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

Weekend Post

Weekend Post — Botswanan news publication covering economics, technology, policy, and development.

2026-04-282026-10-16

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. July 2026
  2. Weekend Post

    … The post De Beers injects P11.3 Billion into Botswana’s economy appeared first on Weekend Post.

    De Beers injects P11.3 Billion into Botswana’s economy
  3. Weekend Post

    … Register The post Botswana’s trade rebounds strongly in April 2026 but deficit persists appeared first on Weekend Post.

    Botswana’s trade rebounds strongly in April 2026 but deficit persists
  4. Weekend Post

    … The post The quiet architect of Kebinatshipi’s rise appeared first on Weekend Post.

    The quiet architect of Kebinatshipi’s rise
  5. Weekend Post

    … He revealed to the Weekend Post that despite his efforts, numerous letters seeking clarity on his case sent to the ministry, no response has come. …

    Suspended Kweneng Land Board chair vows comeback
  6. Weekend Post

    … Register The post P13.3 Million seized in cross-border military contract fraud case appeared first on Weekend Post.

    P13.3 Million seized in cross-border military contract fraud case
  7. Weekend Post

    … Register The post Inside Botswana’s P3.5 billion solar project appeared first on Weekend Post.

    Inside Botswana’s P3.5 billion solar project
  8. Weekend Post

    … Register The post UDC dangles the carrot for top civil servants appeared first on Weekend Post.

    UDC dangles the carrot for top civil servants
  9. June 2026
  10. Weekend Post

    … He revealed to the Weekend Post that despite his efforts, numerous letters seeking clarity on his case sent to the ministry, no response has come. …

    Suspended Kweneng Land Board chair vows comeback
  11. Weekend Post

    … The post Classic Defender V8 Family shifts gears with new double cab and spectral green finish appeared first on Weekend Post.

    Classic Defender V8 Family shifts gears with new double cab and spectral green finish
  12. Weekend Post

    … The post Tiny Terror: Why mosquitoes still haunt Africa’s fight against Malaria appeared first on Weekend Post.

    Tiny Terror: Why mosquitoes still haunt Africa’s fight against Malaria
Society

Researchers identify immune protein that shields aging cells

The News

Researchers have found that an immune-checkpoint protein called PD-L2 helps senescent (damaged, aging) cells evade the body's defenses and accumulate in tissues. In mouse experiments, blocking this protein allowed the immune system to remove more of these cells and improved metabolic health and physical strength, suggesting a potential therapy approach for age-related disorders.

15 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Yesterday

  1. Researchers identify immune protein that shields aging cells

    Researchers have found that an immune-checkpoint protein called PD-L2 helps senescent (damaged, aging) cells evade the body's defenses and accumulate in tissues. In mouse experiments, blocking this protein allowed the immune system to remove more of these cells and improved metabolic health and physical strength, suggesting a potential therapy approach for age-related disorders.

    15 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 12 October

  1. Rising electricity costs drive demand for solar alternatives

    A nine percent electricity tariff increase for 2026/27 and ongoing power interruptions are prompting Botswanans to consider solar energy and alternative sources. The Absa Green Energy Loan offers up to 100 percent financing for solar installations, enabling households and businesses to reduce grid reliance and manage energy costs.

    12 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Friday 9 October

  1. AI adoption creates widening skills gap in global workforce

    A PwC survey of 49,364 workers across 48 countries finds that while some employees adopt AI tools confidently and seek raises, the majority lack sufficient learning resources to keep up—with access to training dropping from 59 percent to 51 percent year-on-year.

    9 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. Botswana received P288 billion in transfers during 2025

    More than a quarter of a trillion pula flowed into Botswana in 2025 through mining receipts, family remittances, foreign investment, and digital-currency transactions.

    9 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Thursday 8 October

  1. Seretse urges protection of Botswana's 60-year development legacy

    Former DCEC director general Rose Nunu Seretse has challenged Batswana to safeguard the foundations that have driven the country's transformation from one of the world's poorest nations at independence in 1966 to an upper-middle-income economy, attributing this progress to founding leaders' deliberate choices in governance, democracy, education, infrastructure and prudent mineral wealth management.

    8 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. BIDPA Chief says Botswana was warned about diamond dependence

    Dr Gloria Somolekae, Executive Director of the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis, said at the WeekendPost's Diamond Jubilee launch that Botswana's experts flagged the risks of leaning too heavily on a single mineral and the need to diversify years in advance, but the task now is to act on this advice.

    8 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

  3. UB Vice Chancellor advocates innovation-driven economy beyond diamonds

    University of Botswana Vice Chancellor Professor David Norris has argued that Botswana should focus on building an innovation-driven economy centred on knowledge, research, technology, and entrepreneurship rather than simply seeking a replacement for diamonds. He emphasized that universities must play a central role in this transformation, alongside supporting action from government, industry, financial institutions, and entrepreneurs.

    8 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 5 October

  1. Botswana faces deepening policy questions as diamond era ends

    On its 60th anniversary, Botswana confronts the central question that has shadowed its post-independence success: what comes after diamonds. The Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis's new publication "60 for 60" traces how the country's policy preoccupations have evolved from building and competing to diversifying, distributing benefits, and structural transformation, with the hardest questions still ahead.

    5 October 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 21 September

  1. BPC supplies 86% of electricity from domestic generation in Q1 2026-27

    The Botswana Power Corporation reported supplying 86 percent of the country's electricity requirements from its own generation assets during the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year, a record performance up from 67 percent in the previous year. The improvement reflects increased reliability of the utility's generating units and reduces dependence on costlier imported electricity.

    21 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. Botswana's inflation barely falls; households still squeezed

    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 →

Thursday 17 September

  1. New cultural boma at Cresta Mowana offers dinner and entertainment

    Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa opened Ku Muzi Boma on August 18, a cultural dining and entertainment venue combining Botswana cuisine with music, dance, and storytelling. The attraction is available to visitors from across Kasane and aims to encourage tourists to spend more time in the region beyond game drives and lodge meals.

    17 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

Wednesday 16 September

  1. Multichoice seeks two locally rooted Botswana made-for-TV movie proposals

    Multichoice is calling for two original proposals from independent Batswana filmmakers for made-for-TV movies featuring authentic, locally rooted stories with universal themes. Proposals must be submitted by October 2, 2026, and should include a one-page outline, 3-act structure overview, and detailed character bios, with a maximum of 5 pages.

    16 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 14 September

  1. Botswana's beef exports shift after EU closes market access

    The European Union shut Botswana's last authorized fresh-beef export zones on 21 April 2026 following foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, forcing the state-owned Botswana Meat Commission to seek alternative markets in the Gulf, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.

    14 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. Absa launches multi-currency virtual card for international travel

    Absa Bank Botswana has introduced a digital card that exists on a phone to address currency conversion challenges for international travelers, eliminating the need for airport exchanges and opaque foreign-transaction fees.

    14 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

  3. Botswana's cattle population declines 6.1 percent since 2015

    Botswana's cattle herd shrank by 6.1 percent over the past decade, falling to 1,638,543 head in 2025 from 1,744,166 in 2015, according to the latest Agricultural Census.

    14 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 7 September

  1. UB launches seed fund to improve innovation coordination

    The University of Botswana has identified poor coordination among institutions as the main barrier preventing local innovations from reaching the market, and has launched a Technology Development Seed Fund to support prototyping and testing of innovations while working to create a streamlined pipeline connecting research, infrastructure, funding, and commercialization.

    7 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. Botswana's new tax rule targets residents' offshore income

    A controlled foreign entity rule embedded in Botswana's rewritten Income Tax Act, effective 1 July 2026, requires residents who control low-tax foreign entities to pay tax on qualifying passive income earned by those entities as if the residents had earned it themselves. The rule applies to residents holding directly or indirectly 50 percent or more membership interest in foreign entities.

    7 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

  3. BETP shifts economic focus from planning to project delivery

    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 →

  4. Budget deficit narrowed to P16.34 billion for 2025/2026

    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 →

  5. Air Botswana appoints Dubai consultant for aircraft leasing

    Air Botswana has announced plans to appoint Dubai-based aviation consultancy ACC Aviation ME FZCO as its aircraft lease consultant through direct procurement.

    7 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

Tuesday 1 September

  1. Trade deficit widens to P15.54 billion in H1 2026

    Botswana's trade deficit ballooned to P15.54 billion in the first half of 2026, a 63.6 percent increase from a P5.66 billion deficit in the same period last year.

    1 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 31 August

  1. Sultex and Goddessa evicted from Big Brother Naija season 11

    Five weeks into Big Brother Naija season 11, housemates Sultex and Goddessa have been evicted. Viewers now have the chance to change the status of two Gambits, Aikou and Flora, who have been unable to compete for the grand prize.

    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 →

Thursday 27 August

  1. Emerging technologies shift from AI toward practical applications

    The World Economic Forum and Frontiers identified a 2026 technology shift from abstract AI breakthroughs to practical applications in factories, hospitals, and power grids, including advanced robotics, green energy innovations, and biotech. Key innovations highlighted include "everything-to-grid" energy systems that integrate generation, storage, and consumption into intelligent networks, and direct lithium extraction for sustainable battery sourcing.

    27 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Wednesday 26 August

  1. BTC launches nationwide investor roadshow across three cities

    Botswana Telecommunications Corporation will hold an Investor Day Roadshow in Gaborone, Francistown, and Maun in late August 2026, engaging its more than 39,000 investors through sessions designed to provide insights into the company's performance, strategic direction, and growth opportunities.

    26 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. UK's MOBILIST programme partners with BSE to boost capital markets

    The UK government's MOBILIST programme has partnered with the Botswana Stock Exchange to unlock private investment and accelerate capital market development. The partnership aims to introduce new listed products to diversify investment options for institutional investors such as pension funds and asset managers.

    26 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Tuesday 25 August

  1. Cassi evicted from Big Brother Naija season 11

    Cassi left the Big Brother Naija House after the latest eviction. Abi became the first female housemate to be named Most Influential Player of the Week this season, earning immunity from the next eviction and a smartwatch.

    25 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 24 August

  1. Botswana women redefine leadership with emotional wellness focus

    Hundreds of women in influential roles across Botswana's corporate and social sectors are redefining leadership to integrate emotional well-being and authenticity alongside professional ambition, with initiatives like SHEvolution creating spaces for women to address the mental and emotional toll of their responsibilities.

    24 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. Botswana implements major tax reforms from July 1, 2026

    Botswana introduced new tax administration, VAT, and income tax legislation on 1 July 2026, aimed at modernising the tax framework and broadening the tax base amid fiscal pressures and weaker diamond revenues. The top marginal income tax rate for taxable income exceeding P400,000 per year rises to 27.5%, up from 25%.

    24 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

  3. BSE gains on foreign stocks surge in first half 2026

    The Botswana Stock Exchange posted measured gains in the first seven months of 2026, with the Domestic Companies Index rising 1.4% and the Foreign Companies Index surging 40.1%, reflecting investor confidence in local and foreign company prospects amid a complex regional and global economic backdrop.

    24 August 2026 · Weekend Post →

Weekend Post — Botswanan press coverage · Botswana Minute