Botswana

Capital Gaborone

Population 2,141,206

Area 582,000 km2

Key factsTourismWeatherTransportSafetySmoking & Alcohol

Key facts

Botswana is a country located in Southern Africa. There are 4 countries (Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe) that Botswana shares its borders with. As for languages, the country’s residents speak English and Tswana.

The national currency in Botswana is Botswana pula (BWP). The pula (P) is subdivided into 100 thebe (t).

With today’s currency rate, 1 EUR is worth 14.72 BWP and 1 USD is worth 13.54 BWP.

Motswana
Banknotes

P10P20P50P100P200

Motswana
Coins

P1P2P55t10t25t50t

Check with your bank before your trip to find out if there are any fees for using your card abroad. Some banks do not charge fees when you use a foreign ATM or pay in foreign currency, but others may charge a fixed cost for each transaction or allow a limited number of free withdrawals. The travel card provided by Wise.com, Revolut or Monose might be an excellent option to cut down on transaction fees.

Ookla® Speedtest The average fixed internet speed in Botswana is 17.69 Mbps and mobile is 82.61 Mbs.The global average is 171.07 Mbps and 126.25 Mbps respectively.

ATM Density The number of ATMs per person in Botswana is close to the world average.36.31 ATMs per 100,000 people.The global average is 39.49.

SIM Registration In order to purchase a SIM card in Botswana, a passport or ID is required as identification.

Socket types

There are 3 socket types used in Botswana. Type D is not very common around the world, so it might be a good idea to check if your electronics need an adapter.

Type D 230 V, 50 Hz  Type G 230 V, 50 Hz  Type M 230 V, 50 Hz  

The sockets’ shapes and voltage differ from country to country and a travel plug adapter may be required. Portable devices, such as phones, notebooks or tablets, usually handle the entire range of voltages used across the world (110-240V).

Public holidays

In the year 2023, Botswana will celebrate 11 national public holidays. The next one Christmas Day will take place on December 25.

 Show the complete list of holidays
Date Holiday name
January 1, 2023 New Year’s DayNew Year’s Day
April 7, 2023Moving holiday Good FridayGood Friday
April 10, 2023Moving holiday Easter MondayEaster Monday
May 1, 2023 Labour DayLabour Day
May 18, 2023Moving holiday Ascension DayAscension Day
July 1, 2023 Sir Seretse Khama DaySir Seretse Khama Day
July 17, 2023Moving holiday Presidents’ DayPresidents’ Day
September 30, 2023 Independence DayIndependence Day
October 1, 2023 Botswana Day holidayBotswana Day holiday
December 25, 2023 Christmas DayChristmas Day
December 26, 2023 St. Stephen’s DayBoxing Day
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Tourism

What hotel chains are present in Botswana?

There are no Mariott hotels in Botswana.

The Hilton hotel chain operates in Botswana.

There are no IHG hotels in Botswana.

There are no Best Western hotels in Botswana.

There are no Radisson hotels in Botswana.

The Accor hotel chain operates in Botswana.

What fast food chains are present in Botswana?

The McDonald’s chain does not operate in Botswana.

The KFC chain operates in Botswana.

The Burger King chain does not operate in Botswana.

The Subway chain does not operate in Botswana.

The Domino’s Pizza chain does not operate in Botswana.

The Starbucks chain does not operate in Botswana.

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Weather

What is the weather like in Gaborone?

Today the sun in Gaborone, rises at 5:19 AM and sets at 6:53 PM. The climate of Gaborone may be categorized as a subtropical steppe (BSk), according to Koppen’s classification system.

TodayDec 4Partly cloudlyLow: 17.8°C (64.04°F)High: 37.4°C (99.32°F)
TuesdayDec 5OvercastLow: 20.4°C (68.72°F)High: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
WednesdayDec 6OvercastLow: 22.6°C (72.68°F)High: 33°C (91.4°F)
ThursdayDec 7Rain showersLow: 18.9°C (66.02°F)High: 26.9°C (80.42°F)
FridayDec 8Rain showersLow: 19.4°C (66.92°F)High: 33.9°C (93.02°F)
SaturdayDec 9Rain showersLow: 20.1°C (68.18°F)High: 36.2°C (97.16°F)

Weather data for Gaborone (capital city) by Open-Meteo.com

Transport

Railways There are passenger trains operating between some cities.

Subway Systems There is no subway system in any city.

Taxi Apps Unfortunately neither Uber nor Bolt are available in Botswana.

Car Rental Avis , Hertz are available, but Sixt is not present in Botswana.

Road Connectivity Index (2016)  With a score of 6.5, Botswana is placed 13th out of 129 nations.

Driving Side In Botswana traffic is left-handed.

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Safety

Theft Occurrence Rate  1,419.00 thefts per 100,000 people in 2014.The global average is 544.

Road Traffic Casualties 26.40 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019.The global average is 16.74.

Travel Advisory Level (U.S. DoS)  Level 1: Exercise normal precautions. 

Emergency phones in Botswana

911 Police
911 Ambulance
911 Fire police

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Smoking & Alcohol

Smoking ban Inconsistent or only partially enforced smoke-free laws

Cananbis legality Both recreational and medicinal use of cannabis is prohibited.

The products are only for your own use or consumption, or as a present for members of your household. They may not be imported for commercial purposes under any circumstances.

Alcohol allowance

  • 2L of wine or
  • 1L of spirituous & all other alcoholic beverages

Tobacco allowance

  • 200 cigarettes or
  • 20 cigars or
  • 250 grams of tobacco
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