Labor market in Botswana

Statistics Botswana’s preliminary Botswana Multi-Topic Household Survey 2024/25 counted 1,566,657 people aged 15 or older. Of these, 1,018,099 were in the labour force, 804,663 were employed and 213,437 were unemployed. The labour-force participation rate was 65%, the employment-to-population ratio was 51.4% and the unemployment rate was 21%. The extended unemployment rate, which also includes some people outside the standard unemployed category, was 27.3%. Among people aged 15 to 35, the unemployment rate was 28.9%; it was 30.7% for women and 27.2% for men. The survey is nationally representative, but its results are estimates subject to sampling error, and detailed sector results for this survey were still pending. The Quarterly Multi-Topic Survey for the first quarter of 2024 reported different figures: 1,041,204 people in the labour force, 754,146 employed, 287,059 unemployed and an unemployment rate of 27.6%. It also recorded 101,716 discouraged or relaxed job seekers and 59,661 people who were underemployed because they wanted more working time. These figures cannot be compared as if they came from one identical measurement period. Formal Sector Employment means employment counted in a registered business with formal books, at least five employees and a fixed location; household businesses are excluded. In the first quarter of 2024, this category contained 504,738 jobs. Citizens held 485,319 of them, or 96.2%, while non-citizens held 19,491, or 3.8%. Women held 54% of formal-sector jobs and men 46%. Formal Sector Employment is narrower than total employment, so it cannot simply be subtracted from the national employment figure to measure all informal work. The remaining activity includes informal employment, self-employment and other categories. Public administration was the largest recorded formal employer with 153,044 jobs, followed by education with 66,834 and wholesale, retail and motor-vehicle repair with 63,712. Health and social work, manufacturing, accommodation and food services, construction, agriculture, mining and information and communication technology also provided formal jobs. By occupation, elementary work accounted for 128,235 formal jobs and service and sales work for 126,060; technicians accounted for 70,072. This shows demand across lower- and middle-skill work as well as technical occupations, while professional qualifications remain relevant for higher-paid roles. Formal employment is geographically concentrated. In the first quarter of 2024, Gaborone recorded 94,567 formal jobs, Kweneng East 59,151 and Central Serowe 41,874. Francistown recorded 24,863, while Ngamiland East was reported at approximately 20,000. Access outside major formal centres is less uniform, so a job search may require contact with the relevant District Labour Office and consideration of travel or relocation. Economic change affects demand unevenly. Provisional real GDP declined by 0.7% in 2025, with mining declining by 14% and diamond traders by 17.6%. Wholesale and retail, finance and insurance, education, information and communication technology, and accommodation and food services recorded growth. Botswana’s diversification priorities include tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, health, energy, financial and business services, transport and logistics, and informal micro and small enterprises. The Human Resource Development Council operates the Labour Market Observatory, which provides the Labour Market Information Management System and its job seekers database. The Department of Employment Services registers citizen job seekers and employers, offers counselling and job matching, publishes employment trends and supports internship placement. Registration does not guarantee a job; placement depends on a suitable vacancy. Botswana’s qualifications system has ten National Credit and Qualifications Framework levels and covers general education, technical and vocational education and training, and higher education. The Botswana Qualifications Authority registers and quality-assures qualifications, assesses foreign qualifications and supports Recognition of Prior Learning when documents can be verified. Practical entry options include technical colleges, brigades, vocational training and apprenticeships. Apprenticeship access can require a minimum age of 16, an accepted school or trade qualification, English, a medical test, a sponsoring company and certified documents including an Omang. The duration commonly ranges from three to four years, depending on the vocation. The National Internship Programme is for unemployed citizen graduates under 35; placements can last up to two years, selection depends on factors such as vacancy, qualification and place of service, and applications generally require an Omang, qualifications, a CV and transcript. Average monthly earnings among wage earners in the formal sector were 7,143 pula in the first quarter of 2024. The average was 6,865 pula for citizens, 14,080 for non-citizens, 8,048 for men and 6,371 for women. Professionals averaged 21,935 pula, technicians 13,103, managers 10,124 and elementary occupations 1,445. These are averages for a defined formal-sector group, not a general median or a reliable measure of informal income. A reported minimum rate for security guards and cleaners was 9.06 pula per hour in November 2025, equivalent to about 2,120.04 pula per month on an eight-hour, 26-day calculation; sector-specific rules and collective bargaining can affect the applicable amount. Botswana’s labour-market institutions are distributed across several bodies. The Department of Labour and Social Security handles labour administration, the Department of Employment Services supports matching, the Department of Occupational Health and Safety handles workplace safety and the Department of Productivity and Competitiveness addresses productivity. A consolidated Employment and Labour Relations Act was announced with commencement planned for 1 September 2026, while implementing regulations were still being finalised in the available research. The Employment and Labour Relations Council supports social dialogue and minimum-wage matters, and the Mediation and Arbitration Commission handles labour disputes. Non-citizens generally need a work permit for employment. Applications go through the nearest Labour Office and commonly require a recent job advertisement, contract, appointment offer, signed application letter, CV, certified qualifications, passport photographs and profession-specific clearance. Foreign-language certificates require an English translation and confirmation from the Botswana Qualifications Authority. The stated processing period was 14 working days; renewals should be submitted about six months before expiry. An employment visa normally requires the work and residence permit, with a stated processing period of 7 to 14 working days. Emergency work permits cover immediate work or engagement for up to three months under the applicable procedure. In December 2023, 5,314 valid work-permit holders were recorded, including 4,462 employees and 852 self-employed people; agriculture and forestry, education, wholesale and retail, elementary work, professional work and technical work were prominent categories.