Botswana and Rwanda have signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) designed to boost investment and deepen economic ties between the two nations. The pact, inked by Botswana’s Vice President and Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe and Rwanda’s State Minister Linda Rugara, signals a shared commitment to regional economic integration. Yet, while officials hail the deal as a catalyst for growth, lingering concerns about potential revenue losses and tax avoidance risks remain. The agreement, announced during...

Botswana’s recurring FMD outbreaks are often viewed through an agricultural lens, but the ripple effects extend far beyond the livestock community. Increasingly, the country’s financial services sector is feeling the pressure as livestock-dependent borrowers face severe cash flow disruptions. The recent FMD outbreak in Zone 11 (previously a green zone) triggered livestock movement restrictions, delayed sales, export suspensions, and reduced slaughter volumes. For Botswana, where cattle remain a major rural asset and source of household...

De Beers, the iconic diamond miner majority-owned by Anglo American, posted a striking 88% increase in first-quarter production compared to the last quarter of 2025, driven by planned ore releases and higher underground volumes. Yet, the company cautioned that the industry continues to grapple with difficult trading conditions and falling prices. In its Production Report for the First Quarter of 2026, released April 28, De Beers announced total carats recovered reached 7.133 million, marking a...

The Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) has outperformed its national revenue target while dismissing any direct connection between its financial results and wage negotiations. The agency also announced a halt to its organizational realignment, citing the current fiscal climate. Officials emphasized that boosting domestic revenue remains a cornerstone of Botswana’s economic transformation. In a statement to BusinessPost, Mable Bolele, Chief Executive Assistant to the Commissioner General, underscored that revenue performance does not influence wage outcomes....

The mophane worm, a caterpillar harvested for food and income across Southern Africa, has become the center of a fierce rush in Botswana, particularly around Tshimoyapula. Over 3,000 harvesters have swarmed communal lands and farms in an unprecedented seasonal frenzy. What should be a sustainable livelihood activity is instead morphing into a chaotic scramble with dire consequences for ecosystems, community safety, and even government revenue. This surge exposes deep fissures in policy enforcement and natural...

Botswana’s economic prospects have dimmed further as the Ministry of Finance cut its growth forecast for 2025 to a mere 0.4 percent, weighed down by sluggish global demand for diamonds and rising external pressures. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) paints a grimmer picture, predicting a contraction in the economy next year and warning of worsening fiscal and current account deficits driven by declining mineral revenues and shrinking inflows from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU)....

Botswana is escalating its campaign to remove tariffs imposed by the United States on its diamond exports and other critical commodities. The government regards the elimination of these duties as vital to restoring the nation’s competitiveness in global markets. Officials have committed to sustained negotiations until all trade barriers are fully lifted. Minerals and Energy Minister Bogolo Kenewendo emphasised that securing tariff removal remains a foremost priority, asserting that the continuation of these levies undermines...

French nuclear powerhouse Orano, backed by the state, is making a bold move to reshape the global nuclear energy landscape by turning its attention to Botswana’s mineral-rich plains. This shift aims to protect Orano’s supply chain from the political unrest rocking West Africa while tapping into a global surge in nuclear energy demand that’s pushing uranium prices to heights not seen in a decade. For years, Orano, formerly known as Areva, leaned heavily on its...