Botswana’s main diamond company, Debswana, has paused production at some mines due to a prolonged downturn in global demand, with sales revenue dropping by nearly 50% last year. The company plans to reduce output to 15 million carats in 2024, a 40% decrease, while temporarily closing its Jwaneng and Orapa mines for three months to achieve cost savings. Despite the challenges, Debswana has stated there will be no involuntary job cuts, although voluntary redundancy options are available, as Botswana prepares to cut its 2025 economic growth forecast to nearly zero.
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South Sudan – the African country producing fashion’s favourite models
Arop Akol, a rising South Sudanese model, shares her journey from watching fashion shows as a child to walking runways for luxury brands in London and Paris. Despite the loneliness of traveling for work, she finds camaraderie with fellow South Sudanese models, who are gaining prominence in the industry, with one in five models on Models.com’s "future stars" list having South Sudanese heritage. While Akol’s career took off after being scouted in 2019, she highlights...
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