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This is an AI summary of a long detailed article that may be too small to read from the screen capture attached (and note the data was sourced from our new Insurance sponsor, BriteCo):
Lab-grown diamonds are triggering an economic and social crisis in Botswana, long the world’s richest diamond-dependent nation. With synthetic gems rapidly gaining popularity and undercutting prices, Botswana’s reliance on diamond exports—80% of its export revenue and a third of government income—has left the economy vulnerable. Falling demand for natural diamonds has slashed government revenues, stalled construction, worsened unemployment, and forced borrowing. President Duma Boko has called the situation a “national social existential threat”, as the country struggles with debt, youth unemployment exceeding 40%, and declining investor confidence. Analysts warn that Botswana’s diamond-led prosperity, once a model for Africa, may not recover.
Source: Bloomberg, “Lab diamonds shine a light on a national crisis,” Sunday Age, Melbourne Autralia, September 7, 2025.
Lab-grown diamonds are triggering an economic and social crisis in Botswana, long the world’s richest diamond-dependent nation. With synthetic gems rapidly gaining popularity and undercutting prices, Botswana’s reliance on diamond exports—80% of its export revenue and a third of government income—has left the economy vulnerable. Falling demand for natural diamonds has slashed government revenues, stalled construction, worsened unemployment, and forced borrowing. President Duma Boko has called the situation a “national social existential threat”, as the country struggles with debt, youth unemployment exceeding 40%, and declining investor confidence. Analysts warn that Botswana’s diamond-led prosperity, once a model for Africa, may not recover.
Source: Bloomberg, “Lab diamonds shine a light on a national crisis,” Sunday Age, Melbourne Autralia, September 7, 2025.
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