Can foreigners own businesses in Botswana? - 2023 (2024)

FAQs

Can foreigners own businesses in Botswana? ›

Foreigners who wish to operate a business in the country are required to register and obtain the relevant licenses and permits as prescribed by the Trade Act of 2008.

Botswana also has a big diamond industry, and is the continent's richest country, maintaining one of the most stable democracies in Africa. This is great news for expats moving to Botswana, providing promise of a stable economy with a GDP of US$15.78 billion dollars, a good job market and an affordable cost of living.

Due to the country's small population and low supply of skilled workers, Botswana does not have enough experienced managers and technical experts to help run many of the companies that would otherwise invest in the country.

Significant mineral (diamond) wealth, good governance, prudent economic management, and a relatively small population of about 2.4 million (2021), have made it an upper middle-income country with an agenda of becoming a high-income country by 2036.

Botswana has one work visa, also known as a work permit, for all foreign employees working in the country under the Employment of the Non-Citizens Act. Employers cannot engage an employee unless they hold a valid Botswana work permit or a certificate of exemption.

Foreigners can buy property in Gaborone, Phakalane, Lobatse, F/town and some other areas outside Tribal Territories. Foreigners can also buy any freehold land or property. In Botswana it is illegal to buy unimproved land or plot unless it is freehold property.

You can also be on dual citizenship if you were born by foreign citizens who later acquired Botswana citizenship and registered you as a citizen of Botswana before attaining the age of twenty one (21).

Botswana offers several residency by investment schemes for foreign investors. The eligibility of the applicants depends on a point-based system, developed by the government.

Summary: Family of four estimated monthly costs are 1,676.3$ (21,610.8P) without rent. A single person estimated monthly costs are 468.6$ (6,041.8P) without rent. Cost of living in Botswana is, on average, 52.8% lower than in United States.

Due to the country's small population and low supply of skilled workers, Botswana does not have enough experienced managers and technical experts to run many of the companies that would otherwise invest in the country.

Why small businesses fail in Botswana? ›

The failure rate for small businesses in Botswana is estimated at 80 per cent with lack of capital being the major challenge facing the businesses, says South African business consultant, Ms Indigene Harris.

According to the Index, Botswana is responsible for 0.2% of the world's corporate tax abuse risks.

White Africans make up about 3% of the population. The majority of people speak the languages of their respective ethnic groups which include: Kalanga, Kgalagadi, Shona, Mbukushu, and Ndebele. Setswana is the national language and English is the official language of Botswana.

It reported that 61% of citizens lived in slums, which means that Botswana has a high prevalence of slums. Generally, the prevalence of slums is higher in countries that rely on government land distribution like Botswana.

U.S. citizens are permitted stays up to 90 days total within a 12-month period without a visa. The total stay permitted for each visit is recorded on the entry stamp by Botswana immigration officials and may be less than 90 days.

Foreign nationals are allowed to stay in Botswana for a period of 90 days without applying for a residence or work permit. If visitors want to stay in Botswana for longer than 90 days, they will have to apply for an extension to stay beyond the validity period.

Botswana has over the years consistently ranked highly on economic and development indicators compiled by internationally recognized rating agencies such as: Business report. Transparency International. Ease of Doing Business Report (World Bank)

How do I become a citizen of Botswana? ›

Who is eligible? All foreigners who have resided in Botswana for an aggregate period of not less than ten years and have resided in Botswana for a continuous period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of application.

Can you have triple citizenship? Yes, you may hold citizenship in three countries. The same rules apply as for dual citizenship — not every country allows for multiple citizenships, so you would need to check whether your country of origin permits triple citizenship.

The Botswana Blue Card will allow persons who have renounced Botswana citizenship to retain the right to unlimited stay in Botswana. Botswana Blue Card holders will have the right to visit, live and work in Botswana. However, they will not be entitled to Omang and Botswana Passport.

What is the penalty for overstaying in Botswana, i.e. for more than 90 days? The charge of overstay in terms of the Immigration Act is P100 for each day of overstay.

Old age pension is for Botswana citizens only who are 65 years old and above. Currently, the pension allowance is BWP530.00 per month.

The applicant must be a company limited by share capital and corporated under the Companies Act, as per Section 8(1) of the Banking Act. The statutory minimum start-up capital is P5 million. The prudential capital adequacy ratio is 12.5 percent.

Botswana offers universal healthcare to all its citizens. A nominal fee may be charged for some services in the public sector, but sexual reproductive health services and antiretroviral therapy services are free. Healthcare professionals working in public hospitals are generally well trained.

The 2021 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index gave Botswana a corruption perceptions index score of 55, where 100 is the most clean and 0 is the most corrupt.

Why businesses are not successful in Africa? ›

“Harsh economic environments, lack of access to capital, and poor business practices have stunted the growth and transition of micro-businesses; apart from these, African MSMEs are majorly a one-person show, they often don't grow to employ more labour, and they don't scale to out-live their founders or become ...

Having governed through several decades of growth and development, the BDP enjoys significant political capital. However, high levels of unemployment (26% in early 2022) and inequality (10th highest Gini coefficient in the world) could challenge social stability.

According to the discussion paper, the high inequality levels could possibly be attributed to the fact that the mineral sector which drives the economy is highly capital intensive and employs a very small proportion of the labour force, yet this sector accounts for more than one third of GDP, about 70 – 80% of export ...

Abstract. Even as the struggle of the San for land rights and human rights in southern Africa is beginning to catch the attention of the international community, social ills such as economic dependency, alcoholism, malnutrition, and societal breakdown continue to threaten their survival.

Botswana can be an incredibly affordable place to live, especially if expats manage their finances well. Gaborone ranks low on Mercer's Cost of Living Survey, and is more affordable than most of the 200 other listed cities. Its favourable exchange rate also attracts people from the US, the UK and Europe.

However, what soon followed was a mass immigration to the safety and white rule of South Africa, which is the African country known to have the largest white population, currently with 1,755,100 British-South Africans.

Botswana is well known for having some of the best wilderness and wildlife areas on the African continent. 38% of its total land area are devoted to national parks, reserves and wildlife management areas.

What is the safest country in Africa? ›

Mauritius. According to the GPI, Mauritius is the safest country in Africa. The island nation located off the southeast coast of Africa ranks 28^th in the world and has a GPI score of 1.570. Mauritius has a low crime rate and violent crime in Mauritius is extremely rare.

South Africa's 60 million population remains one of the most productive on the continent. The country has the second-largest economy in Africa, after Nigeria, and is also unarguably the most industrialised nation in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the nearly five decades since, Botswana has transformed itself, moving into the ranks of upper middle-income status to become one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with an average annual growth rate of about 9 percent. Botswana takes pride in its mature democracy.

Let's take a tour of the world's biggest slums: Khayelitsha in Cape Town (South Africa): 400,000. Kibera in Nairobi (Kenya): 700,000. Dharavi in Mumbai (India): 1,000,000.

In Botswana, businesses must have a business license and register with the government. This process can be time-consuming and may be difficult to complete if you do not have previous experience. Make sure your business has all the necessary documents before beginning operations.

Generally, there are no citizenship or residence requirements for ownership of a C Corporation or an LLC — yes, a foreigner can be part of an LLC in the U.S. The same, however, can't be said for S Corporations.

Small business grants for immigrants are offered through government agencies and are given after the business owner writes a grant proposal or business plan.

Is Botswana good for business? ›

Botswana is one of Africa's success stories, having built on a booming diamond industry to reduce poverty and provide its citizens with some of Africa's highest living standards. According to Doing Business, it is also a very friendly place for entrepreneurs, ranking 12th out of 185 countries.

Due to the country's small population and low supply of skilled workers, Botswana does not have enough experienced managers and technical experts to run many of the companies that would otherwise invest in the country.

The Business Permit is an important compliance document for businesses in the Philippines. Registered businesses should not be operating without having an up-to-date Business Permit or else they will face potential sanctions including fines, penalties and business closure.

How much does it cost? The cost to apply for the residence permit is BWP 1500.00.