Science and technology in Botswana

Science, innovation and technology in Botswana covers the historical development of science policy, telecommunications, digital infrastructure, space technology, financial technology, and innovation ecosystems in Botswana, a landlocked country in southern Africa. The Republic of Botswana was one of the first countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to adopt a science and technology policy, doing so in 1998, and updated it in 2011. The country has diversified significantly from a diamond-dependent economy toward a knowledge-based economy since the 2000s, with milestones including the launch of its first national satellite in 2025.

Socio-economic context

The Republic of Botswana has one of the longest post-independence histories of political stability in Africa. A multiparty democracy, it is deemed the continent's best-performing country by the Corruption Perceptions Index and ranked third in 2014 in the Ibrahim Index of African Governance.

At the time of independence in 1966, Botswana was one of the poorest countries in the world. A year later, diamonds were discovered and have since become a pillar of the economy. Between 2009 and 2013, GDP per capita rose from $12,404 to $15,247 (in purchasing power parity dollars, 2011 constant prices), boosted by the global commodity boom, corresponding to a leap of 23 percent in GDP per capita over that period. Within the SADC region, only the Seychelles and Mauritius have higher levels of average income. Although real GDP per capita is relatively high and growing, the country ranks second in the SADC for inequality and there is widespread poverty.