In an electrifying moment that reverberated through Zambia's mining landscape, the commissioning of the nickel concentrator at First Quantum Minerals' Enterprise nickel mine in Kalumbila, North-Western Province, has set the stage for a thrilling new chapter in the country's mining history. At the helm of this seismic shift, Mines and Minerals Development Minister Hon. Paul Kabuswe proclaimed the dawn of a radiant future for Zambia's mineral sector diversification.

Through several years of political unrest, gold mining has proven to be an area that the West African country Burkina Faso can depend on. From less than 10 billion West African CFA Francs at the beginning of this century, revenues from oil and mineral extraction have grown to over 300 billion in the past two years. And among the country’s growing portfolio of world-class mines, the Essakane Gold Mine, Burkina Faso’s largest, stands alone.

In its five-year outlook for Cote d’Ivoire, the International Monetary Fund projects growth of over six percent in each of the years to the end of 2028. If this growth comes to pass - and there is no guarantee that it will - Cote d’Ivoire’s economy will have grown by over a third in a short period of time. One of the drivers for this growth is a government refocuses on the country’s extensive mines, the latest of which to come into operation is the Séguéla gold project.

It has been almost ten years since Business Excellence Magazine last visited De Beers Debswana in Botswana. In this near-decade, the country has continued its evolution, growing its GDP by approximately 50%, along with positive movements in almost every conceivable economic indicator. One thing which has not changed, however, is De Beers Debswana’s centrality to the Botswana growth story.