05 Nov 2025

As part of the P40 billion requested for NDP 12, the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo says an estimated P36 billion from the proposed funds will go toward generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

In addition to meeting local demand, Ms Kenewendo says the objective was to also establish Botswana as a net exporter of energy supply to the region.

Ms Kenewendo said in order to play a pivotal role in driving economic development, her ministry intended to use the available resources to produce and supply electricity to both the local and regional market.

“The main focus is to ensure that we are able to generate for domestic need and be able to cater for the Southern Africa power pool. Further, the aim is to have an improved transmission infrastructure that will help us deliver electricity reliably to all customers in a safe and environmentally sensitive manner,” she said.

Presenting the Public Investment Programme (PIP) to Parliament on Tuesday, Kenewendo said from the proposed budget, an estimated P20 billion was required by the electricity sub-sector to build an electricity generation capacity of 4.8 gigawatts with optimal use of available green energy resources.

Additionally, Ms Kenewendo underscored the need for an efficient infrastructure for electricity transmission, which she said was estimated at P13.5 billion.

She regretted that the current infrastructure was dilapidated and inefficient, due to increasing demand.

Ms Kenewendo also said there was need to expand electricity network coverage to areas such as Kgalagadi South and North West regions.

She said enhancing the grid capacity, together with interconnectors would enable the country to realise its aspirations of being a net supplier in the region.

The minister further said all access household and rural electrification programmes would continue in NDP 12, which she said were currently at 76 per cent and 83 per cent respectively.

In order to accelerate household connections, she said the zero connection would continue through renewable energy initiatives.

For petroleum sector, Ms Kenewendo said government aspired to increase the national storage capacity from 62.5 million litres and 15 days supply cover by undertaking several capacity storage projects across the country.

“The aim is to increase national strategic capacity to at least 90 days during NDP 12 period through government’s completion of the long discussed projects, in particular, the Tshele Hill project, Ghanzi and Francistown storage capacities. Further, there are BETP initiatives anticipated to address the establishment of the provision for commercial buffer stock of 14 days.” she said.

She said the construction of biodiesel plants of 5000 litres daily capacity would contribute towards reducing the sector’s carbon footprint.

Ms Kenewendo said from the P2.2 billion required, the private sector would contribute P18 million while the rest of the budget would be funded by government.

On other issues, she noted that there were plans on developing a synthetic diamonds policy in order to address competition between natural and lab-grown diamonds, to ensure enhanced market share for natural diamonds.

“It is expected to contribute to ensuring increased market share for natural diamonds, but in particular to guide, educate and defend our customers from value lost from the synthetic diamonds,” she noted.

 Ms Kenewendo said her ministry would invest on assessment of rivers to ensure safe and environmentally friendly practices were used to mine sand. She noted that upholding the highest standards of safety and environment in mining was essential to maximise economic benefit from the sector. ENDS