After interviewing De Beers VP Feriel Zerouki about the GemFair program last January, Rubel & Ménasché’s La Lettre unveils another facet of the De Beers Group’s commitments, Okavango Eternal. Biodiversity protection, economic development, education and information are all part of long-term actions. As full stakeholders in these projects, local communities are the primary beneficiaries.
Preserving biodiversity like a jewel
The Okavango River rises in Angola and flows through Namibia before reaching its delta in Botswana. One of the largest wetlands on the planet, the Okavango delta is renowned for its biodiversity, an extremely rich and precious asset for southern Africa. This unique 22,000 km2 oasis in the Kalahari Desert is home to many different animal species, including elephants, hippos, crocodiles, wild dogs, antelopes, buffalo, warthogs, lions, zebras and 400 bird species. However, the delta is threatened by climate change, demographic pressure from the different species, deforestation and water diversion.
In 2021, De Beers and National Geographic launched the Okavango Eternal Project, a partnership that is a continuation of a scientific program – the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP) – that explores, maps and protects the region’s resources. A large number of initiatives have been developed as part of the project, with the dual aim of protecting the biodiversity of the 5.4 million hectares surrounding the river while ensuring sustainable livelihoods for local populations.
Scientific research in the field, the creation of new infrastructure, educational programs and the training of a new generation of African scientists have all gained media coverage. The documentary “Nkashi: Race for the Okavango”, as well as communication campaigns that have reached 100 million people, have done much to raise awareness both locally and internationally.
Knowledge becoming more widespread in 2025
In April 2025, the Nkashi Knowledge Centre in Beetsha opened in Botswana. A first center was opened in Maun in 2022, with the aim of raising awareness of the project’s importance to the region, as well as of the resulting initiatives. The center includes an incubator for private initiatives, an ICT (Information and Communication Technology) training area and an events venue. One defining feature of the Beetsha project is the strong involvement of the local community and its leaders when it came to founding the center, from its conception to its day-to-day management.
Aware that mining causes profound changes to the environment, De Beers has always asserted its determination to minimize the consequences. The Group is therefore regularly involved in large-scale projects both inside and outside mining regions. Through the ambitious Okavango Eternal project, De Beers and National Geographic are showing that it is possible to build a future where luxury can go hand in hand with sustainability, and where biodiversity and economic development can coexist.
Images : Nkashi Knowledge Centre in Beetsha, National Geographic
