Presenting the 2026/27 Budget Speech this week, Vice President and Minister of Finance Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe reported significant progress on the government’s four-point strategic transformation agenda.
The framework focuses on four interlinked foundations: halting financial hemorrhaging, stabilising the economy for take-off, initiating tangible change, and building a “New Botswana.” Gaolathe emphasised that these stages are designed to shift the economy toward a resilient, diversified, and inclusive model.
In a major shift in fiscal discipline, Gaolathe revealed that no supplementary budget requests were approved over the last two financial years (2024/25 and 2025/26). Ministries were instead required to reprioritise within their existing allocations.
“This marks a decisive break from past practices, where supplementary budgets had become routine, damaging fiscal sustainability,” Gaolathe stated.
The centralisation of Government Purchase Orders (GPOs) and the discontinuation of commitment letters have also yielded results. Average monthly spending through GPOs dropped by 49%—from P1.14 billion per month (April–June 2025) to approximately P584 million (July 2025–January 2026). This moderation reflects tighter oversight and a reduction in fiscal leakages.
Further savings were achieved through a moratorium on domestic and international travel and stricter controls on overtime.
The second phase according to Ndaba, was the State-Owned Enterprises reforms and beef industry revitalisation. This phase focuses on State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) transformation. A new governance framework aims to shift SOEs toward disciplined capital allocation and improved service delivery. Notably, the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is undergoing a “far-reaching turnaround” intended to restore farmer confidence and revitalise the beef value chain.
Under the global market integration, Gaolathe highlighted Botswana’s growing footprint in international trade, specifically in the citrus sector. The country has secured market access to 17 destinations, including the EU, Canada, and the UAE.
This resulted in a staggering 390% increase in fresh citrus exports, rising from 2,790 tonnes in 2024 to over 13,711 tonnes in 2025, creating significant local employment.
The final phase, building a new Botswana, focuses on modernisation, headlined by the 2026/27 launch of the Geospatial Information Centre to reform land administration.
“For citizens, it will mean clearer processes, reduced waiting times, and timely access to secure land titles,” Gaolathe noted, adding that the move will allow land to be used more effectively as collateral for financing.
Other upcoming projects include a local commodity trading platform, revamped support for citizen-owned enterprises, and the establishment of a fully-fledged Botswana Sovereign Wealth Fund.
