The long-awaited Data Protection Act, Act No. 32 of 2018 (the Act) has finally come into effect. Previously, there was no legislation in Botswana that exclusively dealt with the protection of personal data.
Through the Data Protection Act (Commencement Date) Order, 2021 [S.I. No. 86 of 2021] published in the Government Gazette of 15 October 2021, the Act came into effect on 15 October 2021. However, a grace period of 1 (one) year has been given to any person processing personal data to allow them to conform with the provisions of the Act.