De Beers aims to support four jobs in surrounding communities for every job created within its own operations as part of its Building Forever sustainability strategy. This was said by the company’s Vice President of Social Impact and Sustainability, Otsile Mabeo at Botswana Sustainability Week in Maun recently.
The target is part of the diamond group’s sustainability commitments, which cover livelihoods, nature conservation, climate action and diamond provenance.
According to Mabeo, De Beers created 2.6 jobs outside its operations for every job within them in 2025, up from two in 2024. The company is pursuing its employment target through enterprise development programmes designed to support small and medium-sized businesses, improve access to finance and expand market opportunities.
In Botswana, the Tokafala enterprise-development programme has enrolled 1,310 small and medium-sized enterprises and supported 12,206 jobs. The programme facilitated access to new markets for 36 businesses in 2025 and mobilised P8.9 million in financing.
Through the Stanford Seed programme in Southern Africa, De Beers reported supporting 128 small and medium-sized enterprises. The businesses recorded $226 million in additional revenue growth, raised $403 million in capital and created 4,598 jobs.
In Botswana, the Tokafala enterprise-development programme has enrolled 1,310 small and medium-sized enterprises and supported 12,206 jobs. The programme facilitated access to new markets for 36 businesses in 2025 and mobilised P8.9 million in financing.
Women entrepreneurs are also a focus of the company’s initiatives. De Beers reported supporting 3,931 female entrepreneurs through its EntreprenHER programme, with training associated with a 10 percent increase in revenue.
Mabeo also made reference to a memorandum of understanding with Stanbic Bank to provide $400,000 in microloans to women entrepreneurs.
On conservation, De Beers highlighted its Okavango Eternal partnership with National Geographic, which focuses on protecting the Okavango River Basin’s headwaters in Angola to support the ecological integrity of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
The initiative has helped protect 5.4 million hectares around the river basin’s headwaters and supported 21,077 students and educators. It has also trained 100 young storytellers and photographers to pursue careers in creative storytelling in the Delta. On climate action, the company reported a 14 percent reduction in its carbon footprint in 2025 against its 2021 baseline. Its 2030 target is to reduce its overall carbon footprint by one-third, in line with its validated near-term science-based target. Mabeo also outlined De Beers’ commitment to support four jobs in surrounding communities for every job created within its operations and to secure three times more land for nature than it impacts through mining and land partnerships.
