Transportation & Infrastructure Guide
Public transit, airports, and getting around in Botswana
Public Transport
Road Infrastructure
Public Transport
3.2/10Basic public transport limited to combi minibuses and taxis in cities like Gaborone; no metro or urban rail systems. Regional BR Express trains connect Gaborone-Francistown nightly with limited frequency. Poor integration and coverage outside major towns; rural areas depend on informal services.[2][1]
Road Infrastructure
5.8/10Extensive 30,275 km network with ~33% bitumen highways along eastern populated corridor linking to neighbors; 35% gravel roads serve rural areas. Government maintains roads adequately but quality declining in some areas; urban conditions fair, traffic management basic. Upgrades ongoing to Zimbabwe/Namibia.[1][2][6]
Internet Speed
3.8/10Moderate internet speeds with urban broadband improving via fiber expansion; significant rural-urban gap persists. High mobile penetration benefits from South African proximity, but fixed internet lags. Usage at ~15% in older data, steadily increasing.[1]
Avg: 35.2+ Mbps • Limited to major cities like Gaborone; expanding but rural areas rely on mobile/ADSL
Airport Connectivity
5.2/10140 total airports (7 major/medium, 12 paved runways) provide strong domestic coverage for safari tourism; Sir Seretse Khama (GBE) handles international flights to Africa/Europe. Limited global hubs, moderate regional links via Air Botswana.[1][2][3]
Hubs: Sir Seretse Khama International (GBE, Gaborone), Kasane (BBK), Maun (MUB)
Transportation Costs
- Metro Pass
- N/A (no metro system)
- Bus Trip
- N/A (combi ~5-10 BWP per short ride)
- Taxi
- N/A (~10 BWP start + 5-8 BWP/km)
- High-speed Train
- N/A (no high-speed; BR Express ~100-200 BWP Gaborone-Francistown)
Mobile Network
Reliable mobile networks with high penetration (one of Africa's highest); 4G dominant, strong voice/data in cities, fair rural via 3G/4G fallback. Benefits from S.A. infrastructure proximity.[1]
Driving License
Foreign licenses valid 3 months with IDP (required for non-English); left-hand driving. Long-term residents (>3 months) must convert to Botswana license via test/exchange. Carry IDP with original license.[2]
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