AGP Executive Report

E-waste push: Botswana has launched a national e-waste management strategy, backed by a new BOCRA–Department of Environmental Protection alliance to improve collection, recycling and public education. Wildlife conflict risk: A new study warns human-elephant conflict in southern Africa could surge as land use expands and climate-driven water shortages bite, with Namibia flagged as a hotspot and the high-risk area rising sharply by 2085. Fire control in Linyanti: A wildfire near the Namibia–Botswana border in the Linyanti area was extinguished after burning about 7,340 hectares; officials reported no wildlife or livestock losses and said the cause is still unknown. Conservation enforcement: Gantsi police say two suspects have been charged with unlawful possession of ivory under Botswana’s wildlife laws. Energy and water planning: SADC energy and water ministers meet in Pretoria (14–17 July) to push regional energy security, renewable rollout, energy efficiency and water sustainability. Regional energy security: Botswana’s local power generation rose strongly in early 2026, easing pressure from years of electricity imports.

Wildlife & Fire Response: Botswana’s Linyanti wildfire has been extinguished after burning about 7,340 hectares near the Namibia–Botswana border, with no recorded wildlife or livestock losses and the cause still unknown. Anti-Poaching: Gantsi police say two brothers have been charged with unlawful possession of ivory under Botswana’s wildlife conservation laws and are set to appear in court. Energy Security: Botswana’s costly electricity imports may ease as local generation jumped in Q1 2026, with higher output from Morupule A and B plus solar helping lift production by 72.8% year-on-year. Water/Energy Regional Cooperation: SADC energy and water ministers meet in Pretoria (14–17 July) to push regional energy security and water sustainability, including renewable rollout and energy access targets. Fuel Storage Push: Botswana Oil Limited says progress is underway on a planned 100-million-litre fuel storage facility in Swakopmund, aimed at boosting regional fuel supply security. Waste & Circular Economy (Regional): Waste2Wear and Kwality Holdings launch a “shopping bag” push in southern Africa, linking everyday waste reduction to reuse. Health & Environment Link: Botswana’s tax reforms include VAT changes for private medical practitioners, with knock-on effects for service costs and sustainability.

Wildlife & Fire Response: A Linyanti wildfire near the Namibia–Botswana border has been extinguished after burning about 7,340 hectares; officials reported no deaths of people, wildlife, or livestock, and the cause is still unknown. Regional Water & Energy: SADC energy and water ministers will meet in Pretoria (14–17 July) to push regional energy security, expand renewables, improve water management, and advance access targets. Electricity Costs: Botswana’s reliance on imported power may ease as local generation jumped in Q1 2026, with solar output performing at scale alongside Morupule A and B. Okavango Conservation Monitoring: A decade-long leopard monitoring effort in Botswana’s Okavango region is advancing wildlife understanding and protection. Connectivity for Mining: Paratus Botswana and Eutelsat showcased resilient satellite-plus-terrestrial connectivity for remote mining operations, while Powertel and Paratus launched a cross-border fiber corridor linking Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. Youth & Rights: Botswana has acceded to the African Youth Charter, aligning with 44 AU states and focusing on youth rights, health, education and participation. Health Policy: Botswana’s tax reforms include VAT registration changes for private medical practitioners, with billing adjustments starting July and VAT charging from 1 August 2026.

Regional Energy & Water: SADC energy and water ministers meet in Pretoria (14–17 July) to push regional energy security, renewable rollout, efficiency, and water resource management, including Mission 300 electricity access goals. Banking Leadership: Bank Gaborone appoints CFO Tsaone Raboloko as Acting Managing Director to keep continuity while a substantive leader is sought. Fuel Security in the Region: Botswana Oil says it is advancing a Swakopmund fuel storage plan, targeting a 100-million-litre facility to strengthen regional supply and self-sufficiency. Energy Independence: Statistics Botswana reports record domestic electricity generation in Q1 2026, cutting reliance on imported power by 61.8%, with Morupule A and B and growing solar output driving the shift. Wildlife & Border Security: Botswana and Zimbabwe step up eastern border patrols using traditional regiments, with training that includes anti-poaching and cross-border crime prevention. Conservation Monitoring: New leopard monitoring work in Botswana is helping track the big cats over time in the Okavango area. Mining & Skills: Westfill wins a backfill and workforce training contract at Khoemacau Copper Mine, focusing on paste systems and local upskilling. Youth & Rights: Botswana accedes to the African Youth Charter, aiming to strengthen youth rights, education, health, employment and participation in governance.

Energy & Power Security: Statistics Botswana reports record domestic electricity output in Q1 2026, with Morupule A and B driving generation and solar adding momentum—cutting reliance on imported power by 61.8%. Mining & Jobs Beyond Extraction: Debswana’s Jwaneng CBD project is set to break ground, aiming to diversify the mining town through retail, services, tourism and citizen-led enterprises. Local Governance: Gaborone City Mayor Oarabile Motlaleng survives an early no-confidence bid after councillors vote to block the motion from the agenda. Conservation & Community Safety: Botswana and Zimbabwe are using traditional regiments for joint border patrols along the eastern border, with training that also covers anti-poaching and community issues. Wildlife Conflict Risk: New research warns crop-raiding elephant conflict across southern Africa could intensify as aridity and farming expansion squeeze shared land. Climate & Disaster Pressure: Southern Africa’s 2026 floods have affected millions across multiple countries, with deaths, displacement and repeated storm impacts. Okavango/Water & Tourism Lens: A Botswana-focused tourism angle highlights how visitors are increasingly seeking authentic, experience-led travel tied to local landscapes and culture. Botswana in the Newswire: eMedia launches Openview Stream, rolling out across Botswana among other countries, expanding free ad-supported streaming into digital TV.

Energy & Security: Botswana’s electricity output surged in Q1 2026, cutting reliance on imported power by 61.8%, with Morupule A and B driving most generation, while solar adds growing support. Public Health: Botswana has rejoined SADC pooled procurement for essential medicines after last year’s shortages exposed flaws in domestic buying, aiming for lower costs and steadier supply. Wildlife & Land Use: New research warns human-elephant conflict across southern Africa could intensify as farms expand and water stress grows, with risk areas projected to rise sharply by 2085. Conservation Monitoring: In the Okavango Delta, a decade-long leopard ID monitoring project is building a detailed archive of individual leopards using GPS-linked photo records. Border Crime Response: Botswana and Zimbabwe are using traditional regiments to patrol parts of their shared border, supporting police, wildlife and anti-poaching efforts. Climate Disaster Lens: Southern Africa’s 2026 floods are highlighted as a continent-wide warning on how heavy rains plus weak planning keep turning storms into repeated crises. Mining & Jobs: The Jwaneng CBD project is set to break ground, pushing diversification beyond mining through retail, services, tourism and citizen-led enterprises.

Energy & Industry: Botswana’s record domestic electricity output and expanding solar generation cut reliance on imported power by 61.8% in Q1 2026, led mainly by Morupule A and B. Local Development: Debswana’s Jwaneng CBD project is set to break ground this month, aiming to diversify the mining town into a retail, services, tourism and logistics hub. Governance: Gaborone City Mayor Oarabile Motlaleng survived a no-confidence motion after councillors voted to block it from the agenda. Health Policy: Botswana has rejoined SADC pooled procurement for essential medicines, targeting lower costs and more reliable supply after shortages exposed procurement weaknesses. Wildlife & Land Use: Research warns human-elephant conflict across southern Africa could intensify as farms expand and climate-driven aridity grows. Conservation Tech: In the Okavango Delta, a decade-long leopard ID monitoring project has catalogued 64 leopards from hundreds of GPS-tagged sightings. Regional Security: Botswana and Zimbabwe are stepping up border patrols using traditional regiments to help curb cross-border crime and support anti-poaching efforts. Climate Risk: A continent-wide look at 2026 floods highlights how climate change and poor planning are driving repeated disaster impacts.

Border Security: Botswana and Zimbabwe have deployed patrols by traditional regiments along their shared eastern border to curb cross-border crime, with training also covering anti-poaching and community education. Wildlife Conflict: New research flags a looming “turf war” between people and savanna elephants across southern Africa, warning that conflict risk could surge by 2085 as farms expand and water becomes scarcer. Conservation Tech: In Botswana’s Okavango Delta, a decade-long leopard ID monitoring project is building a detailed photo archive to better track 64 individual leopards using local expertise plus GPS-linked sightings. Health & Environment Link: Botswana’s blood banks are critically understocked, with a major shortfall between national demand and what the National Blood Transfusion Services collects—raising urgent patient-safety concerns. Medicines Supply: Botswana has rejoined SADC pooled procurement for essential medicines, aiming to cut costs and prevent shortages after earlier procurement problems. Climate Disaster Watch: A continent-wide flood season is again stressing Southern and parts of West Africa, with heavy rains and poor planning blamed for widespread displacement and deaths. Mining & Jobs: Giyani Metals filed its feasibility study for a battery-grade manganese project in Botswana, signaling continued momentum for mineral development.

Human–Elephant Conflict: New research warns that crop-raiding elephants and expanding farms are set to intensify across southern Africa, with the high-risk conflict area projected to rise sharply by 2085—driven mainly by population growth, cropland expansion and climate-linked water stress, including into northern Botswana. Wildlife Monitoring in the Delta: In Botswana’s Okavango, the Chitabe Leopard ID Monitoring Project is using photo ID plus GPS-linked records to build a long-term archive of individual leopards, helping track one of the region’s hardest species to study. Conservation Funding via Wine: Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino is rolling out Saving the Wild house wines (Rhino, Elephant, Pangolin), with proceeds supporting tougher action against wildlife crime. Medicines Supply Fix: Botswana has rejoined SADC pooled procurement for essential medicines, aiming to cut costs and prevent shortages after earlier procurement problems. Blood Shortage Alarm: Botswana’s blood banks are understocked, with a major gap between national needs and what the NBTS collects, putting patients at risk. Botswana Investment Angle: A business piece argues smaller African markets like Botswana can attract big investors when policy stability and growth potential outweigh “market size” alone. Botswana Tourism & Environment: A guide highlights kite surfing on Botswana’s salt pans in the dry season, while another notes Chobe as a top elephant safari draw.

Human–wildlife conflict: New research warns that crop-raiding by nearly 290,000 African savanna elephants is set to intensify across southern Africa, with the area at high risk of conflict potentially doubling by century’s end as populations grow, farms expand and aridity bites. Conservation in the Okavango: The Chitabe Leopard ID Monitoring Project in Botswana’s Okavango Delta is building a long-term leopard archive, using local field expertise plus GPS photo ID to track 64 individual leopards across 12+ years. Health and environment-adjacent resilience: Botswana’s blood banks are dangerously understocked, with demand far outstripping collections and an Ombudsman probe pointing to procurement and system weaknesses that put patients at risk. Regional medicines supply: Botswana has rejoined SADC pooled procurement for essential medicines, aiming to cut costs and stabilize supplies after earlier shortages exposed flaws in domestic purchasing. Wildlife crime awareness via hospitality: Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino launched conservation-inspired wines where proceeds support Saving the Wild’s push for tougher anti-poaching laws and specialised courts. Transport and climate-smart infrastructure: Botswana Railways says it wants to work with Chinese firms on new rail links to ports in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique as African officials welcome more Chinese participation in rail projects. Flood risk and planning: A continent-wide look at Africa’s 2026 floods highlights how extreme rains, poor planning and fast-moving storm impacts are overwhelming communities from Southern to West Africa.

Wildlife & Land-Use Pressure: Researchers warn a “turf war” between people and elephants is rising across southern Africa, with climate-driven water stress adding pressure to already expanding human land use. Conservation in the Okavango: The Chitabe Leopard ID Monitoring Project in Botswana is using GPS-linked photo ID to build a long-term archive of individual leopards, boosting how well the species can be protected. Health & Medicines: Botswana has rejoined SADC pooled procurement for essential medicines, aiming to cut costs and stabilise supply after shortages exposed weaknesses in past purchasing. Blood Supply Crisis: Botswana’s blood banks are understocked, with a major gap between national need and what the NBTS collects, putting patients at risk. Tourism with a Conservation Twist: Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino is rolling out “Saving the Wild” house wines (rhino, elephant, pangolin), with proceeds supporting tougher action against wildlife crime. Transport & Trade Links: Botswana Railways says it wants cooperation with Chinese firms on new rail links to ports in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique. Circular Economy Push: Waste2Wear and Kwality Holdings are bringing recycled bags and packaging to South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Energy Regulation: Botswana’s energy regulator, BERA, has a newly appointed board to strengthen licensing, tariffs, compliance and consumer protection.

Health & Governance: Botswana has rejoined SADC pooled procurement for essential medicines, aiming to cut costs and fix supply instability after last year’s shortages exposed flaws in the country’s previous buying system. Wildlife Monitoring: A decade-long leopard ID project in the Okavango Delta is building a major archive of individual cats, blending local field expertise with GPS-backed photo identification. Conservation & Tourism: Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino launched a “Saving the Wild” house wine range, with proceeds tied to wildlife crime and poaching syndicates. Energy Regulation: Botswana’s new BERA board is set to strengthen licensing, tariffs, compliance and consumer protection as the energy sector expands renewables and private participation. Mining & Environment: Botswana is pushing harder on non-diamond exploration to build a future pipeline beyond diamonds, with higher spending targets through 2029. Public Health Crisis: Botswana’s blood banks are critically understocked, with a large gap between national needs and what the NBTS collects. Regional Infrastructure: Botswana Railways says it wants to work with Chinese firms on new rail links to ports in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique. Waste & Circular Economy: Waste2Wear and Kwality Holdings are bringing recycled bags, uniforms and packaging to South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.

Wildlife Monitoring in the Okavango: The Chitabe Leopard ID Monitoring Project, backed by The Wilderness Trust, has spent a decade turning field sightings into a GPS-linked photo archive of 64 leopards and 863 sightings—boosting long-term protection of one of the Delta’s hardest-to-study predators. Health Crisis in Botswana: Botswana’s blood banks are dangerously understocked, with demand far outpacing collections (about 45,000 units needed vs 24,000 collected), putting patients at risk and prompting Access Bank Botswana to call for more voluntary donations. Conservation-linked Tourism & Hospitality: Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino launched “Saving the Wild” house wines, with proceeds supporting wildlife crime and poaching-fighting work—tying guest spending to protection of rhino, pangolin and elephant. Regional Infrastructure Push: Botswana Railways’ boss says the country wants to work with Chinese firms on new rail links to ports in South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique, after African officials welcomed Chinese participation in rail tenders. Circular Economy in Southern Africa: Waste2Wear and Kwality Holdings have partnered to supply recycled bags, uniforms and packaging across South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, aiming to expand circular retail options. Energy Regulation Update: Botswana’s BERA has named a new board to strengthen licensing, tariff-setting, compliance and consumer protection as the energy sector shifts toward more renewables and private participation.

Wildlife & Tourism (Botswana): Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino launched a conservation-linked house wine range, with proceeds supporting Saving the Wild and its fight against wildlife crime and poaching syndicates. Elephants & Human-Wildlife Conflict: Reporting from the Hwange Mabale corridor highlights how blocked migration routes are pushing elephants into nearby fields, damaging harvests and raising tensions with communities. Conservation Funding (Southern Africa): IUCN secured nearly US$5m in GEF funding for projects including an “Orange–Senqu Water Fund” that spans Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa, aiming to protect water resources and coastal ecosystems. Energy Regulation (Botswana): Botswana’s new BERA board is set to strengthen licensing, tariff-setting, compliance and consumer protection as the country expands renewable power and private participation. Mining & Environment (Botswana): Botswana is stepping up non-diamond exploration spending to build a future pipeline, while De Beers reported major economic value for Botswana in 2025 and Dangote Cement reiterated a 20% emissions-intensity cut target. HIV Prevention in Prisons (Botswana): NAHPHA urged the Botswana Prison Service to start a policy process to allow condom distribution, after new HIV-positive figures raised concerns.

Conservation-linked Hospitality: Avani Gaborone Hotel & Casino launched a conservation-inspired house wine range with species-themed bottles—Rhino Rosé, Pangolin Sauvignon Blanc, and Elephant Cabernet—aimed at boosting wildlife protection awareness. Energy Regulation Update: Botswana’s Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) has a newly appointed board to strengthen licensing, tariff-setting, compliance enforcement, and consumer protection as the energy sector shifts toward renewables and more private power. Mining Future Push: Botswana is stepping up exploration beyond diamonds, targeting higher non-diamond exploration spending to build a stronger pipeline of future mining projects. HIV Prevention in Prisons: NAHPHA says Botswana Prison Service needs a policy framework before condoms can be provided to inmates, after new HIV-positive figures raised pressure on prevention measures. Transboundary Water & Waste: Angola’s Cubango province was highlighted for its Miombo forests and floodplains, with officials stressing that development must manage solid waste, sanitation, and urban growth to protect ecosystems feeding the Okavango Basin. Climate Finance for Southern Africa: IUCN secured nearly US$5m in GEF funding for projects including an “Orange–Senqu Water Fund” supporting water resources across Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Agriculture Investment: A P200m irrigated fodder venture in Matopinion Farming is set to create 183 jobs and cut reliance on imported animal feed, aligning with Botswana’s National Fodder Production Strategy.

Energy Policy Response: The IEA says 113 countries (plus the EU) have already cut energy taxes or added other measures to cushion rising costs linked to the Iran conflict, with the biggest moves in consumer support and energy conservation. Botswana Energy Regulation: Botswana’s new BERA board is set to strengthen licensing, tariff-setting, compliance and consumer protection as the country pushes energy security and more renewables. Mining Future: Government is ramping up non-diamond exploration, aiming to lift spending to P150 million by 2029 to build a stronger pipeline beyond diamonds. HIV Prevention in Prisons: NAHPHA says Botswana Prison Service needs to start a policy process before condoms can be provided, after fresh Parliament figures showed 15 HIV-positive cases among inmates tested in 2024/25. Water & Climate Conservation Funding: IUCN secured nearly US$5m in GEF funding for Southern Africa projects, including an “Orange–Senqu Water Fund” supporting water resources across Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. Wildlife Conflict: In Hwange’s Mabale corridor, elephants are rerouting through villages and fields, escalating crop losses and safety fears—locals and conservationists argue the solution is restoring space for migration, not just fences. Agriculture Investment: A P200m Matopinion Farming venture is set to create 183 jobs and expand irrigated fodder production to cut reliance on imported animal feed.