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Flag of Botswana

Botswana

Southern Africa

Capital
Gaborone
Population
2.5 million (2023)
Currency
Botswanan Pula BWP
Plugs
DGM 230 V
Drives on the
left
Local time
Botswana highlighted on a globe

Plugs and voltage

Type G socket, as found in Botswana Type G Type M socket, as found in Botswana Type M

Botswana uses Types G and M sockets; Type D is also found. Mains supply is 230 V at 50 Hz.

At 230 V, devices made only for 100–127 V (many American and Japanese hair dryers, curling irons and some shavers) will be damaged without a step-down converter. Chargers labelled “100–240V” work fine with just a plug adapter.

Money

P Botswanan Pula BWP

Average in 2025: 1 USD = 13.50 BWP (World Bank). No daily reference rate is published for this currency by the ECB; check a live rate before exchanging.

Price level 39 (US = 100, 2025)

Everyday household prices in Botswana are about 39% of US prices when converted at market exchange rates: cheaper than the median country (50). All countries

Language

  • Englishofficial81%
  • Tswanaofficial62%

Bars show the share of the population that speaks each language (CLDR estimates).

Time

Botswana is on UTC+2, with no daylight saving time.

Driving

Traffic in Botswana drives on the left, so the steering wheel is on the right. All left-driving countries

Public holidays in the next 12 months

16 national public holidays from 2 November 2026. Banks, offices and many shops close; regional holidays are not shown. Dates marked “estimated” follow a lunar calendar and can move by a day.

December 2026

  • Christmas Day
  • Boxing Day
  • Boxing Day Holiday

January 2027

  • New Year's Day
  • New Year's Day Holiday

March 2027

  • Good Friday
  • Holy Saturday
  • Easter Monday

May 2027

  • Labour Day
  • Labour Day Holiday
  • Ascension Day

July 2027

  • Sir Seretse Khama Day
  • President's Day
  • President's Day Holiday

September 2027

  • Botswana Day

October 2027

  • Botswana Day Holiday

Travel advisories

United States · State Department

Level 2 Exercise increased caution

Read the full advisory. Checked 2026-11-02.

United Kingdom · FCDO

No warnings The FCDO does not advise against travel to Botswana.

Updated 2026-06-01. Read the full advice. Checked 2026-11-02.

Advisories are written for each government's own citizens and change without notice: read the original before you travel.

Other practical facts

Calling code
+267
Internet domain
.bw
Measurement
Metric
Paper size
A4
Week starts on
Sunday
Read more
Wikipedia
Coat of arms or emblem of Botswana
Coat of arms / emblem

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Flag: Flag of Botswana.svg, Public domain. Arms: Coat of arms of Botswana.svg, Public domain. Electricity: resolved by intl.life from three sources, see methodology.