GABORONE (Reuters) - Botswana’s newest and only operational copper mine is expected to start production in 2021 with annual output building to 60,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate, its executive director said.

Situated in the Kalahari Copper belt, which stretches from north east Botswana to western Namibia, the Khoemacau mine will be the only operational one in the diamond-rich country after two other copper mines were placed under liquidation.