The Government of Botswana has announced the launch of the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), an initiative aimed at broadening the country’s economic base, reducing dependency on diamond exports, and strengthening long-term economic stability.
President Duma Boko, speaking at the programme’s unveiling in Gaborone, described the initiative as a framework for repositioning Botswana within a more globally integrated and diverse economic structure. The programme seeks to address key structural challenges by promoting investment, encouraging public sector reforms, and supporting sectors beyond mining.
According to the President, the programme is aligned with the government’s broader development agenda and is designed to foster an environment conducive to both domestic and international investment. The BETP is intended to leverage Botswana’s existing institutional strengths—such as legal transparency and political continuity—to attract economic activity and capital inflows.
A key feature of the initiative is a four-week national Call for Ideas campaign, supported by an online platform. The government has invited submissions from individuals and organisations across the public and private sectors, with the objective of sourcing proposals for projects and reforms that could contribute to the programme’s goals.
Botswana’s economic outlook in recent years has faced downward pressure. The World Bank’s April 2024 country update noted that GDP growth slowed to 3.2 percent in 2023 and is projected to contract by approximately 3.1 percent in 2024. The contraction is largely attributed to softening global demand for diamonds and a decline in production, which together have had a substantial impact on national revenues. As of the latest data, diamond exports account for more than 90 percent of the country’s total export earnings (World Bank, 2024).
In response to these developments, the BETP aims to support economic diversification by identifying and promoting alternative sectors such as renewable energy, digital infrastructure, financial services, and value-added manufacturing. The initiative also outlines measures to enhance Botswana’s regional and international economic partnerships.
Stakeholders have noted that the programme’s success will likely depend on the quality of proposals received, institutional coordination, and the capacity for consistent implementation. The government has stated that the most viable and impactful submissions will be shortlisted for integration into the programme’s operational framework.
While it remains to be seen how the initiative will evolve in practice, observers note that the programme reflects a broader regional trend toward economic diversification and resilience-building among resource-dependent economies. Additional information on submission processes and programme guidelines is available via the official BETP portal.
