The government of Botswana through the Ministry of Higher Education has increased tertiary students allowances from P1 900.00 to P2 200.00. This followed a demonstration by the students on the increasing costs of living. The increment is in alignment with the UDC manifesto promise of increasing tertiary allowances to P 2 500.00.

Tertiary Students Allowances Increased to P 2 200.00

Increase the living allowance for tertiary students to P2,500 for all tertiary and vocational training institutions

The Government of Botswana has unveiled a series of new social welfare initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being of its citizens, with implementation set for 2025. The announcement was made during the presentation of the 2025/2026 budget speech at Parliament Buildings .

Botswana introduces monthly allowance for newborn babies

Provide 3 months package of sanitary wear for the mothers and babies and a three hundred pula (P300/pm) per month allowance for the baby thereafter until the baby turns one year old. Particular attention will be paid to early childhood development in keeping with the WHO recommendations on social de

The Ministry of Sports and Arts on the 7th August 2025,launched the revamped school sports program at the Lobatse Sports Complex. The sports program will be implemented in phases and will be held during official working hours

Ministry of Sports and Arts Launches revamped School Sports Program

Restore sports in schools

Establish a fund to subsidize community-based CSOs' and religious' activities in education, health, water, environment, etc.

Launch a comprehensive and integrated National Community Service with a monthly allowance of P2,500

Retired persons with experience, skills and expertise will be assisted to continue working in the areas of their expertise such as education, agriculture, counseling and crime prevention activities

Develop social welfare services for individuals, families, and communities to promote mental wellbeing. The UDC Government will establish social grant systems for children, older persons, and persons with disabilities to assist in reducing the emotional and financial burden for family caregivers and

Provide free working internet to all government institutions and community centres

Abolish the current system where women may be customarily deprived of access to their marital property and or are denied their right to access/inherit land and property through patriarchal customs that support from their land at widowhood state has emerged as a serious land grabbing practice in Bots

Encourage NGOs/CSOs to use the fund to implement care-giving, educational, rehabilitation, old-age homes, and recreational services to complement government-provided services

Institute gender fair national strategic plan against Gender-based violence and femicide. It will resource counseling services and provide safe houses and shelters for persons affected by gender-based violence

Support all sporting and entertainment competitions

Develop a comprehensive plan to unearth and encourage youth talent from primary schools throughout to tertiary education institutions

Intensify youth training in tertiary and technical training to acquire appropriate skills for employment

Prioritize the youth in employment creation initiatives across all sectors of the Economy

Promote community-based sporting facilities such as swimming pools, sports grounds and entertainment facilities where unemployed youth and retired sportsmen and sportswomen can use and keep active

Establish state-of -the-art youth infrastructure and facilities for arts, culture, music and sports to support the development of world class artists and athletes in the country. Support accredited sports academies to improve sports as part of youth empowerment

Build regional hubs/academies for creative arts, sports and athletes

Revive and improve the utilization of arts technical training institutions such as Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology

Promote and support district, regional, national and international youth arts, sport, cultural and music competitions to acquire technical and entrepreneurial skills and knowledge for business growth

Re-introduce school sports and renovate all school playgrounds and reward sport teachers appropriately

Support, promote, and adhere to all appropriate sports and entertainment competitions to set rules and ensure our sportsmen and women of all recognized sporting codes are integrated into global competitions and enjoy the associated financial benefits

Integrated water power communications built and serviced to strategic farming zones

Build and expand sewerage system in all major settlements for use on irrigated agriculture and biological gardens

Explore sustainable and viable sewerage and sanitation options for rural areas

Increase the acquisition of STEAM and 4th Industrial Revolution skills and knowledge to enhance innovativeness, creativity and problem-solving skills

Introduce civic education curriculum

Establish a national scientific, industrial and research council

The &nbsp;Government of Botswana launched a 69 million Pula initiative that will ensure the free provision of sanitary pads to all girl students in primary and secondary schools. The initiative aims to provide free sanitary pads to schools and is expected to reach 491,576 young girls across the country, with 10% of them being people living with disabilities.

The government of Botswana Rolls out Free Provision of Sanitary Pads to Students in Primary and Secondary Schools

Distribute free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools

Develop a work attachment and mentorship scheme with the Private sector

Review the current policy, programmes and facilities on Vocational Training and align them with the requirements of the 4th Industrial Revolution

Provide funding for the establishment of state-of-the-art laboratories, libraries a n and computer facilities to improve STEAM skills and knowledge

Introduce STEAM- Based Education

Introduce smart grids

Make power accessible and affordable to all strategic arable centres

Make electricity a major export and revenue earner

Targeted Energy Subsidies for Agriculture, Industrialization, and Low-Income Households: To ensure that energy remains affordable for all citizens, particularly low-income households and businesses

Prioritize rural electrification projects, including off-grid and mini-grid solutions powered by renewable energy sources

Restructure the Botswana Power Corporation model, one aspect of which will be to separate ownership and management of generation and transmission assets

The Ministry of Minerals and Energy has formally awarded an Omani green energy firm a contract to design, finance, and build a 500-megawatt solar plant in Maun, as part of a broader government-to-government agreement sealed in 2025. The project was launched by President Advocate Bokoi in April 2026 with construction starting immediately.

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Exploit global funding available for solar generation, to facilitate IPP arrangements that will scale solar production to a minimum of 30% of electricity generation targets

Facilitate the ramping up of electricity production in Botswana to at least 8000 MW/annum within 4 years

Diversify risk to ensure our economy is more resistant to exogenous factors including droughts, disasters, food/fuel shortages and global recessions

Establish world-class health facilities for non-communicable diseases such as cancers, kidney diseases and others

Ensure Regulated Medicines Pricing

Commit to providing a social support system for all expectant mothers to ensure safety nets for women's economic substance of mother and child wellbeing as well as equity

Establish a comprehensive mental health system

Introduce a National Health Insurance Scheme that will afford all Batswana to access all the health services available

Provide quality healthcare for every citizen

Ensure quality Ante and Post-natal care that will ensure that both the mother and childcare are provided for from the beginning

The Government of Botswana has announced that water and houseld electricty tariffs for all household consumers will be immediately cut by 30%. This was announced by President Duma Boko on March 22 2025 in his address to the media in Gaborone.

Water and Electricty Tariffs Cut by 30% for all households consumers in Botswana

Cut water and electricity tariffs by 30% and make them affordable for every home

Impose abandonment tax on absentee landlords as a way of promoting development and preventing land hoarding

Rapid development of townships/towns with modern housing and amenities, as part of attracting and anticipation of major global investments and partnerships based in Botswana

Provide serviced land and housing to reduce the possibility of disadvantaged people selling their plots out of desperation

Make available serviced land, build affordable flats for sale and make it long term through a raft of financial institutions and arrangements

Ensure each family should own a home

Ensure transparency and accountability in land administration and management (land allocation)

Review the Land act and Land Management system with the intention to ensure equitable access to land by Batswana

Give priority to allocating land for human settlement and food production while ensuring citizens' equitable access to land resources

Ensure that religious and civil society organizations are allocated land to worship and run activities that serve the needs of the membership

Conduct Land Management and Tenure -a national Land audit to address issues of land allocation and ownership

The government of Botswana has effective 1 April 2025 increase Old age pension from P830.00 to P1400.00. This was done following the announcement by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development in his 2025/2026 budget proposals.

Government of Botswana Increases Old Age Pension to P 1400.00

Reduce the old age pension eligibility from 65 to 60 years and increase the pension allowance from P830 to P 1,800 per month

Minister of Water and Sanitation, Onnetse Ramogapi launched the Bonno Housing Scheme in Mabutsane on the 19th March 2024. The government through this scheme aims to construct 100 000 housing Units in the next five years. This is in alignment with the Umbrella for Democratic Change promise of ensuring decent housing to all and commitment to building 100 000 housing units in 5 years.

Government Launches Bonno Housing Scheme

Construct over 100 000 houses in the first 5 years

Citizens Watch

Promise

Promise History

Tertiary Students Allowances Increased to P 2 200.00