Economy

Botswana’s finance minister, Ndaba Gaolathe sought parliament’s approval on Wednesday to raise Botswana’s legal debt limit from 40% to 60% of GDP, as the country faces fiscal strain from a sustained slump in the global diamond market.

posted on 26.03.2026

Economy

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Botswana’s credit rating late on Friday, although it kept the country within investment-grade status, pointing to concerns about fiscal stability linked to difficulties in the diamond sector. The agency also maintained a negative outlook.

posted on 16.03.2026

Economy

Botswana’s economy is forecast to rebound in 2026 after two years of decline, although increasing fiscal deficits are likely to drive public debt above the government’s legal ceiling, Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe said.

posted on 16.02.2026

Economy

Bank Gaborone is taking a proactive role in strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Botswana, underscoring resilience and sustainable growth amid a challenging business environment.

posted on 09.02.2026

Economy

Botswana’s 2026/2027 national budget, to be presented to Parliament on 9th February, will launch the country’s economic transformation under the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) and National Development Plan 12 (NDP 12).

posted on 28.01.2026

Economy

The IMF has cautioned that Botswana needs to quickly diversify its revenue sources and curb expensive tax exemptions to stabilise its fiscal position within its latest Article IV mission report, as mineral income declines and recurrent spending stays inflexible.

posted on 14.01.2026

Economy

Botswana, the largest diamond producer in Africa, has unveiled a new golden passport initiative that will grant citizenship to foreign investors who commit at least $75,000.

posted on 05.01.2026

Economy

​​​​​​​The Bank of Botswana has implemented measures to address challenges related to low excess liquidity, including reducing the primary reserve requirement to zero, extending the maturity of repurchase agreements (repos) to 30 days, and adjusting foreign currency trading margins.

posted on 16.12.2025

Economy

Annual food inflation inched up to 5.5% in October from 5.4% in September, largely due to higher meat prices.

posted on 27.11.2025

Economy

Botswana and Angola’s mining ministers met in Gaborone on Friday to discuss collaboration in the diamond industry, as both nations aim to assert greater control over De Beers, the diamond business owned by Anglo American.

posted on 10.11.2025

Economy

Botswana’s central bank raised its key interest rate by 160 basis points on Thursday in an effort to reduce the gap with market lending rates, which have climbed due to a liquidity crunch caused by the economic slowdown.

posted on 31.10.2025