Jwaneng is the world’s richest diamond mine by value. The word in Setswana means ‘a place of small stones.' It is an open-pit mine, situated in south central Botswana, about 160 miles south-west of Gaborone. The mine’s high-grade ore contributes between 60 per cent and 70 per cent of Debswana’s revenue.

Described as 'a true prince of mines – a gem in the world of gems,' the mine lies on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. It is focused on three kimberlite pipes and a smaller satellite deposit. In 2019, Jwaneng produced a total of 12.5 million carats.

The Jwaneng kimberlite pipe was discovered in 1971 in the Naledi River Valley (Valley of the Star) under 30m of Kalahari sand, when there were only about 60 people living in the region, which was called Jwana. It was the company’s second major find (after the Orapa mine in 1967). To start production in 1982, 1,345 people were recruited. A local township developed, which now has a population of around 18,000 people.

In the late 1990s, Debswana built a skyscraper structure at Jwaneng, which became known as the Aquarium, housing the Completely Automated Recovery Plant (or CARP) and the Fully Integrated Sort House (or FISH). Designed to sort diamonds more efficiently and securely, the buildings were the first of their kind in the world.

In the first half of 2017, the mine extension known as Cut-8 delivered its first ore for Jwaneng, catapulting the mine to ‘super-pit’ status. Work is now beginning on Cut-9. The US$2 billion project will extend the life of the mine to 2035 and is expected to yield an estimated 53 million carats of rough diamonds. At its peak, Cut-9 is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, most of them held by Batswana.

A local contract, worth US$1.2 billion, has been awarded by Debswana to Majwe Mining, a joint venture between Bothakga Burrow Botswana and Thiess Botswana, to provide diamond mining services.