03 Sep 2026

The Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) has moved from strategy to implementation in its first six months, making notable progress on legislative reforms and land delivery for high-impact projects.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Dr Tshokologo Kganetsano, shared these updates during the BETP mid-term report and media roundtable on Wednesday.

“In six months, we have moved from strategy to structural enhancements and legislative reforms,” he said, explaining that this shift was part of the process to facilitate 186 identified high-impact projects.

He noted that it was not practical for all projects to be implemented simultaneously, adding that 60 per cent of them were private-sector-led.

Dr Kganetsano also addressed the misconception that public service lacks the capacity to deliver projects of such magnitude, noting that the BETP would prove it was possible.

Furthermore, he highlighted that the BETP was actively addressing the bureaucracy and red tape that historically inhibited performance.

The BTEP Secretariat and Senior Policy Adviser in the ministry, Ms Naledi Madala, stated that the programme had successfully unlocked land for investment and turned approvals into tangible delivery on the ground.

She explained that through "land labs," they resolved issues for government projects that had literally been prevented from moving forward due to a lack of land titles.

As a result, they have facilitated the granting of land titles to institutions like BUAN. She noted that the Special Economic Zone had also been affected, but through their intervention, 82 land parcels have now been issued with land titles.

“Now they are ready to start planning investments, something that was not possible before,” she said. Ms Madala added that they have facilitated projects in sectors such as tourism and education, with some already moving to the environmental impact assessment stage.

She observed that some of these unresolved land title projects dated back several years. Additionally, Ms Madala noted that they have publicised the 186 projects to potential investors and partners through the BTEP website, in collaboration with the BITC.

“I must say that we have seen a lot of activity on the BETP website from potential investors,” she said. Through the BETP, Botswana is targeting a cumulative investment of P514 billion by 2036, the creation of 512 000 jobs, and a significant reduction in the unemployment rate. The successful implementation of all 186 projects and initiatives will enable nine key sectors to deliver a more resilient and prosperous Botswana. ENDS