11 Nov 2026

The Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) presents a particularly important test of the national statistical capabilities as it prioritises projects that carry significant expectations for investment, employment, productivity and economic diversification.

Acting President Ndaba Gaolathe made the assertion when officially launching Statistics Botswana corporate strategic plan 2026-2030 in Tlokweng on November 12.

He said to distinguish between investment announced and investment realised, jobs projected and jobs actually created and projects launched and economic value delivered require credible baseline, consistent monitoring and discipline to adjust intervention where results fell short.

“Ultimately the credibility of our transformation agenda will rest not on what we promise but on what we can demonstrate and what Batswana experience in their daily lives. I equally welcome the strategy’s emphasis on institutional sustainability, sound governance, responsible resource management and performance accountability,” he said.

Mr Gaolathe said an institution entrusted with measuring national progress must demonstrate excellence in execution and accountability for results.

He said implementation must be deliberate, measurable and responsive and where progress slowed identify the obstacles and act and where innovation offered better solutions should be embraced.

Mr Gaolathe said by 2030 the success of the strategy should be visible in statistics that reach decision makers sooner, inform investment more effectively and enable government to account more credibly for the impact of its policies.

“Above all it must strengthen our ability to translate national ambition into tangible improvements in people’s lives. The figures we produce today will inform the choices we make tomorrow, but history will judge those choices by their consequences for our people,” he added.

He applauded Statistics Botswana board and management for developing a strategy that recognised the growing importance of credible evidence to Botswana’s development.

Mr Gaolathe said the true value of statistics lie not simply in their production or publication but in the ability to inform decisions, guide investment, anticipate challenges and ultimately improve people’s lives.

He said achieving BETP targets required knowledge of where jobs were emerging, which skills the economy needed and how competitive exports were and whether public services were reaching those who needed them most.

“Statistics must reach policymakers when decisions are being made, businesses when investments are being considered and citizens seeking to understand the direction of their country. I therefore welcome the four pillars of this Strategic Plan, which focus on statistical excellence and leadership, data use and impact, institutional resilience, and innovation,” said Mr Gaolathe.

For his part Statistician General, Dr Khaufelo Lekobane said the launch of the strategic document marked a renewed institutional ambition and commitment to making statistics matter more in the development of Botswana.

Dr Lekobane said government needed reliable evidence to formulate policies, allocate resources and assess results while businesses needed information to make investment decisions.
Additionally, he said researchers and citizens needed credible statistics to understand the conditions affecting their country.

“In this environment, producing statistics, although fundamental to our mandate, is no longer enough. We must ensure that statistics are trusted, accessible, understood and, most importantly, used,” he said.

Dr Lekobane highlighted that the transformation did not mean moving away from producing official statistics but building on the responsibility and taking greater leadership in how data was generated, integrated, managed, analysed and used across the country.

He said the strategy was aligned with NDP 12, BETP and its True North, Vision 2036 the SDGs and Agenda 2063.

Dr Lekobane said the responsibility was to provide trusted evidence needed to measure progress, identify development gaps and inform national priorities. ENDS