27 Aug 2026

Francistown City Council is making significant strides in renewable energy and economic diversification as part of efforts to position the city as the Gateway to the North.

Addressing a full Council meeting on Monday, Francistown mayor Mr Gaone Majere said the council has completed solar installations at nine primary schools under the Green Energy Transition Programme. The schools are Tagala, Mahudiri, Lekgaba, Pelotshwaana, Phatsimo, Ikhutseng, Maradu, Phase IV and Monarch, with the latter awaiting commissioning by Botswana Power Corporation. Mr Majeere said installations were also underway at the fire station and at the Francistown Centre for the Deaf.

The mayor noted that the project was already yielding savings. 

“Prior to installation of solar power, council paid BPC an average of P10,000 per month and currently the commissioned schools pay an average of P300,” he said, adding that the initiative aligned with the national energy policy’ shift from coal to renewable energy.

On economic diversification, Mr Majere reported that businesses in Francistown recorded a total turnover of P31 million between April and June, with the services sector leading with 73.8 per cent of turnover, followed by manufacturing at 22.6 per cent.

He highlighted two CEDA-funded projects facilitated by the council: a bottle recycling project that has created 10 permanent jobs, and an ecotourism project currently at implementation stage. Both are expected to boost employment and support the green economy.

A key development is the resuscitation of the horticultural market facility through CEDA’s Letsema Horticulture Market Initiative. Mr Majere said the market, located near the Francistwon fire station, will connect local farmers to wholesale buyers and strengthen the horticultural value chain, citing that CEDA will also develop an informal sector trading area adjacent to Tebelopele to support horticultural traders.

“These initiatives bring us closer to our objective of positioning Francistown as a gateway and hub of the north, while ensuring that economic opportunities are inclusive,” Mr Majere said.

Mr Majere said the council has also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the northern cluster of councils and with the Francistown Academic Hospital to enhance regional cooperation and healthcare delivery.

ends