🎬 2492

Happy Friday! New gig alert! Tesla is hiring people to train its humanoid robot, Optimus, by wearing a motion capture suit and ‘performing designated movements’ like walking so it can collect data. Are you a good fit to train a robot? According to the job description, candidates must;

• Be able to walk over seven hours a day while carrying up to 30 pounds.

• Stand between 5’7” and 5’11” in height.

• Have the ability to stand, sit, walk, stoop, bend, reach, crouch, and twist throughout the day.

Sorry, 6’5” blue-eyed man in finance.

— Tayo Davies, Chibuike Uzor.

ECONOMY

Botswana makes history again and for all the right reasons minerals.

Fresh off its new-found notoriety as an athletic powerhouse, Botswana finds itself again atop our headline list, this time for something more valuable than gold.

Not lost but found

This week, Canadian mining company, Lucara managed to unearth what has now been confirmed to be the second largest-ever diamond to be dug up. The soon-to-be engagement ring piece diamond was buried deep in the Karowe Diamond mine, in north-central Botswana.

At 2492 carats, the yet-unnamed diamond is the largest found in the past 119 years and weighs just over half a kilogram. It was presented to the public on Thursday by Botswana President Mokgwetsi Masisi, who didn’t hide his admiration for the little jewel, saying “I am lucky to have seen this in my lifetime”

Best-in-class. The discovery joins an impressive line of significant finds from the mine.

• The 1758-carat Sewelo diamond, discovered in 2019

• The 1109-carat Lesedi la Rona, found in

• A 1000-carat type IIA diamond (here’s what that means), discovered only a year earlier in August 2023.

The mine has produced 4 other diamonds over 1000 carats and is estimated to have a remaining production life of 15 years with surface reserves only predicted to run out in 2025, after which mining operations are planned to continue underground.

Money, money, money. The stone is estimated to be worth upwards of $40m. A conservative estimate given the sale price of $53m for a smaller-sized diamond (1109 carats) found in the same mine in 2016. What remains up for guessing, however, is where the stone ends up; the largest ever diamond dug-up, the Cullinan, was eventually cut into gems and now features on the British royal crown. Analysts predict this one might feature in dress collections of fashion powerhouses like Louis Vuitton.

Party never stops. And just like clockwork, Botswana’s 200m Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo won yet another 200m title at the (no, you won’t guess it) Wanda Diamond League yesterday. Watch it here. TD.

AFRICA

Headline Quickie

• Uganda's Oil Exploration. Uganda is expanding its oil exploration efforts with new projects in two additional regions. The country's petroleum resources are estimated at 6.5 billion barrels, and the government aims to extend production beyond 25 years to enhance the sector's viability. This move is part of Uganda's broader strategy to become a significant player in the global oil market, despite concerns about environmental impacts.

• Senegal's Oil and Gas Reforms. Senegal has established a commission to review its oil and gas contracts. This initiative is aimed at ensuring transparency and maximizing the benefits of its burgeoning energy sector. The commission will assess existing agreements to protect national interests and encourage sustainable development as the country prepares to ramp up production in the coming years.

• Congo records more than 1000 new mpox cases. While mpox has been reported in 12 of Africa’s 54 countries, Congo has recorded, by far, the most cases. Out of 18,910 cases in 2024, 94% (17,794) have been reported in Congo. Africa CDC director-general, Jean Kaseya says his organization has received a pledge of 215,000 vaccine units from vaccine maker, Bavarian Nordic due for 2025. A far cry from the 3,000,000 doses required in Congo alone.