16 Feb 2026

Zimbabweans continue to dominate Botswana’s work permit landscape, accounting for over half of the country’s total permits issued, according to the latest Statistics Botswana figures.

The numbers, which reflect a gradual recovery from COVID-19 lows, highlight a continued reliance on foreign labour, particularly in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors, as well as education, wholesale and retail, and human health and social work.

Statistics Botswana’s February report indicates that, from a total of 5 314 permits recorded at the end of 2023, there were 2 921 Zimbabwean work permit holders, more than half of all permit holders in the country.

The new figures released this month further show that work permit numbers have been gradually increasing since the COVID-19 period, when permits declined to 3 409 in 2021 from 5 766 recorded in 2017, with Zimbabweans maintaining their dominance.

The report also indicates that the majority of work permit holders were employees, accounting for 4 462 of the total.

Apart from Zimbabwe, other work permit holders were from African countries including South Africa, Zambia, Malawi and Ghana, with figures ranging from less than one per cent to seven per cent.

From outside the African continent, the majority were from the Indian sub-continent at 9.6 per cent, while other Asian countries were also represented. Both British and other European nationals contributed less than one per cent.

As for the distribution of employee work permit holders by training, at the end of 2023, employees with no formal training accounted for 54.3 per cent.

Degree holders followed at 31 per cent, while diploma holders accounted for 11.1 per cent, followed by employees with basic training programmes.

In analysing work permit trends, Statistics Botswana notes that total permits have generally been declining, which it attributes to skills transfer policies aimed at empowering citizens. ENDS