Serious Buyers Are Showing Interest In De Beers, Botswana Govt Says

'We are very confident that partners are coming forward,' Botswana Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe said in an interview in Washington, without identifying prospective investors. 'Some are countries, some are funds, some are companies that have a deep interest. Im comfortable, Im confident that we are on the right track.'

Botswana owns 15 of De Beers, which sources the bulk of its diamonds from the southern African nation. Anglo owns the rest and is looking to offload the stake following a slump in prices for natural diamonds, partly a result of the rising popularity of lab-grown stones.