Botswana Diamonds Plc has secured eight new prospecting licences in north-western Botswana after using artificial intelligence to identify copper-rich exploration targets, as the company diversifies beyond diamonds amid weak market conditions.
The Botswana Stock Exchange-listed company said the licences cover approximately 7,000 square kilometres and are valid until 31 December 2028. The areas were identified through an artificial intelligence-driven analysis of the company’s extensive Botswana-focused exploration database, which spans around 95,000 square kilometres and includes 375,000 line kilometres of geophysical data.
According to the company, the AI assessment highlighted strong prospectivity for copper, alongside potential for gold and other critical minerals. Botswana Diamonds noted that the same proprietary technology has previously been applied to diamond exploration, where it identified six previously unreported kimberlite-prone areas now under licence.
The move into copper comes against the backdrop of weak global diamond market conditions, coupled with rising demand for copper and other minerals critical to the global energy transition. Botswana Diamonds said the diversification allows it to continue advancing its exploration portfolio while remaining committed to diamonds over the longer term.
Botswana continues to attract growing interest in copper exploration and development, with active operations and projects by companies including MMG, Sandfire Resources, Cobre Ltd, which has a joint venture with BHP, as well as Kavango Resources, Galileo Resources and Aterian Plc.
Chairman John Teeling said the latest AI analysis delivered “outstanding” results, extending the company’s success beyond diamonds into copper and related minerals. He added that copper and energy-transition metals are critical to supporting a greener global economy, and that interest has already been shown by third parties in both the company’s technology and the newly identified targets.
Botswana Diamonds said it has begun initial discussions with potential partners around joint ventures to advance exploration on the new licences. In parallel, the company plans to conduct close-interval geophysical and geochemical surveys to refine drill targets, while continuing to monitor conditions in the diamond market and capital allocation to its diamond projects.
Botswana Diamonds is a multi-commodity and diamond explorer focused exclusively on Botswana and holds the KX36 diamond discovery, as well as one of the country’s largest exploration databases enhanced through advanced AI analysis.