds toward other minerals, particularly copper, which is drawing growing interest in Botswana amid the global energy transition.

Last year, the company secured 11 exploration licences for copper, along with cobalt and nickel. It said progress was supported by advances in its artificial intelligence-driven prospecting programme, at a time when the global diamond market was weak.

The name change will take effect on the stock exchange on Friday, Feb. 27. The company said the move reflects its holding of “high-potential copper assets” and strong long-term prospects linked to copper’s role in electrification and the energy transition. It joins other companies active in Botswana’s copper sector, including Britain’s Aterian and Australia’s Cobre.

However, the announcement did not include a roadmap outlining future investment in copper. The shift nevertheless highlights rising interest in Botswana’s copper potential, as the country seeks to diversify amid pressure from a struggling diamond market. Diamonds account for nearly 80% of exports and about one-quarter of GDP, according to official data.

For Botswana Minerals and other companies active in the country, several stages remain between early exploration success and full-scale production. Copper output in Botswana currently comes mainly from the Motheo mine, operated by Sandfire Resources, and Khoemacau, owned by MMG Limited.

Aurel Sèdjro Houenou