Botswana Sunday Standard — weekly news publication covering policy, governance, economic, and social issues in Botswana.
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Botswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard The financial time bomb behind donated C-130 aircraft Botswana is reported to have diverted hundreds of millions of pula from public health, public education and public infrastructure, just to keep a single C-130 aircraft donated by the United States of America, a …
The financial time bomb behind donated C-130 aircraftBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Economy returns to growth, but recovery remains uneven Botswana’s economy returned to growth in the first quarter of 2026, ending two years of contraction as diamond-related activity and electricity production rebounded. …
Economy returns to growth, but recovery remains unevenBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard De Beers sale nears finish line The long-running uncertainty surrounding the future ownership of De Beers could soon come to an end, with the diamond giant’s chief executive indicating that a sale of the company may be completed within weeks. …
De Beers sale nears finish lineBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Botswana power imports plunge as local generation hits record Botswana sharply reduced its dependence on imported electricity in the first quarter of 2026 after local power generation surged to its highest level on record, marking a significant milestone in the co …
Botswana power imports plunge as local generation hits recordBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard G4S cuts losses, but turnaround remains unfinished G4S Botswana’s latest financial results suggest the security firm has moved beyond crisis management and into the early stages of recovery. …
G4S cuts losses, but turnaround remains unfinishedBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Rectification or Reform? The SI 41 of 2026 Precedent On 27 March 2026, the Law Revision Commissioner published Statutory Instrument No. …
Rectification or Reform? The SI 41 of 2026 PrecedentBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard BHC report raises red flags over Boko’s flagship Bonno Project A Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) document has raised red flags over the financial sustainability and commercial viability of the Bonno Housing Programme’s flagship Kgale housing project. …
BHC report raises red flags over Boko’s flagship Bonno ProjectBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Government missing out on P16bn mining revenue The government has confirmed that it does not hold equity stakes in several mining operations that generated approximately P16 billion in revenue in 2025. …
Government missing out on P16bn mining revenueBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard A Date with Destiny Beckons for Botswana’s Billie Jean King Cup Team This year, 2026, marks thirty years since Botswana played her first match in the Billie Jean Jin King Cup (BJKC) team. …
A Date with Destiny Beckons for Botswana’s Billie Jean King Cup TeamBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Electoral transparency, credibility, and the dark shadow of the EVM in Botswana I read with great interest a story in Mmegi on June 13th, 2026, entitled “IEC Pushes for Digital Election Reforms.” Although tucked away on page 13, it deserves urgent national attenti …
Electoral transparency, credibility, and the dark shadow of the EVM in BotswanaDe Beers sold substantially more rough diamonds in the first nine months of 2026, with sales volumes rising 37 percent to 24.55 million carats, but revenue fell $361 million to $2.04 billion as declining prices offset higher sales volumes.
13 hours ago · Botswana Sunday Standard →
De Beers sold substantially more rough diamonds in the first nine months of 2026, with sales volumes rising 37 percent to 24.55 million carats, but revenue fell $361 million to $2.04 billion as declining prices offset higher sales volumes.
13 hours ago · Botswana Sunday Standard →
A TransUnion Consumer Pulse Survey found that 71 percent of Botswana consumers expect their household income to increase over the next 12 months, despite mounting household pressures, declining confidence in credit access, and rising exposure to digital fraud.
13 hours ago · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Following Parliament's adoption of Botswana's National Health Insurance Policy in August 2026, an opinion piece examines Ghana's two-decade-old National Health Insurance Scheme, which has expanded healthcare access and financial protection but faced challenges in provider payments, financing sustainability, institutional coordination, and service quality.
14 hours ago · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Public hospitals and clinics are being prevented from soliciting donations of medicines and medical supplies despite continuing shortages, with some facilities without critical medicines for more than six months and running short of basic supplies.
25 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Government faces pressure to sign outstanding regulations for the Tobacco Control Act, 2021 and bring it into operation. Councillors warn that without implementation measures, the law passed five years ago risks remaining ineffective, leaving communities vulnerable to tobacco-related harm and young people's exposure to cigarettes and vaping products.
12 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime is pursuing corruption cases ranging from a headteacher accepting P700 to former ministers facing charges linked to a billion Pula road contract.
12 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana dug up more diamonds in Q2 2026, with diamond mining value added rising 94.7 percent year-on-year and contributing to 8.7 percent economic growth. However, diamond export earnings moved sharply in the opposite direction, widening the gap between production and value realised.
6 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
An international alliance of churches, theologians, community representatives, indigenous leaders and trade unions has criticized Botswana's extractive industries for prioritizing economic gains while leaving mining communities with environmental damage, displacement and social disruption.
5 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana's National Health Insurance policy is structurally built on primary health care with a costed benefit package and phased pilots, but practical coordination gaps remain unresolved. Government Notice No. 742 of 2024 transferred clinics to the local government ministry while primary hospitals and NHI design stayed with the Health ministry, creating ambiguity over who funds clinic operations and supervises referrals while claims are pending.
28 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
About 10% of Botswana's urban population lives in neighbourhoods characterised by cramped housing, narrow streets impassable by cars, and lack of planned open spaces—a condition scientists call "morphological deprivation."
28 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe told Chatham House that Botswana has reached a historical turning point where the development model built on mineral wealth has exhausted its potential, and the country must now build an economy capable of creating value beyond the diamond era.
27 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Strong financial statements can obscure emerging problems if a company is increasingly dependent on overdrafts, extended creditor terms, or asset sales to sustain operations; underlying financial distress may develop for months before becoming visible in the numbers.
27 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
The BDIH chair addressed Africa Fashion Week London at the British Council stage in August, highlighting how Botswana's culture, creativity, and digital innovation represent renewable industries as mineral wealth becomes finite. At the event, designers blended traditional heritage with technology, including experiments with artificial intelligence in garment design and digital marketing.
21 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
An opinion piece argues that Botswana's National Health Insurance, being designed in the Ministry of Health, faces institutional friction because primary health care was moved to the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs in April 2025. The author calls for clarity on consultation processes and questions whether the government has completed foundational stages beyond legislation.
21 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Sunday Standard reports that under a confidential bilateral agreement, the Cuban government controls Cuban doctors' wages in Botswana's public hospitals, with an international watchdog alleging that approximately 75% of their earnings is retained by the Cuban state while Botswana pays about P56,000 monthly per specialist. The watchdog Prisoners Defenders has characterized the arrangement as "modern day slave trade."
21 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana's national cattle herd declined to 1,638,543 in 2025 from 1,744,166 in 2015, a 6.1 percent contraction of 105,623 animals, according to the 2025 Agricultural Census by Statistics Botswana. The decline comes as cattle deaths have surged and raises questions about the resilience of the livestock sector.
14 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana recorded 824 poaching incidents between 2020 and 2024, with kudu (130), gemsbok (90), and impala (79) emerging as the country's most frequently targeted species, according to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Poaching threat is shifting from high-profile species toward animals hunted for bushmeat.
14 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
A global study published in Nature Medicine estimates Botswana's cumulative economic burden from depression between 2025 and 2050 at US$1.944 billion, equivalent to about P26.2 billion.
14 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Companies across Botswana are scrambling to adopt and file constitutions before 30 September 2026, a requirement introduced through amendments to the Companies Act, with non-compliance risking removal from the company register.
7 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana's success has been built on disciplined management of natural resources; the country now has an opportunity to become recognised for developing a capable, adaptable and innovative workforce, with the next chapter defined by people development rather than resource discovery.
7 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Bermuda has placed Botswana among nationalities subject to stricter visa requirements, adding to international border control tightening and concerns over the Botswana passport's standing abroad at a time when the government prepares to introduce a new citizenship scheme.
7 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
According to Statistics Botswana's 2024 Vital Statistics Report, Botswana's total fertility rate has fallen to 1.96 children per woman, below the replacement-level benchmark of 2.1, marking a potential demographic shift from previous decades of concern about job creation for youth.
24 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana's working-age population (aged 15–64) is projected to rise to 67.6 percent of the total population by 2038 from 63.3 percent in 2023, creating a demographic dividend that will depend on the country's ability to generate jobs and raise productivity.
17 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana's labour market faces a growing skills challenge as young adults continue to leave the country for education, employment and professional opportunities. Statistics Botswana's Population Projections 2022–2038 show annual net migration is projected to fall from 2,449 people in 2023 to 1,204 by 2038.
17 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana has emerged as one of Africa's strongest performers in attracting greenfield foreign direct investment, ranking 11th globally in the fDi Intelligence Greenfield FDI Performance Index 2026. Greenfield investment—when a foreign company establishes a new operation such as a factory, mine, office, data centre or renewable-energy facility—can bring new productive capacity, technology and supply-chain opportunities into an economy.
16 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
The annual Orapa Duiker Tournament, one of Botswana's premier lawn bowls competitions, is underway this week with 24 teams registered. Players from Botswana and neighboring countries including Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are competing on some of the country's finest greens.
13 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Air Botswana's financial troubles extend beyond grounded aircraft and cancelled flights; the state-owned airline is years behind in publishing audited financial statements, raising transparency questions as it has spent hundreds of millions of pula on fleet renewal while posting operating losses.
12 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
An opinion piece in the Sunday Standard argues that the new Employment Act (Labour Relations Act), while protecting employee rights, ignores the price mechanism of labour and prioritizes ideology over economics, thereby failing to promote investment and job creation.
12 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
An editorial in the Sunday Standard argues that Botswana's foreign service has been hollowed by years of political party appointments to High Commissioner and Ambassador positions, where party membership has mattered more than diplomatic qualifications and experience.
10 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Botswana luxury designer Koki Chiepe's exhibition Heritage Reimagined: Living Archives transformed the National Museum in Gaborone into a space where landscapes, ceremonies and indigenous knowledge were translated into contemporary design.
10 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →