DMCC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Botswana Stock Exchange Group on July 15 2026 in Singapore following the 41st World Diamond Congress to establish Africa’s first multi-commodity sister-hub trading corridor between Dubai and Gaborone. The partnership aims to strengthen Botswana’s access to global commodity markets through Dubai’s established trading finance and logistics ecosystem according to a joint announcement. It will create a dedicated physical Botswana presence within the DMCC commodity ecosystem and support the southern African nation’s economic diversification efforts along with the increased global reach of its commodity exports. The Botswana Stock Exchange Group operates the Botswana Mercantile Exchange which will benefit from the new links.
The agreement covers collaboration across market access trade finance logistics vaulting digital infrastructure capacity building and knowledge exchange the announcement stated. It will support international trading of Botswana-origin commodities that include diamonds copper coal soda ash critical minerals beef and agricultural products. The partners plan to strengthen Botswana’s position in global commodity value chains by connecting producers directly with buyers investors institutional capital and Islamic finance options. DMCC data shows a record 41.7 billion dollars in diamond trade through Dubai during 2025 underscoring the hub’s established role in the sector that Botswana dominates as one of the world’s leading producers.
Botswana Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Joy Kenewendo described the benefits in a statement included in the announcement. “This partnership represents an important step in Botswana’s journey to maximise value from our mineral and broader commodity resources” Kenewendo said. “As we implement our economic transformation agenda we are focused not only on sustaining production but on creating stronger market access attracting investment advancing beneficiation and positioning Botswana as a competitive player in global value chains.” The minister added that the collaboration with DMCC and the Botswana Stock Exchange Group strengthens the ecosystem needed to connect Botswana’s world-class commodities including diamonds copper and critical minerals to international markets while creating opportunities for innovation trade finance and sustainable economic growth that will benefit Batswana for generations to come.
DMCC Executive Chairman and CEO Ahmed Bin Sulayem highlighted the strategic alignment between the two sides. “Botswana is one of the world’s leading commodity-producing nations and this partnership with the Botswana Stock Exchange Group reflects our shared ambition to unlock greater value from Botswana’s resources including diamonds copper and beef through stronger international market access” Bin Sulayem said. The DMCC which serves as home to more than 26,000 companies will also work with the Botswana Stock Exchange Group to explore its digital financial infrastructure known as DMCC FinX for trade finance investment into Botswana commodities Shariah-compliant Islamic finance and tokenisation of physical commodities as real world assets.
Botswana Stock Exchange Chairperson Neo Mooki pointed to the transformative potential for her country’s market infrastructure. “This partnership marks a transformative milestone for Botswana as a commodity producer and reinforces our ambition to position the Botswana Mercantile Exchange as a significant player in the commodities space” Mooki said. “By partnering with DMCC we are connecting Botswana’s strengths in diamonds minerals agriculture and livestock to one of the world’s most sophisticated commodity trading ecosystems.” The partners will examine opportunities to promote internationally recognised standards and infrastructure for commodity trade across Africa and will certify the Botswana Mercantile Exchange vault in Gaborone under the DMCC Global Good Delivery Standard.
The first concrete initiative under the agreement involves coordinated diamond tenders between the Okavango Diamond Company and the Dubai Diamond Exchange with the initial event scheduled for late 2026. The partners intend to deepen cooperation to promote the natural diamond industry through the Luanda Accord and the Natural Diamond Council the announcement added. This step builds on DMCC’s longstanding position as a global hub for precious stones and metals as well as other commodities and aligns with Botswana’s goals to advance beneficiation and value addition in its resource sectors.
