Botswana at a Glance

Trade and Investment

• Botswana is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
• The diamond industry accounts for 80 percent of exports and 40 percent of government revenue.
• By value, Botswana is the largest diamond producer in the world with an annual output of well over 30 million carats.
• Non-mining sectors expanding as a result of exchange control liberalisation, reduction of personal and company taxes, and the hiving off of some government activities to the private sector.
• Botswana's foreign exchange reserves are among the highest in the world, with a consistent pattern of trade surpluses

• The average year-on-year annual inflation was 12.6 and 7.1 percent in 2008 and 2007 respectively.

Environment

• The country is proud of its cosmopolitan and peaceful society.
• Botswana’s political system has remained the leading model of democracy in Southern Africa since Independence in 1966
• Botswana has good infrastructure, good internal and external communications, as well as telecommunication facilities.
• Road access to the major South African cities of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, as well as neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique is well established and electricity and water supplies for industrial use are readily available.
• Botswana's working force is English speaking and well educated.
• Industrial relations are good with no worker unrest or strikes. The minimum wage is P600 (about US $80) per month.
• Botswana enjoys macroeconomic stability characterised by low inflation , healthy budgets, positive foreign trade balances and stable exchange rates.
• Total labour productivity in the country has been on a modest rising trend since the mid-eighties.

Exchange Rates

• No exchange controls,
• Stable relationship between the South African Rand and the Botswana Pula, tax rates that are lowest in the SADC (southern Africa Development Community) and SACU (Southern Afrcian Customs Union), as well as preferential access to other markets.

Taxation

• Tax rates in Botswana are among the lowest in the world