Africa · Arrival Guide
Just Landed in Botswana? Your First 7 Days
Botswana is calm, orderly and one of Africa's safest and least corrupt countries, so settling in is smoother than most of the region. Gaborone is small and spread out, cash and mobile money still run daily life, and almost everyone speaks English, so your first tasks are a local SIM, a bank account and sorting reliable transport before your feet find their rhythm.
999 / 997
Police 999 · Ambulance 997 · Fire 998
Gaborone
Botswana Pula (BWP)
English (official), Setswana (national)
+267
Getting your bearings in Botswana
Landing in Botswana is often quieter than newcomers expect. Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone is compact, immigration is straightforward, and the drive into town takes you past wide open scrub and low buildings rather than a dense city skyline. The country is roughly the size of France but home to only about 2.6 million people, so even the capital feels low-rise and unhurried. Most of your official errands, from banking to permits, happen at a relaxed pace, and you will quickly learn that pushing hard rarely speeds anything up.
The places newcomers actually live cluster in a handful of spots. Gaborone in the south-east is where most expats, embassies, mining-company staff and NGO workers settle. Francistown in the north-east is the second city and a gateway to Zimbabwe. Maun, in the north-west near the Okavango Delta, draws tourism and safari workers, while Jwaneng and Orapa are diamond-mining towns with company housing. Outside these centres the country is vast, arid Kalahari, where services thin out and self-reliance matters.
Language is rarely a barrier. English is the official language of government, business, banking and signage, so you can handle almost every administrative task in English. Setswana is the national language spoken by most people day to day, and learning even a few greetings transforms how warmly you are received. Batswana are famously courteous, and a proper greeting before any request is not optional politeness but the expected way to begin.
What surprises people most is the mix of modern and improvised. You can pay for groceries by card at a smart mall, then need exact Pula coins for a shared kombi minutes later. Load-shedding power cuts, occasional water interruptions in summer, and long distances between towns all shape daily life. The upside is a genuine sense of safety, space and stability that many arrivals from busier or tenser countries find a relief.
Your first 48 hours
The essentials to sort out the moment you land in Botswana.
- 1
Buy a SIM and register it
Grab a Mascom, Orange or beMobile (BTC) SIM at the airport or any mall kiosk. SIM registration is mandatory, so bring your passport; the agent captures your details on the spot. Ask them to load a starter data bundle so you can use maps and ride-hailing straight away, and note that toll-free emergency numbers only work from a local SIM.
- 2
Get Pula in cash
Withdraw Pula from an ATM or exchange at a bureau on arrival. First National Bank (FNB), Absa, Standard Chartered and Stanbic all have machines at the airport and in the malls. Many kombis, street vendors and small shops are cash-only, so keep small notes and coins on you for your first days.
- 3
Arrange your ride from the airport
Sir Seretse Khama International has no rail or scheduled public bus into town. Pre-book a hotel shuttle, or use a metered airport taxi and agree the fare first, roughly P150 to central Gaborone. If you have data, Yango or inDrive will usually be cheaper and set the price in the app.
- 4
Save emergency and key contacts
Store police 999, ambulance 997 and fire 998, plus your embassy, employer and landlord. Public ambulance response can be slow, so also save a private provider such as MRI (Medical Rescue International). Response times outside Gaborone can be much longer, so know your nearest private clinic too.
- 5
Confirm your residence and work permit steps
If you arrived on a visa or visa exemption, check the endorsement and entry dates stamped in your passport. Confirm with your employer or an immigration agent exactly what you must file for a residence and work permit, and by when. Missing the window while your entry status lapses can create real problems, so treat this as urgent.
- 6
Check in with your employer or sponsor
Most expats arrive with a job or posting, and your employer usually handles the heavy lifting on permits and sometimes housing. Meet your HR or relocation contact early, hand over passport copies and photos, and confirm who is submitting what. A clear paper trail here saves weeks of confusion later.
- 7
Sort somewhere to sleep for the first fortnight
Quality furnished rentals are limited and rarely available same-day, so book a guesthouse, serviced apartment or Airbnb for one to two weeks. This gives you a base to view properties, meet agents and get a feel for suburbs before committing to a 12-month lease you cannot easily exit.
- 8
Buy bottled water and basic supplies
Gaborone's tap water is generally treated and drinkable, but supply can be interrupted in summer and many newcomers prefer bottled or filtered water at first. Stock a few days of essentials, a torch and a power bank, since load-shedding and occasional outages are a normal part of life here.
Your first week checklist
- Register your Mascom, Orange or beMobile SIM with your passport and load a data bundle so you can use maps, banking apps and ride-hailing straight away.
- Confirm exactly what your employer or immigration agent is submitting for your residence and work permit, and note every deadline in your calendar.
- Book a guesthouse or serviced apartment for one to two weeks so you have a stable base while you hunt for a longer-term rental.
- Start viewing rentals early through agents, Facebook groups and Property Botswana, and never pay a deposit before seeing the property and signing a written lease.
- Open the account setup process with a bank such as FNB, Absa or Stanbic, gathering your passport, permit and proof of address ready for when your permit is issued.
- Sort a reliable way to get around: install Yango and inDrive, learn the nearest kombi routes, and begin looking into buying or importing a car if you will need one.
- Take out or activate private medical aid with emergency evacuation cover, and save a private provider like MRI alongside the 997 ambulance number.
- Buy household basics, bottled water for the first days, a torch and a power bank to cope with occasional load-shedding and water interruptions.
- Introduce yourself to neighbours, colleagues and any expat or community WhatsApp groups, which are the fastest route to trustworthy local recommendations.
Getting connected
Mobile data is the default way to get online. 4G is solid across Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and the main towns but thins out fast in rural and Kalahari areas, where you may drop to 3G or nothing. Fixed home fibre and LTE exist in Gaborone through providers like BTC and Mascom, but for your first weeks a prepaid data bundle is simplest. Prepaid SIM registration is compulsory and requires your passport.
Typical cost: Prepaid SIM around P10-P20; monthly data bundles roughly P100-P300 depending on volume; home fibre packages from about P400-P900/month.
Money & banking
The currency is the Pula, which means rain, and coins are called thebe. Cards work fine at malls, supermarkets, fuel stations and hotels in the cities, but cash and mobile money are essential for kombis, street vendors, markets and anywhere outside the main towns. Carry small denominations, because change for large notes is not always available.
Opening an account: FNB, Absa, Standard Chartered and Stanbic are the most foreigner-friendly banks, with FNB's app and eWallet especially popular. Opening an account normally requires your passport, a valid residence or work permit and proof of address, so many newcomers wait until their permit is issued and rely on cash and a home-country card until then.
Cash: Cash is king for small daily spending, taxis, kombis and informal traders. Orange Money and Mascom MyZaka mobile wallets are widely used to pay bills, buy airtime and transfer money, even by people without a bank account, and many small businesses will send you their number to pay directly.
Tipping: Tipping is modest and appreciated but not obligatory. Around 10% at sit-down restaurants if service is not already included, small change for petrol attendants, car guards and porters, and a proper gratuity for safari guides and trackers at the end of a trip.
Registration & residency
Botswana has no general residents' address-registration scheme comparable to a European Anmeldung. Your legal obligations are immigration-based: enter lawfully, hold a valid permit for the reason you are staying, and keep it current. Foreign nationals should carry ID and may be asked to show a passport or permit at road checks or by immigration officers. Rather than registering an address, your energy should go into securing and renewing the correct residence and work permits within their validity windows.
Where: Department of Immigration and Citizenship (Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs) offices in Gaborone and regional towns.
Documents to keep handy:
- Passport with valid entry stamp or visa, plus several photocopies of the photo and stamp pages.
- Your work and residence permit paperwork, employer offer or sponsorship letter, and any immigration reference numbers.
- Passport-sized photographs (bring at least six) for permit, bank and SIM applications.
- Proof of address such as a lease or a utility bill once you have one, needed to open a bank account.
- Medical aid or international health insurance documents, including emergency evacuation cover details.
- Certified copies of qualifications, marriage and birth certificates if family members are joining you as dependants.
Getting around
Shared minibus taxis, known as kombis, run fixed routes for a few Pula and are the cheapest way around Gaborone, though they can be crowded, slow and stop only at set points. Metered 'special' taxis exist but usually have to be phoned or picked up at ranks rather than hailed on the street. Because the country is vast and towns are far apart, most established residents end up buying a car, and a used vehicle imported from Japan via Durban is the common route.
From the airport: Sir Seretse Khama International Airport is about 15 km and 20 minutes from central Gaborone. Your options are a hotel shuttle, a pre-booked or rank airport taxi (agree the fare first, around P150), or Yango and inDrive if you have data, which are usually cheaper. There is no train or scheduled public bus link from the airport into the city.
Finding a home
Most expats rent freestanding houses or townhouses in Gaborone suburbs such as Phakalane, Broadhurst, the Village and the numbered Extensions, frequently in gated complexes with a shared pool and security. Listings appear on Facebook groups, through estate agents like Pam Golding and RE/MAX, and on portals such as Property Botswana. Supply of good furnished homes is limited, so start viewing early and be ready to move quickly on a decent place.
Typical rent: A modest one to two bedroom flat runs roughly P4,000-P8,000/month; a comfortable family house in a good suburb P10,000-P20,000+/month, more for large furnished homes in gated estates.
Deposit norm: Usually one to two months' rent as a deposit plus the first month upfront; leases are commonly 12 months, and agents may ask for proof of income or an employer letter.
Healthcare
Public clinics and hospitals are cheap or free but stretched, with long waits and limited specialist care; complex or serious cases are often referred to South Africa. Private facilities in Gaborone, such as Bokamoso Private Hospital, Gaborone Private Hospital and Sidilega, offer good standards and are where most expats go for anything beyond the routine.
How to access it: For non-emergencies, book directly with a private GP or clinic and pay upfront or via medical aid. For emergencies, call 997 for a public ambulance or, more reliably in Gaborone, a private service such as MRI (Medical Rescue International), who also handle emergency evacuation to South Africa if needed.
Insurance: Private medical aid is strongly recommended and often bundles MRI emergency evacuation cover. Botswana Medical Aid Society (BOMAID), Pula Medical Aid and BPOMAS are the main local schemes; expats frequently add international cover so that treatment in South Africa or repatriation is included.
Culture & etiquette
- Greetings matter enormously: say 'Dumela rra' to a man or 'Dumela mma' to a woman, and ask how someone is before getting to business.
- Use your right hand, or both hands, when giving or receiving money and objects; supporting your right forearm with your left hand shows respect.
- Botswana is relaxed and polite; keep your voice down, avoid public displays of anger and never rush a transaction, as impatience reads as rudeness.
- Dress fairly conservatively outside nightlife; smart-casual is expected for offices, and modest attire matters for churches, funerals and government appointments.
- Accept hospitality graciously; if offered tea or food when visiting, taking a little is polite, and bringing a small gift when invited to a home is appreciated.
- Show deference to elders and chiefs (dikgosi), who still hold real authority in the kgotla (community meeting) and in traditional settings.
- Learn a handful of Setswana phrases beyond greetings, such as 'ke a leboga' (thank you); the effort is warmly received even when English would do.
Things to watch out for
- Do not photograph people without asking, and avoid photographing government buildings, police, military sites or the president's image.
- Same-sex relationships are legal since 2019, but attitudes remain conservative and public affection between same-sex couples can draw hostility.
- Be patient and deferential in traditional or rural settings; interrupting elders or bypassing local protocol causes offence.
- Avoid loud public criticism of the country, its leaders or its institutions, which is considered disrespectful even in casual settings.
Apps to download before you land
Yango
Ride-hailing with app-set fares in Gaborone; usually cheaper than rank taxis.
inDrive
Ride-hailing where you name your fare and drivers accept or counter.
Orange Money / MyZaka
Mobile-money wallets for paying bills, buying airtime and transferring cash.
FNB Botswana
Mobile banking, transfers and eWallet payments without a card.
Default channel for landlords, businesses, schools and community groups.
Google Maps
Navigation around Gaborone and between towns; download offline maps for rural travel.
Facebook / Facebook Marketplace
Where rentals, secondhand cars, furniture and expat community groups actually live.
Where newcomers live
Where you settle depends on your job and budget. Gaborone holds most expat life and is split into leafy older suburbs, newer gated estates and busy commercial districts. Francistown, Maun and the mining towns suit specific postings. Within Gaborone, choose by commute, security preference and whether you want a house with a garden or a lock-up-and-go townhouse near the malls.
Phakalane
An upmarket gated estate north of the city built around a golf course, popular with executives and diplomats. Large modern houses, good security and a relaxed suburban feel, but you will need a car for almost everything.
The Village
One of Gaborone's oldest and greenest suburbs, close to the University of Botswana and the city centre. A settled, established feel with mature trees, a mix of older houses and rentals, and easy access to town.
Broadhurst
A large, central residential and commercial area with malls, offices and clinics. Convenient and well connected by kombi, with everything from modest flats to family homes, making it a practical first landing spot.
Extensions (e.g. Ext 9, 11, 12)
The numbered central Extensions sit near the CBD, government offices and embassies. Handy for short commutes and walkable to some amenities, popular with professionals who want to be close to work.
Mokolodi / Kgale View
Quieter areas on the southern edge near Kgale Hill and the nature reserve. More space, nature on the doorstep and newer developments, suited to families happy to drive into town.
Maun
A dusty, characterful town in the north-west and the gateway to the Okavango Delta. Best for safari, tourism and conservation workers who want delta access rather than city amenities.
What things cost
Botswana is moderately priced for the region but imported goods carry a steep premium, since much comes overland from South Africa. Rent, fuel and local food are reasonable, while electronics, cars and imported groceries feel expensive. A single professional can live comfortably in Gaborone on a middle-income salary, though gated-estate housing and international schooling push family budgets up quickly. Figures below are typical Gaborone prices in Pula.
Staying safe & avoiding scams
Botswana is one of Africa's safest countries, so you are far more likely to meet petty crime than violence: household break-ins, car theft and bag-snatching happen in Gaborone and Francistown, so use gated or secured accommodation, lock up at night and avoid flashing phones, laptops or cash. Take the same care with unmetered airport and rank taxis, which occasionally overcharge new arrivals, and with mobile-money 'wrong number' reversal scams and fake rental deposits requested before any viewing. Away from the cities, distances are huge and help is far off, so carry water, keep your fuel topped up and watch for animals on the roads, especially at dusk. Save police 999, ambulance 997 and a private service like MRI, and keep your embassy number handy.
Newcomers are common targets. Know these before you arrive — and read our guide to avoiding immigration scams.
Airport and taxi overcharging
Unmetered taxis at the airport and at ranks sometimes quote inflated fares to obvious new arrivals, occasionally double the going rate. Agree the price before you get in, ask your hotel what a fair fare is, or use Yango or inDrive where the app fixes the fare and you can see the route.
Mobile money 'wrong number' reversal
Scammers claim they sent Orange Money or MyZaka to your number by mistake and plead with you to send it back. The original transfer is fake, spoofed or later reversed, so you end up out of pocket. Never send money to 'reverse' a payment you did not knowingly receive; check your real balance and ignore the story.
Fake rental listings and agents
Bogus houses posted in Facebook groups demand a deposit or 'holding fee' before any viewing, then vanish. Never pay before seeing the property in person, verifying the landlord's identity and title, and signing a proper written lease. Be wary of agents with no physical office, no company registration and only a WhatsApp number.
Advance-fee and job or romance scams
Offers of easy jobs, inheritances or business deals that require an upfront fee, and online romances that quickly ask for money, are common regional scams. Any request to pay a fee to receive a larger sum is fraudulent, so never send money to someone you have not met and verified.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register my address after arriving?
No. Botswana has no compulsory residents' address-registration system like a European Anmeldung. Your key legal duty is to hold and keep valid your residence or work permit and to carry ID. Focus your effort on immigration paperwork rather than address registration.
Can I open a bank account as a new arrival?
Usually only once you have a residence or work permit. Banks such as FNB, Absa, Standard Chartered and Stanbic require your passport, permit and proof of address. Until yours is issued, most newcomers rely on cash, mobile money and a home-country card.
Is Botswana safe for expats?
Yes, it is among the safest and most stable countries in Africa, with low corruption and little violent crime against foreigners. Petty theft, break-ins and opportunistic crime do exist in the cities, so take normal precautions, use gated or secured accommodation and don't flash valuables at night.
Can I get by in English?
Yes. English is an official language used in government, business, banking and signage, so you can handle almost every task in it. Learning a few Setswana greetings, especially 'Dumela rra' and 'Dumela mma', is warmly received and smooths daily interactions.
How do I get around without a car?
In Gaborone, shared kombis run fixed routes for a few Pula, and Yango or inDrive cover door-to-door trips affordably. Between towns, intercity buses and combis link the main centres. That said, most long-term residents eventually buy a car because distances are large and public transport is limited.
Is the tap water safe to drink?
Gaborone's municipal water is treated and generally safe, though supply can be interrupted, especially in summer. Many newcomers still prefer bottled or filtered water at first while their stomachs adjust. In rural areas, treat or bottle your water to be safe.
What is load-shedding and should I worry about it?
Botswana imports much of its power and occasionally rations electricity through scheduled cuts called load-shedding. Outages can last a few hours, so keep a torch, a power bank and some cash on hand. Many estates and businesses have backup generators, and the situation varies by season.
How do I bring or buy a car?
Many residents import used cars, often right-hand-drive vehicles from Japan shipped through Durban and driven up, then registered locally. Buying secondhand within Botswana via Facebook Marketplace or dealers is simpler for newcomers. Botswana drives on the left, and you can usually use a valid foreign or international licence for an initial period before converting.
What should I know about permits and my family?
Work and residence permits are employer-linked and processed through the Department of Immigration. Spouses and children are usually added as dependants on your permit rather than holding their own work rights. Confirm the exact requirements with your employer or an immigration agent early, as processing can take weeks.
Where do expats usually live in Gaborone?
Common choices are Phakalane for gated-estate living, the Village and Broadhurst for central and established suburbs, and the numbered Extensions for short commutes near the CBD. Families often favour quieter southern areas near Kgale Hill. Your ideal spot depends on commute, budget and whether you want a house or a townhouse.
Planning the move, not just the landing?
This guide covers your first days on the ground. If you’re still weighing visas and pathways to Botswana, start with a free eligibility assessment.
