Business Landscape
BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
AN INSIGHT INTO DOING BUSINESS IN BOTSWANA
A series dedicated to giving you insights of the law and how it intersects with socio-economic dynamics in Botswana, giving a breakdown of what to expect when doing business in the country.

The recent changes in employment law are significant. They have consolidated all the labour laws into one piece of legislation and codified some of the common law and International Labour Organization principles. The new law also increased the statutory leave days, adding 3 days of family responsibility leave, union leave and paternity leave. Maternity leave has also been increased from 12 to 14 weeks, with confinement increased from 6 to 8 weeks. An adoption leave has also been introduced. All these will have a strain on business expenditure and therefore must be provisioned for in the financials of a business. / Read more

OLEBILE MUZILA
PARTNER | DRD
E: olebile@bookbinderlaw.co.bw

TEFO GAONGALELWE
PARTNER | DRD
E: tefo@bookbinderlaw.co.bw

The Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) Regulations of 2024 effectively shut the door on non-citizen entities importing 90% of petroleum, to reserve it for Botswana Oil Limited, for national security.

The effect of this move was that the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the energy sector declined. The sector experienced market shrinkage with UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and IMF data recording inflows of US$ 361m as at the end of Q3 of 2025 compared to US$ 708m that was invested in 2022. This has the effect of deterring renewable energy investors, who had reportedly been eyeing investments in solar and green hydrogen. / Read more

ANDRE BELL
PARTNER | CD
E: andre@bookbinderlaw.co.bw

TEBOGO MAPITSE
PARTNER | CD
E: tebogo@bookbinderlaw.co.bw

PROCUREMENT AND BUSINESS IN BOTSWANA - BUSINESS FACILITATION BY THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT -

The Public Procurement Act of 2021, enacted in April 2022, introduced e-procurement to clean up debris left behind by its predecessor, the Public Procurement & Asset Disposal Act, under which accusations of cronyism marred the tender process. A transparent tendering process promotes Foreign Direct Investment, especially for infrastructure projects. The World Bank’s US$ 88 million Renewable Energy Support and US$ 145.5 million Water Security projects loved the clarity1, but centralization of power poisoned the well. / Read more

MSIYA KINDIANO
PARTNER | DRD
E: msiya@bookbinderlaw.co.bw

KELEBILEONE MALEFO
PARTNER | DRD
E: kelebileone@bookbinderlaw.co.bw