Situated 240km west of Francistown, Orapa is a conventional open-pit mine currently mining at a depth of 250 metres and expected to reach 450 metres by 2026. Letlhakane Mine is 50km from Orapa. While Letlhakane's open-pit operations ceased as planned in 2017, its plant now processes tailings and has a capacity of up to 800,000 carats a year. Damtshaa Mine is 20km east of the Orapa Kimberlite pipe and officially opened in October 2003. All three mines are managed centrally from Orapa town due to the infrastructure that has been in place since Orapa Mine was discovered in the late 1960s.

ORAPA, LETLHAKANE AND DAMTSHAA MINES PRODUCTION

9.0

million carats in 2020


9.4

million carats in 2021


10.7

million carats in 2022


11.4

million carats in 2023


11.1

million carats in 2024


7.9

million carats in 2025


PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

It is critical that mines adhere to best practice standards that address business, social and environmental risks.

The following certification standards are all verified by third parties to demonstrate that Orapa complies with strict and robust requirements that assess social and environmental issues, and the implementation of human rights due diligence frameworks.

  • Best Practice Principles
  • Ensuring that diamonds from DTC have met the highest professional, ethical and technical standards.
  • Learn more

Each year, emerging or evolving risks are considered, and appropriate standards are added to the BPP requirements to address these for annual verification.

  • RESPONSIBLE JEWELLERY COUNCIL
  • Addressing issues including human rights, labour rights, environmental impact, mining operations and product disclosure
  • Learn more

ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies the requirements for an effective environmental management system. It provides a framework that an organisation can follow and subsequently be certified against. Being certified against this standard means an organisation has effectively demonstrated that they are running their organisation in an environmentally, and economically, sustainable manner.

ISO 45001:2018 is an international standard that sets out the requirements for occupational health and safety management. It provides guidance that an organisation can follow to develop their own health and safety framework and subsequently be certified against. Being certified against this standard means an organisation has effectively demonstrated that they have created the safest working conditions possible, has identified hazards and put in place controls to manage them, and has helped reduce workplace accidents and illnesses.

Date of Last BPP Audit BPP Compliant Highest Level of Finding RJC Certificate # RJC Certificate Expiry Date
6th–10th May 2024 Compliant Improvement Opportunity 0000 5985

View certificate

15th October 2027

 

ISO 45001:2018 certificate # ISO 45001:2018 certificate expiry date ISO 14001:2015 CERTIFICATE # ISO 14001:2015 CERTIFICATE EXPIRY DATE
OHS 753937 30 June 2026 EMS 753933 30 June 2026

Social Way Implementation Overview

Social Way 3.0 was launched in January 2020. The following foundational requirements are compulsory for effective planning and reporting of key aspects of the management system:

  • 1. Governance
  • 2. Review & Planning
  • 3A. Stakeholder Engagement
  • 3B. Incident & Grievance Management
  • 3C. Social & Human Rights Risk & Impact Analysis

Certain risk-based requirements are also compulsory for all operations for effective prevention and mitigation of social and human rights risks and impacts:

  • 4A. Socio-Economic Development
  • 4B. Contractor Social Management
  • 4C. Community Health and Safety
  • 4D. Emergency Preparedness & Response
  • 4E. Voluntary Principles on Security & Human Rights

Of the context-specific requirements, the following have been screened in as applicable at Orapa:

  • 4F. Land Access, Displacement & Resettlement
  • 4G. Site-Induced Migration
  • 4H. Cultural Heritage
  • 4J. Conflict Management

At the end of 2023 and 2024 Orapa was assessed against all fourteen applicable requirements of Social Way 3.0 and the results of the assessment were incorporated into the site’s transition plans for subsequent years.

FOCUSING ON PEOPLE

In 2025, Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM) General Manager’s Charity funded the refurbishment of the Rakops Primary Hospital Theatre, investing P5.3 million, to improve clinical outcomes in Botswana’s Boteti District. This project is expected to reduce the burden on patients from Rakops and surrounding communities, who currently travel long distances to access surgical services in Orapa, Maun, or Francistown.

The intervention included upgrades to the theatre infrastructure, such as improvements to air inlets and outlets, replacement of doors and windows to minimise dust ingress, and replacement of existing floor coverings with bacteria-resistant vinyl tiles to meet with standard requirements.

The refurbishment aligns with the broader Environment, Social and Governance objectives aimed at improving access to healthcare and addressing key challenges in the Boteti District, including reducing maternal, neonatal, and infant mortality. The completion of the Rakops theatre is expected to have a positive impact on over 25,000 people from eleven villages and settlements in and around Rakops who rely on healthcare services rendered by the Rakops Primary Hospital.

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

Orapa Game Park plays a central role in biodiversity conservation and tourism development in the Boteti sub‑district of Botswana. Home to a diverse range of wildlife, including elephants, lions and white rhinos, the park provides a secure environment for endangered species threatened by poaching across the region.

Since the introduction of white rhinos, the population at Orapa Game Park has grown steadily, enabling the translocation of animals to support repopulation efforts in other conservation areas within the region.

In addition to protecting important ecosystems, the park creates diverse employment opportunities for local communities, supporting a sustainable alternative economy beyond diamond mining and contributing to making Orapa a great place to live and work.

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