Botswana’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has shown modest yet steady performance in the first quarter of 2025, with mobile and fixed telecommunications maintaining their dominance while the sector’s overall contribution to the economy remained stable.
According to the latest Botswana Information & Communication Technology Stats Brief released by Statistics Botswana, fixed telephone line subscriptions rose marginally by 0.1 percent from 83,182 recorded in the last quarter of 2024 to 83,228 in the first quarter of 2025. Mobile cellular subscriptions increased by 1.5 percent, from 4,134,666 to 4,195,416 during the same period. However, on a year-on-year basis, fixed line and mobile subscriptions declined by 5.9 and 5.2 percent respectively, reflecting a continued national shift toward internet-based communication.
The report highlights a slight contraction in internet use, with total subscriptions dropping by 0.9 percent from 3,205,669 in the previous quarter to 3,178,217. The decline was mainly due to a 1.0 percent fall in mobile internet users, while fixed internet connections rose by 1.2 percent, suggesting that more households and businesses are adopting wired broadband services. Compared to the same period in 2024, total internet subscriptions increased by 4.1 percent, driven by a remarkable 34.1 percent surge in fixed internet users.
Meanwhile, mobile money services which have become a major financial inclusion tool across Botswana — experienced a 0.7 percent decline between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, dropping from 1,195,601 to 1,187,241 subscribers. Despite the quarterly dip, year-on-year figures show a 4.5 percent increase from 1,136,023, indicating a steady long-term adoption of digital financial services.
The ICT sector contributed 2.8 percent to Botswana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices, representing a value-added of P1.95 billion in Q1 2025. At constant prices, the sector’s contribution stood at 2.7 percent, or P1.32 billion, with an annual growth rate of 0.9 percent. The Postal and Courier Services sector also maintained its share at 0.1 percent of GDP, with a value-added of P74.1 million and a growth rate of 0.4 percent.
The latest figures reinforce the ICT sector’s importance to Botswana’s economy, though growth remains modest. The continued expansion of fixed internet and digital payment systems highlights ongoing digital transformation efforts, even as the country grapples with market saturation in mobile communications.
