Botswana reinforces its standing among Africa’s least corrupt nations
Botswana has once again affirmed its reputation as one of Africa’s least corrupt nations, securing a robust position in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), released this Tuesday. This achievement stands in stark contrast to much of the continent, where entrenched corruption and fragile accountability mechanisms continue to undermine governance.
The latest CPI report casts a somber shadow over Africa’s governance landscape. The continent remains the lowest-scoring region globally, with only four countries surpassing the 50-point threshold, Transparency International’s benchmark for relative cleanliness. Sixteen nations recorded declines compared to 2024, underscoring persistent governance failures and weak institutional oversight. Within this challenging environment, Seychelles, Cape Verde, Botswana, and Rwanda have emerged as Africa’s cleanest countries. Seychelles leads the continent with a score of 68, ranking 24th worldwide. It is closely followed by Cape Verde with 62 points and a 35th global position. Botswana and Rwanda share third place in Africa, each with 58 points, placing them 41st among 182 countries and territories assessed.
The CPI gauges perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), drawing on 13 independent data sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk consultancies, and policy research institutions. For Botswana, this ranking reinforces a long-standing tradition of institutional stability and relatively sound governance. Since independence, the country has stood out in a region often marred by state capture scandals, procurement irregularities, and politically connected corruption.
Boko’s campaign against corruption
President Duma Boko assumed office in October 2024 on a platform heavily focused on combating corruption, responding to growing public outrage over alleged procurement abuses and state mismanagement. By the time Boko took the helm, allegations of inflated contracts and dubious procurement practices had become a recurring theme in public discourse, particularly within the health sector. In August last year, Boko revealed that medicine prices in Botswana were “five to 10 times” higher than they should be. He promptly declared a state of emergency in health services and controversially enlisted the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) to assist with medicine distribution. The emergency declaration also enabled the government to bypass portions of the traditional procurement framework, a move Boko defended as necessary to curb inflated costs and dismantle entrenched tender cartels.
Yet Boko has signaled intentions to overhaul the entire procurement system, including the possibility of scrapping or reforming the conventional tendering process. Botswana’s constitution permits direct appointment of service providers under specific conditions such as emergencies, time constraints, or where limited expertise exists. Critics caution that any permanent shift away from open tenders would require stringent safeguards to prevent abuse. To date, President Boko has not clarified whether the direct appointment model will replace tenders entirely or how procurement laws will be amended.
A P54.7 million forensic gamble
In what he described as a decisive strike against corruption, Boko’s administration commissioned a forensic audit valued at P54.7 million, awarded to the Dubai-registered firm Alvarez & Marsal. This audit, which extends back to 2014 during the second term of former President Ian Khama, examines government financial records across multiple entities. Oversight of the process is entrusted to a high-profile steering committee chaired by former Bank of Botswana governor Moses Pelaelo. The committee also includes former Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC) director-general Tymon Katlholo, retired judge Mpaphi Phumaphi, businessman Monty Chiepe, and Aobakwe Moemedi Monamo, deputy director-general at the Directorate of Intelligence and Security.
By August, auditors had flagged 30 entities for deeper investigation and invited the public to submit tip-offs. When launching the audit in March, Boko employed military metaphors to emphasize his resolve. “I’m a marksman who shoots a killing shot,” he declared. Five months later, addressing a National Planning Commission meeting, he returned to the analogy, likening the process to a sniper focusing intently on his target. “There is a point where you must close out everything and listen to your heartbeat,” he said, suggesting that patience and precision are central to his administration’s strategy. Whether the audit will result in prosecutions, asset recoveries, or systemic reforms remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that it represents one of the most ambitious anti-corruption initiatives in Botswana’s recent history.
A continental reality check
While Botswana continues to outperform most of its African peers, Transparency International warns that corruption remains a grave and systemic challenge across the continent. Paul Banoba, Transparency International’s regional advisor for Africa, cautioned that public sector corruption disproportionately harms the most vulnerable by diverting resources away from essential services. “African governments need to urgently translate anti-corruption commitments into decisive action,” Banoba said, calling for stronger accountability institutions, enhanced transparency, protection of civic space, and meaningful public participation. The watchdog noted that corruption in public fund management reflects deeper deficits in political integrity and weak checks and balances—factors that ultimately undermine democratic governance and economic development.