First National Bank of Botswana will on the 4th of February 2014 host the Annual Budget Review Seminar. The event, now in its 20th year, will be held at the Gaborone International Conference Centre (GICC), following a day after the delivery of the National Budget Speech by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Honourable Kenneth Matambo. As part of its community responsibility, FNB uses the Budget Review Seminar as a platform for attending stakeholders to discuss comprehensively the National Budget Speech. “Through this forum we strive to bring together active participants in the private and public sectors to inform…
Author: Editor
Arguably the pre-eminent social event on the South African summer calendar, the unforgettable J&B Met is set to return to Cape Town on Saturday, 1st February 2014 at the Kenilworth Racecourse. Themed ‘Made to Conquer – Dress Victoriously’ the 37th edition of the J&B Met will once again merge equestrian prowess with high fashion; attracting revelers from within and across South Africa’s borders to bring their fashion bravado. “Arguably Africa’s biggest summer horseracing spectacle, the J&B Met draws people from all corners of the world to enjoy a good day out at the horses coupled with a fashion showcase. Even…
Discovery Copper Botswana has been engaged in consultations with its valued employees and the Botswana Mine Workers Union since October 2013 to consider the economic status and efficiency of the Company’s Boseto Operation. After long and careful deliberations, the Company has concluded that for the benefit of the majority of employees and the ongoing security of the entire Boseto Operation, the retrenchment of a proportion of our employees at the Boseto Mine is required. Retrenchments in all other divisions of the Discovery Group have already been completed to ensure the ongoing success of Discovery’s business. The retrenchment exercise at Boseto…
VPB Namibia has appointed Catherine Cupido as Investment Associate effective 1st November 2013. Ms. Cupido joins the team with 14 years of extensive Industry experience. “With a wealth of experience in various senior roles in the financial services industry within Namibia and South Africa, Catherine’s strong business philosophy, centred around engaging and empowering clients, makes her an ideal fit within the VPB Namibia team and an asset for the entire VPB family,” said Mr. Anthony Siwawa, Managing Director of VPB. “Her extensive experience complements our existing knowledge base and brings further value and expertise to our clients. I would like…
Miami’s popular Ultra Music Festival, the global dance music explosion, is set to be held in South Africa, with the phase 1 line up for both performances already having been announced. Shows have been scheduled in both Cape Town and Johannesburg on the 14th and 15th of February respectively. Headlining artists include such international heavy-hitters as Tiësto, Alesso, Nicky Romero, Krewella, and W&W, to name a few. Adding a true dose of local flavour, a medley of some of South Africa’s very own artists will also take to the decks and the stage, including Black Coffee, Goldfish, Mi Casa and…
Firestone Diamonds plc, the AIM-quoted diamond development company, has announced that, in addition to securing, subject to certain conditions precedent, the US$82.4 million (£50.3 million) Absa Debt Facility announced on 25 November 2013, it has successfully agreed in principle, subject to certain conditions precedent (which includes the approval of Shareholders), an additional funding package to build and commission the Main Treatment Plant at the Liqhobong Diamond Mine, located in the Lesotho-highlands, with expected full nameplate production in early 2016. This funding package comprises bridge and mezzanine facilities and equity subscriptions from two new strategic investors, being Pacific Road Resource Funds…
First National Bank of Botswana introduced South African Rand (ZAR) dispensing ATMs in December 2013. The foreign currency withdrawal capability is new to the bank with the widest ATM footprint in Botswana. The enhanced service offering comes as a part of FNB’s continued efforts to ensure greater convenience and access to banking services for its customers. The Rand dispensing ATMs will allow FNB and non-FNB customers to withdraw Rands by either selecting a predefined amount or entering their own amount. Customers will be able to withdraw an amount between R200 and R2, 000.00 per transaction. The foreign exchange rate of…
Botswana Diamonds said work on licence PL117 in the Orapa area has commenced. The company’s geologists have completed the advance work and procured the necessary equipment. The geologists of its joint venture partner, Alrosa, will join them, in the Orapa region, in the coming weeks. The licence is small, 2.9 sq km, and is close to the Karowe Diamond mine. Botswana Diamonds and Alrosa identified licence PL 117 as a key target. The Botswana Diamonds team previously discovered a diamondiferous kimberlite (AK10) on the same licence in 2004. Following a successful fundraise in December 2013, the initial Alrosa/Botswana Diamonds joint…
On 20 December 2013, the Sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim 3 March, the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as world Wildlife Day, to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. In its resolution, the General Assembly reaffirmed the intrinsic value of wildlife and its various contributions, including ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic, to sustainable development and human well-being, and recognized the important role of CITES in ensuring that international trade does…
At recent GOOD Awards, Forevermark, the luxury diamond brand from the De Beers group of companies, announced a multi-year partnership with the Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F), joining D.E.F’s Empowerment Circle at the Infinity level. “With an aligned mission of bringing sustainable benefits to the people and communities in diamond producing nations in Africa, our partnership with D.E.F. will help us further deliver on our commitment to responsible sourcing,” said Stephen Lussier, CEO of Forevermark. It was also announced that Forevermark and the Diamond Empowerment Fund will launch the Forevermark Promise Scholars Program in 2014. Students from D.E.F’s three beneficiaries, African…