Botswana Minute.
Friday, 16 October 2026
Botswana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Friday, 16 October 2026
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Botswanan press · Organization

African Union

African Union — continental organization operationalizing healthcare initiatives and coordinating regional responses to security, health, and development challenges across member states.

2026-05-062026-10-16

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. October 2026
  2. Weekend Post

    … Strong institutions, technical know-how, disciplined implementation and regional cooperation — including through the African Union’s Continental AI Strategy and the African Continental Free Trade Area – could, the bank concluded, help bring AI-enabled solutions to scale and, with …

    Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa gains momentum, even as global headwinds persist
  3. September 2026
  4. Daily News Botswana

    … He further revealed that President Boko, as chair of the Africa Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), a coalition of African Union (AU) heads of state seeking to end Malaria by 2030, would host his counterparts and global partners to discuss progress and a way ahead, in the engagement …

    UN system requires reform-Butale
  5. Weekend Post

    … The African Union’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa has identified local production as a strategic priority since 2007, but progress has been slow. …

    Texas-based firm builds a P2 Billion Hospital in Gaborone
  6. Daily News Botswana

    … Ponyane noted that Tshwaragano III marked a significant milestone and for the first time, the exercise features a joint command simulation. “This initiative trains commanders and staff on shared communication platforms and real-time crisis scenarios adhering to African Union and …

    BDF and NDF reaffirm commitment to peace
  7. August 2026
  8. Weekend Post

    … Within Africa, the African Union’s endorsement of a single candidate is never guaranteed – and competing candidacies could fracture the bloc’s leverage. …

    The high-stakes race to lead the United Nations: Who will shape Global Diplomacy after 2026?
  9. Weekend Post

    … Dr Dijeng explained that tghe Authority triggered a bill-drafting process shaped by three converging forces: the African Union’s model law on medical products regulation, the SADC Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation initiative and the African Continental Free Trade Area, and Botsw …

    BOMRA wants Feedback on new law
  10. Mmegi

    In February 2026, African Union (AU) leaders committed to fully operationalising APPM as a strategic "Buy African" initiative through demand aggregation , market shaping and long-term offtake arrangements, By May, the Africa CDC had completed its first APPM tender across 10 AU Me …

    South Africa builds Africa’s healthcare supply chains as USD 2 billion flows into the sector
  11. Weekend Post

    … The African Union Commission has issued urgent calls for member states to establish and strengthen early warning systems, underscoring the scale and urgency of the challenge. …

    Africa faces $20 Billion hit as super El Niño threatens drought, wildfires
  12. July 2026
  13. Weekend Post

    … In response, the African Union has set a goal to locally produce 60 percent of the continent’s vaccines by 2040. …

    ADB, Biovac forge $15 million deal to boost Africa’s vaccine production
  14. Daily News Botswana

    … Now, as Botswana joins hands with the African Union to end violence against women, Kgosi Mosadi, is leading from the front, mobilising custom, community and leadership to turn ancient tradition into a shield for her people. …

    Kgosi Mosadi turns tradition into fortress for women
World & Region

Sub-Saharan Africa's growth projected to accelerate to 4.3 percent in 2026

The News

The World Bank has upgraded Sub-Saharan Africa's economic growth forecast to 4.3 percent for 2026, up from 4.1 percent in 2025, driven by firmer macroeconomic conditions, resurgent domestic demand, and investment in clean energy and digital technology. Nearly three-quarters of the region's economies, including Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zambia, have received upward growth revisions.

12 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 12 October

  1. Sub-Saharan Africa's growth projected to accelerate to 4.3 percent in 2026

    The World Bank has upgraded Sub-Saharan Africa's economic growth forecast to 4.3 percent for 2026, up from 4.1 percent in 2025, driven by firmer macroeconomic conditions, resurgent domestic demand, and investment in clean energy and digital technology. Nearly three-quarters of the region's economies, including Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zambia, have received upward growth revisions.

    12 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 21 September

  1. Botswana calls for UN system reform at General Assembly

    At the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Botswana's Minister of International Relations Dr Phenyo Butale said the UN system requires reform to create a more equitable global order, and expressed concern about the rise of unilateral decision-making and conflicts undermining global cooperation and development partnerships.

    21 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Friday 11 September

  1. Texas firm commits $150 million for 130-bed specialist hospital in Gaborone

    A Texas-based private equity firm is investing roughly $150 million to build the TEMCO Hospital Ecosystem near Sir Seretse Khama International Airport—an integrated facility combining a 130-bed specialist hospital, medical hospitality wing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing plant on one site.

    11 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

Thursday 3 September

  1. BDF and NDF launch joint military exercise Tshwaragano III

    The Botswana Defence Force and Namibia Defence Force have launched joint military exercise Tshwaragano III in Lobatse to deepen operational effectiveness, exchange professional knowledge, and strengthen regional peace and security cooperation amid evolving cross-border security challenges.

    3 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 31 August

  1. UN Secretary-General race opens as Guterres prepares 2026 departure

    António Guterres is stepping down as UN Secretary-General at the end of his second term, and a diverse field of candidates—including former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet—is emerging to compete for the role, each advancing different visions for the organization's future.

    31 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. Botswana pharmaceutical regulator seeks stakeholder input on new law

    The Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BOMRA) is consulting with pharmaceutical executives, device manufacturers, and industry lawyers to develop regulations for the Medicines and Related Substances Act, No. 29 of 2025, which passed Parliament in December but has not yet taken effect.

    31 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Friday 21 August

  1. Africa CDC advances APPM healthcare purchasing across member states

    The African Union's Africa CDC operationalized the Africa Pharmaceutical Platform and Medical devices (APPM) initiative in 2026, completing its first tender across 10 member states and securing 30–90% price reductions while involving African manufacturers in five of the ten products tendered. More than R 33 billion in new healthcare investment is flowing into African markets through development finance institutions and blended-finance vehicles.

    21 August 2026 · Mmegi →

Thursday 13 August

  1. Super El Niño threatens Africa with $10–20 billion economic damage

    Scientists forecast a "super" El Niño event in late 2026 will trigger higher temperatures and reduced rainfall across the Southern Hemisphere, potentially causing $10–20 billion in economic damages across Africa. Botswana faces particular risks including soaring temperatures, diminishing water supplies, increased wildfire risks, and impacts on wildlife populations, prompting the African Union Commission to urge member states to strengthen early warning systems.

    13 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Thursday 30 July

  1. African Development Bank funds vaccine facility in South Africa

    The African Development Bank has provided a $15 million loan to Biovac, a South African vaccine manufacturer, to develop a multi-vaccine facility in Cape Town that will increase Africa's domestic vaccine production capacity and create about 340 jobs.

    30 July 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 27 July

  1. Kgosi Mosadi mobilises tradition to combat gender-based violence

    Kgosi Mosadi Seboko of Balete is using custom and community leadership to advance Botswana's efforts to end violence against women and girls, including supporting the country's ratification and implementation of the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls following a July 17 visit by the African Union Technical Assistance Mission.

    27 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 13 July

  1. Botswana accedes to African Youth Charter after nearly two decades

    Botswana has formally acceded to the African Youth Charter, a legally binding instrument on youth development adopted by the African Union in 2006, joining 44 of the 55 African Union Member States. The accession commits the Government to securing youth rights, employment, education, health access, and meaningful participation in governance.

    13 July 2026 · Weekend Post →

Thursday 2 July

  1. Botswana and South Africa maintain smooth diplomatic relations

    President Duma Boko said Botswana and South Africa enjoy smooth relations with emerging issues resolved efficiently through close collaboration, during a farewell courtesy call by outgoing South African High Commissioner Ms Thaninga Shope-Soumah. He highlighted cooperation on Foot and Mouth Disease, travel and movement of people and goods, and engagement through the Bi-National Commission, Southern African Customs Union, and Southern African Development Community.

    2 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Wednesday 17 June

  1. Boko calls for unified African response to Ebola outbreak

    President Advocate Duma Boko called for urgent political, financial and technical support to contain the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, emphasizing that infectious diseases transcend borders and require collective action. Speaking at a June 16 virtual meeting, Boko stressed the importance of regional cooperation, protecting frontline health workers, and enhanced cross-border surveillance to respond to the outbreak, which has a joint preparedness and response plan valued at US$518 million.

    17 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tuesday 2 June

  1. Botswana and EU reaffirm partnership on sustainable development

    Botswana and the European Union have reaffirmed their partnership at the 7th Botswana–EU Partnership Dialogue in Gaborone, with Minister Dr Phenyo Butale highlighting cooperation in renewable energy, digital transformation, biodiversity conservation, and economic diversification.

    2 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 1 June

  1. UK returns 45 colonial-era artefacts to Khama III Memorial Museum

    The Khama III Memorial Museum has received 45 sacred artefacts, including clothing and hunting implements, repatriated from Brighton and Hove Museum in the United Kingdom after a formal claim submitted in 2022. The items, collected by British missionary Reverend William Charles Willoughby in the 1890s from GaMmangwato territory, were officially unveiled at the museum in Serowe.

    1 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Wednesday 6 May

  1. Gaborone hosts 13th AFTRA conference on collaborative teaching

    Gaborone hosted the 13th AFTRA conference and 15th Roundtable at the International Convention Centre, bringing together education leaders and policymakers under the theme "Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession: Implications for Africa" to explore approaches such as peer mentoring and professional learning communities aimed at strengthening education systems across the continent.

    6 May 2026 · Mmegi →

African Union — Botswanan press coverage · Botswana Minute