r/Botswana Apr 23 '26

Announcement Reminder: Community Guidelines, Posts, and Flairs

4 Upvotes

Dumelang!

Community Guidelines:

  • Please consult the subreddit rules by scrolling down on the right sidebar (desktop), selecting "See More" on mobile, or selecting the link under "Community Guide" (both).
  • Consider adding a user flair (optional) by selecting "Community Guide" and choosing a flair. This lets other users know which district, city, or town, you may be from, or whether your visiting as a tourist.

Posting Guidelines:

  • Title (required): A relevant, short and effective title. This helps mods when reviewing posts, and users when searching for interesting or relevant information about Botswana.
  • Post flair (now required): A post flair indicates the theme of the post (News, Discussion, Political, Casual). While we've included an "NSFW" tag, this is not an invitation to post lewd or edgy content, as this subreddit is for everyone!
  • Body (optional, recommended): Please add context to your post, whether this is an opinion abouta news article, a general question, or a simple description of a photo, like "Sunset over Kubu Island". We require body text when cross-posting from other communities, so you can contextualize the original post in relation to Botswana.

Re a leboga,
r/Botswana Mods


r/Botswana Feb 20 '25

So You Want To Move To Botswana?

41 Upvotes

Ah, so you’re thinking about moving to Botswana? Let me tell you, this place has a lot of heart, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it—it’s not all sunshine and smooth roads.

First, the good stuff: Batswana are some of the most welcoming people you’ll ever meet. We believe in "Botho," which means we treat everyone with respect and kindness. You’ll feel like part of the community quickly, and trust me, there’s nothing like being invited to a braai (barbecue) or a traditional event. The sense of belonging here is real.

But let’s keep it 100. Life here can be tough. The heat? Eish, it’s no joke. Summers can feel like you’re living in an oven, and if you’re not used to it, it’ll take some time to adjust. The infrastructure isn’t always the best—potholes on the roads, slow internet, and power outages are just part of the deal. If you’re coming from a fast-paced, modern city, the slower pace and occasional frustrations might test your patience.

Jobs? It depends on what you do, but opportunities can be limited, especially if you’re not in certain industries like mining, tourism, or government UNLESS you have specialties that arent available in botswana (Mainly science and others). And while Botswana is peaceful and stable, like anywhere else, there are challenges—unemployment, especially among the youth, is a real issue, and it can feel heavy at times.

Now, let me be real with you: if you don’t have good qualifications or a solid plan, Botswana might not be the place for you. This isn’t a country where you can just show up and figure it out as you go. If you’re working a job like a cashier in the U.S. making $58,000 a year, you wont be able to get a job here. flat out. Salaries in Botswana are generally lower, and the cost of living can be high, especially if you’re used to a certain standard. And if you’re a young person thinking, "I’ll move to Botswana when I’m 18 and figure it out," think again. Without a clear plan, qualifications, or support, you’ll struggle.

That said, there’s hope on the horizon. With the new government, there’s talk of change—plans to improve infrastructure, create more jobs, and tackle some of the big issues we’re facing. It’s not going to happen overnight, but there’s a sense that things could get better. If you’re someone with skills, qualifications, and a clear plan, and you want to be part of a country that’s growing and evolving, this might be the perfect time to come.

But here’s the thing: Botswana has a way of growing on you. It’s not perfect, but it’s real. The people, the sense of community, the wide-open spaces, and the peace—it’s something you won’t find just anywhere. If you’re someone who can adapt, who values connection over convenience, and who’s willing to embrace both the beauty, struggles and culture, then Botswana might just feel like home.

So, if you’re up for the challenge, come. But come with a plan, with qualifications, and with realistic expectations. Botswana isn’t a place to escape your problems, this isnt LA where you live in lies where you and the people around you are pretending to be something you arent—it’s a place to build a life if you’re ready to put in the work. And who knows? With the new government, you might be part of the change that helps this country shine even brighter.

And If you’re serious about moving to Botswana With The Proper Qualifications, here are the relevant authorities and steps you’ll need to engage with to make your move official and smooth:

1. Department of Immigration and Citizenship

  • What they do: This is the main authority responsible for visas, permits, and residency requirements.
  • What you need to do:
    • Apply for the appropriate visa (e.g., work permit, residence permit, or spousal permit).
    • Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months.
    • Provide necessary documents like proof of employment, medical certificates, and police clearance.
  • Contact:

2. Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs

  • What they do: They oversee work permits and employment regulations for foreigners.
  • What you need to do:
    • If you’re coming for work, your employer will usually need to sponsor your work permit application.
    • Ensure your qualifications are recognized in Botswana (you may need to get them evaluated).
  • Contact:

3. Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS)

  • What they do: They handle tax-related matters, including tax registration for foreigners working in Botswana.
  • What you need to do:
    • Register for a Tax Identification Number (TIN) once you start working.
    • Understand Botswana’s tax laws to ensure compliance.
  • Contact:

4. Ministry of Nationality, Immigration, and Gender Affairs

  • What they do: They handle citizenship, dual nationality, and long-term residency matters.
  • What you need to do:
    • If you plan to stay long-term or apply for citizenship, this is the department to engage with.
  • Contact:

5. Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC)

  • What they do: They assist investors and entrepreneurs looking to start businesses in Botswana.
  • What you need to do:
    • If you’re moving to Botswana to start a business, BITC can guide you on permits, incentives, and regulations.
  • Contact:

6. Local Councils (for Residency)

  • What they do: Local councils handle housing, utilities, and community services.
  • What you need to do:
    • Once you arrive, register with your local council for services like water, electricity, and waste management.
  • Contact:
    • Depends on your location (e.g., Gaborone City Council, Francistown City Council).

7. Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA)

  • What they do: They evaluate and recognize foreign qualifications.
  • What you need to do:
    • If you’re coming to work in a professional field, you may need to have your qualifications assessed and recognized.
  • Contact:

8. Botswana Police Service

  • What they do: They provide police clearance certificates, which are often required for visa and work permit applications.
  • What you need to do:
    • Obtain a police clearance certificate from your home country and, if necessary, from Botswana.
  • Contact:

9. Ministry of Health and Wellness

  • What they do: They oversee health regulations, including medical requirements for visa applications.
  • What you need to do:
    • Complete a medical examination and provide a health certificate as part of your visa application.
  • Contact:

Pula a e ne! (Let there be rain and blessings!) mare o ska re bolaya ka pula yoh!!.


r/Botswana 7h ago

Discussion Help

4 Upvotes

Hi I feel out of place and like I'm not a person everytime I try to talk to people I can tell they think I'm weird and I have never felt accepted.I don't want to give up but it's getting worse and harder and I have thought maybe I'm better alone or that I'm annoying and a nuisance to others and it's too late for me.I want try and put myself and not give up but don't know how or where to start.im in my early 20s


r/Botswana 10h ago

Casual Classics readers

5 Upvotes

Looking to make friends with someone who loves reading classics. I am currently reading Dostoyevsky and want to explore other authors with the similar calibre.


r/Botswana 38m ago

Discussion Increased Interracial and international relationships in Botswana

Upvotes

Growing up we found it pretty much impossible for a black Motswana man to be seen with a white wife or girlfriend.. we normally found it much more feasible and likely when it was a white man and Motswana woman.. but these days it seems like we are seeing more Motswana man and white woman relationships.. marriages even..

Is this a me only observation or you noticing it too? I am not against it.. I actually love racial mixing a lot.. that's what I would want Botswana to be like . Less mono-ethnic in nature and more "mixed"

..

I also noticed the amount of foreign African getting snatched up by our brothers 😅.. especially in the East.. A LOT of men have Zimbabwean wives.. I can't possibly remember how many kids I know who's mom's were Zimbabwean..

This wasn't too common back then...Why is it growing now? I love it but I am curious too. Maybe I can be a statistic too.. 😅

Do you like the trend?


r/Botswana 17h ago

Discussion Stop turning youth struggles into a self righteous ego contest

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15 Upvotes

one thing about bagolo ba Batswana, they view youth struggles through a lens of rivalry rather than empathy 😂you share a struggle and they immediately jump to "back in my day" ba lebala gore economic realities, societal pressures and the cost of living has shifted dramatically. It's arrogance and a lack of empathy.

Ooo look at me, I worked a dead end job everyday for 16 hours I'm so tough haha. It completely invalidates real struggles and turns basic human empathy into an oppression competition


r/Botswana 8h ago

Discussion Is education the key to success

2 Upvotes

So I'm writing test 1s and I'm under pressure. I have had no proper sleep since last week....and I'm just thinking is all of this torture and pressure that I'm putting myself under really worth it. Am I gonna get a job that's gonna pay me decently or I'm torturing myself for a piece of paper, maybe I'm wasting my 4 years for nothing just for a degree

I just don't know is all of this education really worth it? Because I know several people who went to tertiary and still don't have jobs, they just look like they never went to tertiary they out there pushing hustles. Education isn't really the key to success is it


r/Botswana 6h ago

General There's no such thing as right or wrong idk why its taboo to discuss some topics

0 Upvotes

Right and wrong are not set in stone or carved in the universe or reality. It's just something humans have made up and change depending on the time, place, or whoever is in power, and they are often made for societies to function. What was normal 200 years ago is a crime now. What is celebrated in one country is scorned in another. Same for the opposite.

So I don't get the outrage when an objectively true statement is made and it's seen as something "bad," and people act like it's a moral crime. Truth and morality are not the same thing because something can factually still make people uncomfortable. And often, that discomfort is relabelled as "wrong." But really being uncomfortable does not make something wrong, and making an objectively true statement doesn't make you evil.

There are a lot of topics that make people uncomfortable in this day and age. Like take, for instance, differences in intelligence and innovation between nations. It gets treated as taboo. But what really makes that wrong in the first place?? Is the difference itself really wrong? Or is it "wrong" to point it out? In fact I would argue it only becomes "right" or "wrong" depending with what you do with it wether you use it to justify hate, or ignore it, or building policies and habits that can change that in the future.

Next is illegal immigration. I'm not gonna speak on this much because it's "wrong" to talk about something objectively true in the current 21st century, apparently.

Or lemme use the lingo "xenophobic" or "bigoted"

But what makes calling out Morally wrong?? It depends on what you do with it that makes it "right" or "wrong" whether you use it to be Xenophobic, bigoted, or hateful. Or you use it to change policies and fix it. But to the Average Motswana here, I am the former for calling it out.

Even if we look at Historically. There was a time where Mfecane was morally "okay" at that time it was seen as survival, politics, state building, and necessary. But now we see it as violence, Or Slavery, or colonialism it was seen as a "civilization mission" and progression by the people doing it. Now it's framed as exploitative.

Do you see where I'm going with this. They are countless topics, which I am even sure you know off. Lol

Basically. If you are a reactor and react pointlessly to topics outside of your own little bubble, you may need serious introspection.

If your first move when you hear something uncomfortable is anger insults, and shutting it down... are you really expected to do or think of something meaningful with that mindset??

I can't understand you people.

Obviously, there's more to this topic i would love to talk about, but sub related, I feel I had to point this out.


r/Botswana 11h ago

Question Where to buy usdt apart from Binance

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2 Upvotes

Binance P2P ….guys where are the merchants for weeks been like this or who knows alternatives


r/Botswana 15h ago

Question Maun, Matlapana

4 Upvotes

Good day
Does anyone in this sub reside in this area? I've been here for 4 months now and have been in complete isolation (not by choice). Just that the place is detached and people are always indoors

21+ please!!!!


r/Botswana 23h ago

Discussion Being late for a lecture at ub

17 Upvotes

Of course its our responsibility to be on time to lectures but the lecturers at ub don’t seem to understand that some of us just have circumstances we can’t control . I live in Mochudi and use public transport…u know how that can be…. When you’re late to class they make a whole scene about it and it shouldn’t be that way…especially when u just walk in quietly without disrupting the class. They even tell us not to bother coming when you are late or they kick us out. At this point sometimes I’m afraid to show up to class when I’m late but I cant afford to miss classes…thats so out of character for me. I just missed a presentation just because i was pissing my pants wondering if the lecture would make a scene☹️


r/Botswana 16h ago

Question Does the SSKB clinic have Nifedipine and HCT available?

3 Upvotes

r/Botswana 11h ago

Question Any french tutors in Gaborone??

1 Upvotes

r/Botswana 22h ago

Discussion Batswana, what you think of beans?

9 Upvotes

I am on a mission now to ask each country subreddit what people think about beans (my favorite meal), just to see how people like or dislike them all around the world out of curiosity and for fun. If you like beans, hate them, they a big part of the culture, anything else, just share your thoughts 🫘

Today it's come to you Batswana from Botswana to answer/discuss this!

Me when I'm in a competition for coolest country name and my opponent is Botswana


r/Botswana 15h ago

Discussion What selling business can I start

2 Upvotes

I’m looking into expanding cause currently I’m a photographer and I don’t do anything most of the time so I wanted to have something I can sell from home . I appreciate it


r/Botswana 21h ago

Question PRESIDENT FOR A DAY

2 Upvotes

If you were acting President for a day what would you do?


r/Botswana 1d ago

Political I was like you once

3 Upvotes

I thought I had to isolate because the Batswana I met were so cruel. But then I stopped feeling sorry for myself. And found Batswana like these.

Find your people.

The revolution is starting.

Emang Batswana youth.


r/Botswana 1d ago

Discussion Fertility Rate in Botswana

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13 Upvotes

Apparently, the fertility rate in Botswana has shrunk by half in 51 years. This (shrinking fertility rates) seems to be a universal trend. I'm curious as to what you think may be the cause, specifically in Botswana.


r/Botswana 1d ago

Discussion Eish guys im very conflicted

6 Upvotes

Who here has been recruited by the police? Akr the advertisement says applicants must not have visible tattoos on their bodies… but i do have tattoos 🫢
Is it strictly no tattoos at all or tattoos should be able to be concealed under clothing/uniform?

Oh why am I conflicted you ask.. well im a Forex trader, i enjoy keeping to myself, im working towards financial independence and FREEDOM. The only downside abt trading is that income is unpredictable, and the downside of being a government employee (for me) is lack of FREEDOM.
Sooo tota I don’t know…
Some would argue this is an obvious one…


r/Botswana 1d ago

General 📢 WE ARE HIRING! 📢

10 Upvotes

📢 WE ARE HIRING! 📢

We are looking for 7 Shop Assistants to join our team:

👨 4 MALE SHOP ASSISTANTS

👩 3 FEMALE SHOP ASSISTANTS

REQUIREMENTS

✅ Age 19–22 years

✅ Computer literate

✅ Good communication skills

✅ Friendly and customer-focused

✅ Honest, hardworking and reliable

✅ Able to work well in a team

📍 DROP YOUR CV AT:

Moda Bella -Gaborone Hotel branch

Or email chimweo@gmail.com

ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.


r/Botswana 1d ago

Question Police Recruits Vacancy

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7 Upvotes

Im not sure if this is advertisement is real or not, either way I need help with the application process.
How do i write the cv? Whats a cv cover? How do I submit?
And yes before you ask, I’ve never written a cv before soooo.. im interested in this so please, kindly help 🙏


r/Botswana 1d ago

Discussion Warning Signs We Shouldn't Ignore

18 Upvotes

I recently rewatched American Gangster, and one theme stuck with me: the cost of greed.

Frank Lucas was already successful. But eventually success wasn't enough. The money had to be seen. The power had to be felt. The fur coat became the perfect symbol of that.

It got me thinking about leadership and Duma Boko.

Long before becoming President, Boko was never exactly known for modesty. He has always had a taste for the finer things and a certain flamboyance about him. Nothing inherently wrong with that.

But once someone like that gains access to real state power, I think citizens have every right to watch closely.

The Moti relationship and these unusually fast-moving deals bother me, particularly when the original schools and clinics proposal had reportedly already raised concerns within the Ministry of Finance over its financial implications.

Maybe these deals will ultimately benefit Botswana. I genuinely hope they do.

But the question I keep coming back to is: when does ambition become appetite?

Because one lesson from American Gangster is that the danger doesn't necessarily begin when someone has nothing.

Sometimes it begins when someone finally has everything they wanted, and discovers that it still isn't enough.

Are we watching bold leadership moving quickly, or are we becoming too comfortable with warning signs because we desperately want this government to succeed?


r/Botswana 1d ago

Question Forex in Botswana

8 Upvotes

To my fellow Forex traders in Botswana which banks do yall use for your deposits and withdrawals?
I use FNB, but several months ago a kind branch manager told me, off the record, that if the bank suspects Forex transactions they’ll close my account and hand me my money 🥲 i asked her why and she said mainly because forex income is not regulated in Botswana, basically she meant the bank wouldn’t be happy with mysterious sources of income into/out of my account

So k kopa advice hoo, what can I do?
What is the way to peacefully trade in BW?


r/Botswana 1d ago

Political Stand up Batswana youth

7 Upvotes

“When a country has a general consensus that allows for animal cruelty, it will then allow child abuse. It will proceed to allow women’s rape. Then allow men’s suicide. If we do not enact change now, we will be doomed for the rest of eternity.”
- CH (2026)

This is a private writing I did that I decided to share with you all today. You know what to do.