Botswana

Travel Information for Botswana

Currency and Banking

Botswana's unit of currency is the Pula (P), which is divided into 100 Thebe (t).
Bank notes come in denominations of P10, 20, 50 and 100, and coins in denominations of 5t, 10t, 25t, 50t, P1, P2 and P5.

Major credit cards, including Visa, Master Card, are widely accepted however certain lodges and restaurants do not accept American Express and Diners Club. Most hotels and lodges accept foreign currency or travelers' cheques.

Business hours for commercial banks

Standard Chartered Bank of Botswana Limited
Mon-Fri 8:30-15:30hrs
Sat 8:30-10:45hrs

First National Bank of Botswana Limited
Mon-Fri 9:00-15:30hrs
Sat 8:30-10:45hrs

Stanbic Bank Botswana Limited
Mon-Fri 9:00-15:30hrs
Sat 8:30-11:00hrs

Barclays Bank of Botswana Limited
Mon-Fri 8:30-15:30hrs
Wed 9:15-15:30hrs
Sat 8:00-12:00hrs

Bank of Baroda
Mon-Fri 9:00-15:30hrs
Sat 8:30-11:00hrs

Prestige centres: (Gaborone Sun, Francistown Game Complex, Selebi-Phikwe, Phakalane Spar)
Mon-Fri 8:00-17:00hrs
Sat 8:00-10:45hrs

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Electricity

Electricity is supplied at 220/240 volts AC, 50hz.
Lodges in the more remote areas of Botswana do not have electricity. They generally rely on generators for lighting and refrigeration but this power only runs at critical times of the day.

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Medical Matters

Compared to the rest of Africa, Botswana is not a risky place to visit from a health perspective. In spite of this, there are certain precautions visitors should take even though there are no legal requirements for taking these precautions. Botswana requires no inoculations except for visitors from yellow fever zones.

it is strongly recommended that visitors should take an anti-malarial prophylactic before, during and for four weeks after their visit, especially during the rainy season.

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Transport

Botswana has a well-developed road network with easy access to its neighbouring countries. The vast majority of the roads are tarmac. Gaborone is only 360km from Johannesburg , with a good road link.

There is no permanent passenger rail service between Botswana and neighbouring countries. However, the railway line that runs from Ramatlabama in the south border of the country to Ramokgwebana (north-east of Francistown) links Botswana to South Africa and Zimbabwe.

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Public Holidays

• New Year’s Day - 1 January
• Day after New Year’s Day - 2 January
• Good Friday (varies)
• Easter Saturday (varies)
• Easter Sunday (varies)
• Easter Monday (varies)
• Ascension Day (varies)
• President’s Day (varies)
• Day after President’s Day (varies)
• Botswana Day - 30 September
• Day after Botswana Day - 1 October
• Christmas Day - 25 December
• Boxing Day - 26 December
• Day after Boxing Day - 27 December

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Gratuities and Tipping

The following is the suggested gratuity schedule for the safari camps and lodges and is subject to service standards:

• Guides - US$5.00 per person per day
• General Camp Staff   - US$3.00 per person per day
• Specialist Guides (if applicable)  - US$10.00per person per day

Service is not usually included in the bill. It is advisable when planning your finances for your trip to take gratuities into account.
It is usual to tip porters, waiters, taxi drivers, room attendants, golf caddies, game rangers, guides and trackers. Generally speaking, gratuities to waiters and taxi drivers should amount to around 10% of the cost of the service.
Porterage is usually P1.50 per bag, golf caddies usually around P20 a round, and your game ranger/guide P10 per person per day.

Please note this is only a guideline and is not compulsory!

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Visa and Entry Requirements

All visitors entering Botswana must hold a passport that is valid for at least six months, except those with United Nations Convention travel documents. Visitors must also have outgoing travel documents and sufficient funds to finance their stay.

Visas are not required for the following countries:

Valid entry visas for the countries which do require them may be obtained from Botswana's various embassies and high commissions abroad.
In countries where Botswana is not represented, visas may be obtained from the British High Commission. Entry visas obtained at border posts are valid for a maximum of 30-90 days. Extensions may be obtained from any immigration office in Botswana. No visitor is allowed more than a 90-day stay in every calendar year, unless permission has been granted in the form of a waiver pending the outcome of a residence permit application.

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