Botswana is confronting growing fiscal challenges as rising public debt, a widening budget deficit, and soaring household borrowing put increasing strain on the country’s economy. The nation’s heavy dependence on diamond revenues, primarily from Debswana, has left government finances vulnerable to global market swings, pushing the government to rely more on borrowing to fund its operations. This has tightened both public and household balance sheets, raising alarm among policymakers and international observers alike. Projections for...

Botswana is rewriting its economic script, and at the heart of this transformation is the Botswana Development Corporation Limited (BDC), under the stewardship of its relatively new Managing Director, Oteng Keabetswe. The contrast between past and present could not be starker. Historically, the BDC managed a portfolio of around P5 billion, which yielded a modest P50 million in revenue. Today, just seven months into Keabetswe’s leadership, the corporation has injected P550 million into strategic investments,...

Air Botswana has suspended three regional routes in response to mounting financial losses, as the government seeks to stabilize the national carrier. The airline reported a substantial revenue shortfall over a nine-month period, prompting urgent restructuring efforts. Officials describe the move as part of a broader strategy to strengthen both the aviation sector and tourism industry. The airline has discontinued flights connecting Gaborone with Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, Gaborone with Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International...

Botswana’s procurement system, a mechanism that channels billions of pula annually, now finds itself at a pivotal moment in the nation’s broader economic reform agenda. The inaugural National Public Procurement Pitso has spotlighted both the power and the pressure embedded in the country’s procurement framework, bringing together government officials, regulators, and industry leaders to confront the urgent need for transformation. Over two days of discussions, the message was clear: procurement must evolve from a routine...

Tensions flared dramatically in Parliament when Hon. Moeti Caesar Mohwasa, Minister for State President, Defence and Security, confronted fellow lawmakers over undisclosed party funding, accusing them of concealing support from business interests. His pointed accusations triggered vehement rebuttals from Leader of the Opposition Dumelang Saleshando, escalating the discord to a level that compelled Speaker Dithapelo Lefoko Keorapetse to intervene, demanding substantiated evidence before the debate could proceed. The atmosphere grew palpably charged as Mohwasa directly...

Assistant Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Augustine Nyatanga, disclosed this week that the Office of the Ombudsman has received a total of 1,341 cases for the 2025/2026 fiscal year to date, with 129 of these concerning human rights issues. Nyatanga shared these figures during his presentation of the committee of supply for the Office of the Ombudsman, which operates under his ministry. He further revealed that 954 of these cases have been resolved, reflecting...

Botswana is grappling with an explosive surge in cyber-fraud, a staggering 450 percent increase that underscores a shift in the country’s crime landscape toward digital financial offenses. This surge, recorded between 2024 and mid-2025, has led to over P10 million in losses through scams such as SIM swaps, social engineering, and bank-to-wallet fraud. This uptick in cybercrime starkly contrasts with an 8 percent drop in overall reported criminal incidents, from 159,680 in 2023 to 146,529...

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises has convened to embark on a comprehensive review of government-owned entities, triggered by the conclusion of an extensive forensic audit across the public sector. This gathering marks the onset of intensified parliamentary oversight over the financial integrity and governance of parastatals as Botswana nears the 2026/2027 fiscal year in May. Legislators are poised to transform the audit’s findings into tangible measures of accountability. Under the...