What works in Botswana

Botswana has implemented several national programmes addressing digital inclusion, gender-based violence, and natural resource management. The Kitsong Centres expanded from 3 pilot telecentres in 2004 to 110 centres by 2018, delivering internet access and mobile money services across rural villages, though independent evaluation remains limited. The Domestic Violence Act 2008 raised Botswana's Women, Business and the Law score from 38.1 to 63.8, yet implementation gaps persist with only five shelters nationwide for a population of 2.6 million, and one-third of women experiencing gender-based violence in their lifetime. The CBNRM Programme covers roughly 100 community trusts across 22% of national land, generating revenue from tourism and hunting concessions, though it faces documented elite capture and was disrupted by a 2014-2019 hunting ban.