Botswana is charting a bold path toward economic transformation one driven by innovation, infrastructure, and private-sector energy. In a renewed alliance with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the country is unlocking billion-dollar strategies to diversify its economy and spark a new industrial era.


In a strategic pivot toward private sector-led industrialisation, Botswana has deepened its partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), aligning national development priorities with regional financing and expertise. The announcement came after high-level talks in Gaborone on April 15 between Botswana’s Vice President and Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe and AfDB’s Southern Africa Director General Leila Mokaddem.

Gaolathe outlined Botswana’s roadmap to economic renewal, highlighting key priorities such as digitisation, agricultural commercialisation, and reform of state-owned enterprises. These goals aim to shift the country’s economic engine from public spending to private-sector dynamism. Automotive manufacturing and high-tech investment were spotlighted as key industries for the next growth wave.

“The future of Botswana’s economy lies in the hands of its entrepreneurs and innovators,” Gaolathe said, emphasizing the role of AfDB as a catalyst for realising Vision 2036, the country’s long-term development blueprint.

AfDB officials echoed this vision. Mokaddem reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to building a resilient, inclusive, and diversified economy in Botswana through strategic financing and reform support. Her confidence was shared by Deputy Director General Moono Mupotola, who praised Botswana’s leadership in regional economic development.

A central pillar of the renewed collaboration is the Governance and Economic Resilience Support Programme (GERSP), backed by a potential $1 billion in funding. Of that, $304 million will be available in 2025 to enhance fiscal governance and scale up private sector investment. The package includes technical support to accelerate the implementation of public projects.

Water security also featured prominently in the dialogue, with the Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer Project on the table a 700-kilometre pipeline designed to bolster access to clean water and sanitation. Broader infrastructure upgrades in energy, transportation, and logistics are also part of the reform agenda, including roads, rail, and electricity transmission improvements.

AfDB highlighted its track record of successful investments in Botswana, including ventures like Lobatse Clay Works and Delta Automotive Technologies, as proof that public-private development finance can deliver sustainable growth.

With Vision 2036 as the guiding star, Botswana and AfDB are poised to transform bold plans into lasting progress anchored in partnership, powered by the private sector.