10 Aug 2026

The African Development Bank’s 2026 Botswana Country Focus Report has called for stronger project preparation, deeper domestic capital markets, better public investment management and greater private sector funding as key priorities for government reforms.

Speaking at the launch of the report in Gaborone on Monday, Vice President and Minister of Finance Mr Ndaba Gaolathe said government was aligning with the Bank to deepen institutional capacity and accelerate the mobilisation of capital for viable investments.

“Government and the ADB are in this sense breeding from the same school. Our institutions bring different instruments and expertise but the development direction is the same. The value of such a partnership can be seen in what remains within the country,” Mr Gaolathe said.

He said there was scope for sharper emphasis on execution and on the institutional capacity needed to move projects from preparation to financial close and implementation.  

“Execution, more execution, super execution, ultra-execution, mighty execution. Execution,” he said.

Mr Gaolathe added that government was building a more productive and diversified Botswana that was digitally enabled and better connected to markets beyond its borders.

“Opportunity, employment, empowerment and fulfilment must be widened as the economy grows,” he said.

The report comes amid pressure on Botswana’s economy, with weakness in the diamond market exposing the country’s continued reliance on a single commodity. Mr Gaolathe said the goal was to build a high-income, export-driven and people-centred economy where every citizen was empowered, employed and fulfilled.

African Development Bank, Deputy Director General Ms Moono Mupotola said the report was released at a critical time as Botswana navigates global macroeconomic headwinds since 2020.

She noted that vulnerabilities linked to dependence on the civil economy had been highlighted. According to the report, Botswana’s economy contracted by 0.77 per cent in 2025, reflecting weak demand and production.

Ms Mupotola said achieving goals under Vision 2036, the 12th National Development Plan and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme would require significant investment beyond traditional public finances.

“Cognisant of this, the Government of Botswana has indicated 60 percent private-sector-led projects under BTEP, with 116 private projects and an estimated total investment pipeline of P510 billion over the next decade,” she said. ENDS