Southern African Customs Union

Also known as: SACU

Southern African Customs Union — regional organization uniting Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa to deepen economic integration and trade.

2026-05-052026-08-23

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

June 2026
9 JunDaily News Botswana
… The new requirement, which affects all foreign vehicles, including those from the Southern African Customs Union region, entails online declaration and pre-registration through the SARS Travel Management System (TMS) before travel. …
SARS cautions foreign motorists against scammers
May 2026
15 MayMmegi
In 1969, then 30-year-old Festus Mogae found himself as one of the very few black faces around a table dominated by Afrikaner governance veterans as a young Botswana and other regional ‘minnows’ negotiated clauses in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) agreement.Having join …
Pragmatic and point-blank economics
5 MayWeekend Post
… Perhaps most compellingly, young entrepreneurs strongly advocated for an export-oriented YDF, one that goes beyond domestic markets and equips beneficiaries with the tools, networks, and market access needed to trade beyond the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) region. …
Hon Chombo leads online mass validation of proposed YDF, BNSP remodelling

Business

Boko affirms commitment to private-sector-led economy

The News

President Duma Boko has reaffirmed his government's commitment to transform Botswana's economy from public sector-led to private sector-led, citing efforts to diversify revenue away from diamonds. He cited improved national savings from P300 million in 2024 to P6.1 billion, a 5.4 per cent increase in BURS collections to P15.36 billion in the first quarter of 2026/2027, and cost containment measures yielding P2.73 billion in cumulative savings since August 2025.

20 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 20 July

Boko affirms commitment to private-sector-led economy
President Duma Boko has reaffirmed his government's commitment to transform Botswana's economy from public sector-led to private sector-led, citing efforts to diversify revenue away from diamonds. He cited improved national savings from P300 million in 2024 to P6.1 billion, a 5.4 per cent increase in BURS collections to P15.36 billion in the first quarter of 2026/2027, and cost containment measures yielding P2.73 billion in cumulative savings since August 2025.
20 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 6 July

Botswana faces fiscal strain as debt servicing costs climb
Botswana is confronting growing fiscal pressures, with the cost of servicing government debt expected to spike due to a weakening Pula and rising interest rates. Government revenues rose to P63.23 billion in the first 11 months of the 2025/2026 financial year, boosted by stronger mining revenues and non-mining income tax collections, though projected mineral revenues for 2026/27 are held back by weak global diamond markets.
6 July 2026 · Weekend Post →

Thursday 2 July

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 →

Monday 29 June

CEO Roundtable in Gaborone to discuss economic diversification
The CEO Africa Roundtable will convene in Gaborone on 6 July 2026 under the theme "Towards a $40 Billion Economy by 2036," addressing Botswana's economic challenges including contracting foreign exchange reserves (from approximately $7.5 billion in 2017 to an estimated $3.2 billion by end-2024) and consecutive economic contractions in 2024 and 2025.
29 June 2026 · Weekend Post →

Thursday 25 June

SACU summit convenes in Cape Town to discuss regional integration
The 9th Southern African Customs Union summit brought together leaders from Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa in Cape Town to discuss regional economic integration, trade and development issues. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the summit, while Botswana President Advocate Duma Boko delivered closing remarks in his capacity as SACU chair.
25 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Wednesday 24 June

Botswana's Q1 2026 diamond sales exceed P9 billion
Botswana's diamond sales topped P9 billion in the first quarter of 2026, with the government collecting over P4 billion from diamond royalties and dividends during the period. Foreign exchange reserves currently sit at approximately P58 billion.
24 June 2026 · Weekend Post →
Boko attends SACU summit on regional economic integration
President Advocate Duma Boko is attending the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Customs Union in Cape Town from Wednesday to Friday, where leaders of the five SACU member states are deliberating on measures to deepen economic integration, enhance intra-regional trade and strengthen industrial development.
24 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Moeti Mohwasa assumes Acting President role
President Advocate Duma Boko has departed Gaborone to attend the 9th SACU Summit in Cape Town from Wednesday to Sunday, with Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe accompanying him. Minister Moeti Mohwasa has assumed the role of Acting President during the President's absence.
24 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 22 June

Foreign reserves rise as government repays Bank of Botswana advance
Botswana's foreign reserves rose sharply in April as government significantly reduced its temporary advance from the Bank of Botswana, with improvements attributed to inflows from SACU receipts, diamond revenues, and easing cash pressures from public spending.
22 June 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Monday 15 June

Botswana and Lesotho establish Bi-National Commission
Botswana and Lesotho have upgraded their cooperation framework from the Joint Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation to a fully-fledged Bi-National Commission (BNC), with the inaugural session scheduled for June 17-18. The upgrade, formalized by an agreement signed in Maseru in July 2025, aims to deepen economic cooperation, policy coordination, and regional integration between the two nations.
15 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tuesday 9 June

SARS warns travellers of vehicle registration scammers
SARS has introduced a new online declaration and pre-registration requirement for all foreign vehicles through the Travel Management System before border entry, and warns motorists against fraudsters posing as registration agents and demanding fees, as the service is free.
9 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Friday 15 May

Festus Mogae negotiated SACU in 1969 amid colonial legacy
In 1969, then 30-year-old Festus Mogae joined Botswana in negotiations over the Southern African Customs Union agreement as one of few black faces at talks dominated by Afrikaner governance veterans. Mogae had joined government in 1968 and was among just 22 university graduates in Botswana at independence in 1966, quickly recruited to the Development Planning ministry under vice president Ketumile Masire.
15 May 2026 · Mmegi →

Tuesday 5 May

Ministry validates remodelled YDF and BNSP youth programmes
The Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, partnering with UNICEF Botswana, held an online mass validation exercise to present revised models for the Youth Development Fund and Botswana National Service Programme, based on months of research by Genesis Analytics. The sessions attracted over 700 young people.
5 May 2026 · Weekend Post →