Also known as: BoB · MPC
Botswana's central bank, responsible for managing foreign reserves, monetary policy, and government securities auctions.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Mmegi
While the higher reserves could possibly be linked to hard currency loans taken on by government, published details provided by the Finance Ministry suggests the amounts were supplied in months prior to July 2026.Bank of Botswana figures released this week indicate that at P63.2 …
Foreign reserves hit 23-month highWeekend Post
… The Bank of Botswana and outside forecasters still expect full-year growth to land in modest single digits, a reminder that one spectacular quarter does not erase a structural problem. …
Diamonds light the way again as economy roars back!Botswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard BoB raises P3.1bn as improved budget outlook could ease borrowing needs The Bank of Botswana raised P3.1 billion at its September government securities auction, taking estimated net securities financing for the first half of the 2026/27 financial year to about P6. …
BoB raises P3.1bn as improved budget outlook could ease borrowing needsDaily News Botswana
… A statement from the Bank of Botswana (BoB) says the revised rating highlights opportunities arising from a recovery in diamond production, growth in non-diamond mining activities and ongoing economic diversification efforts. …
Botswana economic outlookmoves to stableWeekend Post
… Gaolathe pledged to work with the Bank of Botswana to make securities issuance more coordinated, transparent and predictable. …
Botswana’s diamond rebound offers relief – and a WarningMmegi
… Bank of Botswana figures indicate that much of the growth in pension fund assets this year has come from offshore equities, whose value rose from P70.9 billion in January to P76.4 billion in July.In a commentary on the second quarter released recently, Debswana Pension Fund, the …
Pension funds continue risingBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Digital banking shifts Botswana lenders towards fee income Botswana’s banks are increasingly generating revenue from digital transactions and other non-interest activities as pressure on traditional lending income intensifies, according to the Bank of Botswana’s B …
Digital banking shifts Botswana lenders towards fee incomeBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Treasury borrowing hits halfway mark as bond issuance lags The Bank of Botswana will seek P3.1 billion from domestic investors on September 24, taking government securities financing past the halfway mark for the 2026/27 financial year, although Treasury bill issu …
Treasury borrowing hits halfway mark as bond issuance lagsWeekend Post
… Gaolathe pledged to work with the Bank of Botswana to make securities issuance more coordinated, transparent and predictable. …
Botswana’s diamond rebound offers relief – and a WarningWeekend Post
Botswana has sharply reduced its projected budget deficit for the 2026-27 financial year, as stronger-than-expected revenue from the Bank of Botswana and efforts to curb government spending improve the country’s short-term fiscal outlook. …
Botswana cuts deficit forecast after revenue boostBank of Botswana figures show foreign reserves at P63.2 billion in July 2026, up seven percent from June and 32% from July 2025, with the increase concentrated in short-term transaction balances.
14 October 2026 · Mmegi →
Bank of Botswana figures show foreign reserves at P63.2 billion in July 2026, up seven percent from June and 32% from July 2025, with the increase concentrated in short-term transaction balances.
14 October 2026 · Mmegi →
Botswana's economy expanded by 8.7 percent in the second quarter of 2026, driven by a surge in diamond output from mines that had been throttled during a downturn. Diamond production climbed to about 3.4 million carats from 2.7 million the previous quarter, with De Beers reporting Botswana accounted for 5.5 million carats in the period.
12 October 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Bank of Botswana raised P3.1 billion at its September government securities auction, bringing estimated net securities financing for the first half of the 2026/27 financial year to about P6.45 billion. The improved budget outlook could reduce the government's original financing requirement.
12 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Loans classified as "special mention" by Botswana's banking sector increased 78.3% from P3.1 billion in 2024 to P5.5 billion in 2025, reflecting mounting financial pressure on borrowers amid job losses, business closures, and economic slowdown.
12 October 2026 · Mmegi →
Moody's Ratings has upgraded Botswana's economic outlook to stable, affirming confidence in the country's strong credit fundamentals and investment-grade status. The upgrade reflects confidence in Botswana's institutional framework and prudent policymaking, and highlights opportunities from diamond production recovery and non-diamond mining growth.
12 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
After a severe slump, Botswana's diamond industry has recovered—the economy expanded 3.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 and rough-diamond output surged in the second. Acting president and finance minister Ndaba Gaolathe has urged the country to use this reprieve to diversify away from dependence on diamonds, steering capital toward farms, factories, and tourism rather than relying on another diamond-market recovery.
8 October 2026 · Weekend Post →
Pension fund assets grew in July, with offshore equities rising from P70.9 billion in January to P76.4 billion in July, driven largely by technology stocks and sustained capital inflows into AI and semiconductor companies.
6 October 2026 · Mmegi →
Non-interest income at Botswana's banks rose 33.7 percent in 2025 to P5.2 billion, now representing 43.8 percent of total banking income. The increase was driven mainly by higher fee and commission income from greater transaction volumes on digital platforms and increased foreign-exchange activity.
2 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
The Bank of Botswana will seek P3.1 billion from domestic investors on September 24, taking government securities financing past the halfway mark for the 2026/27 financial year. Treasury bill issuance has already reached its annual target while bond sales remain behind schedule.
2 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana's diamond industry has rebounded after a slump, with the economy expanding 3.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 and rough-diamond output surging in the second. However, acting president and finance minister Ndaba Gaolathe warned against treating the recovery as a transformation, calling for investment in farms, factories, and tourism rather than reliance on diamond market fluctuations.
28 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
Botswana has reduced its projected budget deficit for the 2026-27 financial year to 9.26 billion pula (3.1% of GDP), down from 26.35 billion pula (8.9% of GDP) forecast in February, driven by stronger-than-expected Bank of Botswana revenue and spending controls. Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe cautioned that the result depends on controlling government spending and warned that the improvement should not obscure deeper structural strains on public finances.
28 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Bank of Botswana and NBFIRA are concerned that pension funds hold excessive cash in deposits rather than longer-term investments, particularly equities. As of June, pension funds held P14 billion in cash compared with P23.3 billion in locally listed equities, with total industry assets at P176.4 billion.
28 September 2026 · Mmegi →
The government recorded a budget surplus of US$2.51 billion as of June 2026, equivalent to 0.85 per cent of GDP. President Boko said the government is investing in upskilling youth to address unemployment and poverty, and positioning the country to attract foreign direct investment and provide entrepreneurial opportunities in rural communities.
22 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
S&P Global Ratings has affirmed Botswana's long-term local-currency rating at BBB- and short-term rating at A-3, retaining its investment-grade status but keeping the country's outlook negative due to ongoing pressure on public finances and the external position.
21 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana's annual inflation dipped to 9.3 percent in August—a 0.1 percentage-point decline from July—but transport, electricity, and food prices remain major pressures on consumers. An economist notes the marginal drop is "statistically real but economically negligible" as wages have not kept pace with rising costs.
21 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Bank of Botswana projects inflation will remain above its 3–6 percent target range through the first quarter of 2027 before returning to within the band by mid-2027, driven mainly by fuel and electricity cost pressures. Inflation surged to 10.57 percent in Q2 2026 due to fuel prices, transport fares, and medical premiums, and is expected to average 7.9 percent for 2026 overall.
14 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
According to the Riberry Property Market Report cited in the Bank of Botswana's August Monetary Policy Report, the median age of homebuyers has risen to 46, reflecting a shift towards older, financially established buyers able to manage the country's tighter lending environment.
14 September 2026 · Mmegi →
Vice President and Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe warned that Botswana cannot indefinitely defend the Pula through monetary measures alone while the economy remains heavily reliant on diamonds, as a prolonged global diamond sector downturn has exposed long-recognised vulnerabilities in the country's economic model.
11 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
Bank of Botswana figures show that arrears owed to commercial banks declined from a record high in January, reaching a low of P6.57 billion in March before rising to P6.89 billion in June, with the majority classified as 'specific provisions' for loans over 180 days old.
10 September 2026 · Mmegi →
Unemployment remains elevated as job creation trails labour-force growth, constrained by weak domestic demand, diamond-sector uncertainty, structural rigidities, and low productivity growth, according to the Bank of Botswana.
9 September 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
The Bank of Botswana's stress tests confirm that commercial real estate lending risks remain stable under moderate conditions, though vulnerabilities emerge in extreme scenarios. Deputy Governor Kealeboga Masalila said risks are mitigated through banks' internal controls, regulatory oversight, and collateral such as mortgages.
7 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
Vice President and Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe warned that Botswana cannot indefinitely defend the Pula through monetary measures alone while the economy remains heavily reliant on diamonds. He said the prolonged downturn in the global diamond sector has exposed long-recognised vulnerabilities and that monetary policy alone cannot provide a permanent shield for the currency.
7 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
Business Monitor International forecasts household expenditure in Botswana will decline by 1.0 percent to P131.2 billion in 2026, driven by economic headwinds including sluggish growth, persistent unemployment at 24.4 percent, and tighter credit conditions, with a modest recovery of 1.3 percent projected for 2027.
7 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
Botswana's Economic Transformation Programme has identified 186 priority projects across nine sectors targeting P514 billion in cumulative investment and 512,000 jobs by 2036, with initial efforts focused on removing obstacles to investment execution in areas including land access, financing, regulation, and infrastructure.
7 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
The Finance Ministry reported a budget deficit of P16.34 billion for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, a significant improvement from the previously projected deficit of P25.48 billion, according to preliminary figures released by the Bank of Botswana.
7 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
BSE-listed property group PrimeTime will forgo distributing earnings for the financial year ending 31 August 2026, directing retained cash and proceeds from P98.4 million in property disposals toward reducing borrowings as part of its multi-year deleveraging strategy amid elevated borrowing costs.
3 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
Botswana's economy registered 3.5 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2025, attributed to increased diamond sales and cost containment measures. The MP for Francistown South noted that diamond sales rose from P100 million in July 2024 to P300 million in July 2025, and highlighted that the country's foreign reserves stand at P51 billion.
2 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
A Bank of Botswana survey shows businesses in Botswana expressing cautious optimism about trading conditions through June 2027, supported by government economic recovery initiatives, though the operating landscape remains challenging and companies faced concerns including high borrowing costs and constrained government spending in mid-2026.
1 September 2026 · Weekend Post →
Bank of Botswana Governor Lesego Moseki has warned that businesses and households should prepare for ongoing inflationary pressures from rising fuel and electricity costs, livestock movement restrictions, and global geopolitical tensions. The Monetary Policy Committee has kept the policy rate steady at 5.5 percent while headline inflation remains above the central bank's medium-term target range and economic expansion has been modest.
31 August 2026 · Weekend Post →
Botswana's business community expects the economy to expand by 2.1 percent in 2026 following a 0.7 percent contraction in 2025, though the outlook remains clouded by weak demand, constrained government spending and high financing costs, according to the Bank of Botswana's June Business Expectations Survey.
30 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →