KEY POINTS
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De Beers and Botswana extend their partnership with Letsile Tebogo for three years.
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The “Road to LA28” campaign will link his Olympic journey to Botswana’s diamond legacy.
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The partnership aims to promote natural diamonds and showcase their contribution to national development.
De Beers Group and the government of Botswana have extended their partnership with Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo under a three-year programme aimed at promoting natural diamonds and showcasing the country’s economic development to international audiences.
Announced in October 2026, the expanded collaboration builds on Tebogo’s appointment as a De Beers global ambassador in January 2025. It will use the sprinter’s journey towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games to highlight Botswana’s diamond industry and its contribution to national development.
The campaign, titled “The Road to LA28”, will combine stories about Tebogo’s sporting career with the opportunities that natural diamond resources have helped create in Botswana.
Campaign links sporting success to diamond wealth
The partnership will focus on how Botswana’s diamond industry has supported investment in education, healthcare, infrastructure and sport.
Through global storytelling initiatives, De Beers and the government aim to connect Tebogo’s achievements with the country’s broader development story, showing how natural resources can help create opportunities for citizens.
The campaign also seeks to strengthen international interest in natural diamonds at a time when producers are working to sustain demand and communicate the value of mined diamonds to consumers.
Tebogo said his success was connected to Botswana’s diamond heritage, pointing to the schools and sporting facilities that helped create opportunities for young athletes.
He added that the partnership was about more than sport, describing it as an opportunity to demonstrate how natural resources can support development and open pathways for future generations.
Tebogo made history at Paris Olympics
Tebogo rose to international prominence at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he won gold in the men’s 200 metres in 19.46 seconds.
The victory made him the first African athlete to win Olympic gold in the event and the first athlete from Botswana to claim an Olympic gold medal.
He was subsequently named World Athletics Men’s Athlete of the Year for 2024, further strengthening his profile as one of Africa’s leading track athletes.
Under the new campaign, Tebogo’s preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Games will provide a platform to reach audiences beyond traditional diamond markets.
The partnership will also build on De Beers’ Talent Unearthed platform, which draws parallels between developing sporting talent and creating opportunities through natural resources.
De Beers highlights investment in human potential
De Beers Group Chief Executive Al Cook said the partnership reflected the importance of patience, commitment and sustained effort in achieving excellence, whether in sport, national development or the formation of natural diamonds.
He said the extended collaboration would showcase how Botswana develops its human talent alongside its natural resources.
The company and the Botswana government are seeking to use Tebogo’s international recognition to present a wider account of the country’s development and the role diamonds have played in it.
Partnership coincides with Botswana’s 60th independence anniversary
Botswana marked 60 years of independence in 2026, providing an additional focus for the campaign.
Minerals and Energy Minister Bogolo Kenewendo said the anniversary offered an opportunity to reflect on the contribution natural diamonds have made to the country and share its development story with international audiences.
She described Tebogo’s rise to Olympic champion as an example of what can happen when talent meets opportunity.
The extended partnership will therefore serve both promotional and national storytelling purposes, linking Botswana’s sporting achievements with its diamond industry.
Its wider impact will depend on how effectively the campaign reaches international audiences and supports the partners’ goal of strengthening demand for natural diamonds.
