Selebi-Phikwe, Botswana

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Selebi-Phikwe (also spelt Selibe Phikwe) is a mining town located in the north-east of Botswana. It has a population of 49,849 (2001). Nickel mining commenced in 1973 and has been the main activity since.

Originally there were two tiny places called Selebi and Phikwe, which straddled a large undiscovered deposit of copper and nickel in the area. When the mineral wealth of the area was discovered in the 1960s a mine and township was built in the woodland between the places with the combined name of Selebi-Phikwe.

The main source of employment is the Bamangwato Concessions Ltd. (BCL) mine which excavates mixed copper-nickel ore from several shafts in deep and opencast mines. Ore is transported from the shaft by rail for smelting. Surprising to some the locomotives used are steam powered, having been bought from NRZ (National Railways of Zimbabwe) and SAS (South African Railway).

BCL only intended to stay in operation until 2010. The present high nickel price is expected to lead to an extension of operations. It's not clear if new shafts will be opened, but the present shafts will be exhausted in a few years time. The mine used to, and may still, have the longest cable-belt system in the Southern hemisphere.

A small coal fired powerstation was built along with the mine, to meet the electricity needs of the mining operation and the surrounding area. Until the late 1980's, this was the only powerstation in Botswana. Most of the electricity demand was met by importing electricity from South Africa.

The town itself has a shopping centre, a hotel (the Bosele Hotel) and a small airport.