A report released this month by Statistics Botswana reveals that the nation’s total import bill reached P 6,5 million in January 2026. Of this total, food and beverage imports accounted for P1,249.1 million, representing a significant 19.1% of all imported goods.
According to the data, the primary drivers within the food and beverage category were cereals, followed by beverages, spirits, and vinegar, contributing 31.6% and 14.5% respectively. Miscellaneous edible preparations also made a notable impact, constituting 7.6% of the sector’s imports.
“Cereals emerged as the leading commodity group imported during the period under consideration,” the report states. Within this group, the major food products were wheat (other than durum) and maize (corn), which accounted for 64.2% and 24.6% of cereal imports, respectively. Semi-milled or wholly milled rice, including polished or glazed varieties, followed with a 9.9% contribution.
The findings further highlight that beverages, spirits, and vinegar remained the second most dominant commodity group. The top three products within this category were malt beer, other fermented beverages (such as cider, perry, mead, and sake), and mixtures of fermented or non-alcoholic beverages and waters. these contributed 40.5%, 18.4%, and 12.3% respectively to the group’s total.
Comparatively, the food and beverage import report for December 2025 showed that Botswana received total imports valued at P6,396.1 million. During that month, food and beverage imports amounted to P1,070.4 million, making up 16.7% of the total import share.
The December 2025 data also indicated that cereals and the beverages, spirits, and vinegar category were the leading chapters, contributing 17.7% and 17.6% respectively. Miscellaneous edible preparations accounted for 8.6% of the food imports during the final month of 2025.
In December 2025, cereals were once again the primary commodity group. The leading cereal products were maize (corn) and wheat (other than durum), which represented 40.8% and 30.5% of the total, respectively. Semi-milled or wholly milled rice followed with a contribution of 17.2%.
Meanwhile, beverages, spirits, and vinegar maintained their position as the second most imported group in December. The top three products in this category—malt beer, other fermented beverages, and mixtures of fermented or non-alcoholic beverages—contributed 35.9%, 24.3%, and 10.9% respectively to the month’s figures.
