Botswana Minute

Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Botswana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Tuesday, 13 October 2026

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Politics

New Employment Act consolidates labour laws, implementation crucial

The News

Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe told the Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union conference that the new Employment and Labour Relations Act consolidates previously scattered employment and labour relations laws into a coherent framework, but its success will be judged by how workers experience it in practice—particularly in grievance handling, application of employment terms, and fair dispute resolution.

13 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Politics

New Employment Act consolidates labour laws, implementation crucial
Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe told the Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union conference that the new Employment and Labour Relations Act consolidates previously scattered employment and labour relations laws into a coherent framework, but its success will be judged by how workers experience it in practice—particularly in grievance handling, application of employment terms, and fair dispute resolution.
13 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Business

Botswana's innovation investment not yielding patents or products
Botswana invests heavily in education and innovation foundations but struggles to convert those resources into patents, technology, and creative products, according to the Global Innovation report.
13 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
Gambling Authority prioritizes citizen investors in casino expansion
The Gambling Authority is testing whether citizen investors have the capital and expertise to lead Botswana's next casino and bingo expansion before formal licensing begins.
13 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
BSE Listings and Trading head discusses capital market modernisation
A BSE leader reflects on the Exchange's transformation since 2008, including automation of settlement and depository operations, electronic trading, demutualisation, and modernised corporate governance aligned with the World Federation of Exchanges, while the BSE pursues tokenisation and retail client online order placement under its 10Xby30 Strategy.
13 October 2026 · Mmegi →
TikTok creator Khaby Lame sells brand to Hong Kong company
Khaby Lame, a Senegalese-born content creator who rose to fame on TikTok without speaking, has sold his brand through Step Distinctive Limited to Rich Sparkle Holdings, a Hong Kong-based holding company, in an all-stock transaction valued at roughly $975 million. The company projects the partnership could generate more than $4 billion in annual sales.
13 October 2026 · Weekend Post →
Evidentia AI discusses data-driven regulation for gaming industry growth
At the 17th Annual GRAF Compliance Conference, Evidentia AI argued that effective regulation and market growth in Africa's gaming industry are compatible, with both relying on well-informed regulation that detects emerging risks while maintaining player experience. The company presented this case through a panel discussion on proactive player protection and data-driven regulatory approaches.
13 October 2026 · Weekend Post →
Choppies grows sales to BWP9.82 billion amid expansion
Choppies Enterprises reported group retail sales climbed 7.9 percent to BWP9.82 billion in the year ended June 30, 2026, and opened 27 new stores across three countries despite challenging economic conditions in Southern Africa.
13 October 2026 · Weekend Post →
Absa and Thunes expand payments partnership across Africa
Absa Group and Thunes, a Singapore-based payments network, have deepened their alliance with Thunes named as a strategic Multicurrency Clearing partner, aiming to reduce friction in cross-border money transfers across Africa and reshape how value flows across the continent.
13 October 2026 · Weekend Post →
Zimbabwean leather firm eyes Botswana expansion via Maun trade expo
Golden Hands Company, a Zimbabwean leather goods manufacturer, is seeking to establish a permanent presence in Botswana after exhibiting at the second edition of the Maun Trade Expo. The company's director general, Thomas Mupingo, said face-to-face interactions with local prospects confirmed strong demand for their handcrafted products.
13 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Agriculture & Land

Record-priced Ankole heifer sells for R6.4 million in South Africa
Queen Arusha, an in-calf Ankole heifer, sold for R6.4 million at a Phala Phala auction near Bela-Bela on 3 October, the highest price ever paid in South Africa for a female animal across all cattle breeds. The buyer acquires access to the cow's future genetic production in a market where the right genetics, horns, and paperwork can turn a single animal into a long-term investment.
13 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Society

Unidentified man dies after suspected attack near Gakuto
An unidentified man was found unconscious on Kopong Road early Sunday morning and died; police suspect the incident involved robbery and assault. The man had reportedly been hitchhiking intoxicated in the area before the suspected attack.
13 October 2026 · Mmegi →
Woman hospitalised after three-vehicle crash
A 62-year-old woman is receiving treatment at Sidilega Private Hospital following a three-vehicle collision that occurred around 2:30pm. District Traffic Officer Superintendent Obonetse Matshego said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances that led to the crash.
13 October 2026 · Mmegi →
Mogoditshane road accident leaves serious injuries
A collision in Mogoditshane between a VW GTI and a Toyota Hiace combi resulted in serious injuries when the GTI driver miscalculated the speed of the oncoming combi while attempting to overtake another vehicle.
13 October 2026 · Mmegi →
Bold Bloom Africa, PLUG TVET launch learner empowerment programme
A partnership between Bold Bloom Africa Group, THE PLUG TVET, and author Lesedi Lucia Rebaeng will deliver learner empowerment programmes focused on career guidance, personal development, entrepreneurship, and technical and vocational education across Botswana schools and communities.
13 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Culture

Naomi Toise publishes book on women's strength and societal role
Naomi Toise has released her second book, Mosadi: Expected, Exhausted, Essential, which explores women's strength, complexity, and everyday realities. The book aims to celebrate women's contributions to society while arguing that their strength must be nurtured through external support.
13 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Okavango Basket Society preserves weaving and carving heritage
A group of 60 craftspeople in Etsha 6 founded the Okavango Basket Society in 2022 to preserve the region's basket weaving and wood carving traditions and improve marketing for their products; the society was officially registered in 2025.
13 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Africa Creative Economy Lens conference coming to Gaborone
Gaborone will host the Africa Creative Economy Lens (ACEL) 2026 conference on October 15–16, bringing together policy, investment, infrastructure, and technology stakeholders for Africa's creative economy.
13 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
Setswana language survival depends on daily use
A language survives through regular use at home, in schools, stories, shops, and conversation. Somarela Setswana is prioritizing books as part of efforts to keep the language alive.
13 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Sport

School sports closure blamed for volleyball decline
The discontinuation of school sports has contributed to Botswana's volleyball falling from Africa's top 10 to below 20 positions, according to the International Volleyball Federation executive vice president speaking at the Botswana Volleyball Federation meeting. He called for urgent interventions including grassroots development programmes and talent identification to restore the country's standing.
13 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tourism & Environment

Maun Photo Walk returns for second edition
The Maun Photo Walk, organised by Friends of Photography Conservation Society in partnership with Fauna Conservation Trust, will take place at Maun Educational Park on November 21, 2026. The event aims to promote storytelling, tourism, conservation, and creative opportunities by encouraging participants of all skill levels to explore and capture Maun's cultural and environmental beauty through photography.
13 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

World & Region

Boko says Botswana wants to emulate China's development model
President Duma Boko told President Xi Jinping in Beijing that Botswana wants to follow China's rapid development path, praising China for lifting over 800 million people out of poverty in less than four decades and commending its visionary leadership since 1949.
13 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
China and Botswana elevate bilateral ties to strategic partnership
President Xi Jinping and President Boko announced an elevation of the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, with Xi noting Botswana's historical support for China's UN seat restoration in the 1970s and emphasizing their joint journey toward modernization.
13 October 2026 · Mmegi →

Opinion

Africa's economic growth persists alongside persistent poverty
The article invokes Frantz Fanon's observation that wealth results from organised, protected robbery rather than labour, suggesting this interpretation resonates across the continent as Africa experiences simultaneous economic growth and poverty.
13 October 2026 · Mmegi →
World Bank argues developing world needs accessible AI tools
The World Bank Group has proposed that artificial intelligence's biggest opportunity for the developing world lies not in large frontier models but in affordable, accessible tools that work in languages like Setswana, Swahili, Bengali, and Quechua.
13 October 2026 · Weekend Post →