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Botswana is a large country in southern Africa, landlocked by South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Though large, the country has a relatively small population of just 2.72 million inhabitants. At the same time, its relatively high human development index of 0.708 and natural resource wealth have helped the quality of life in Botswana steadily improve since its independence from the UK in 1966. The country has a GDP of over $54 billion, and this is expected to grow by a substantial 3.6% in 2024. At the same time, inflation has been steadily dropping since the pandemic and is now sitting at 4.4%.
With strong economic growth and robust labor market, Botswana is an excellent destination for companies looking to hire an Africa-based team.
Learn how an Africa Employer of Record like Horizons can enable you to hire employees in Botswana, quickly and cost-effectively.
Hire in Botswana, and pay employees through our platform or app.
Our Botswana EOR solution is the most affordable on the market.
Fast Botswana onboarding, hire in as little as 12 hours.
We draft compliant Botswana labor contracts.
We manage all Botswana “Five Insurances” mandatory benefits.
It doesn’t stop with Botswana — we hire employees globally.
A Botswana Employer of Record, or EOR, is an organization that works in Botswana to recruit, hire, and manage employees on behalf of other companies. If you have a company located in a foreign country yet wish to hire Botswana-based workers, an EOR can make this possible without you needing to register a legal entity in the country. Instead, the EOR can recruit and hire workers on behalf of your company and then manage their human resources (HR) needs long-term including payroll, taxes, benefits, and schedule management. While the workers work for your company, their sole legal employer in Botswana is the EOR.
A Botswana EOR is also known as a Botswana Professional Employer Organization or ‘PEO’.
Working with a Botswana EOR can produce a lot of benefits for foreign-based companies that want to hire Botswana workers. The main advantages they gain include:
Horizons stands out as a Botswana EOR through:
When you engage a Botswana EOR, it will:
The laws that govern employment in Botswawa are written in English, and that can make them easier to locate, read, and understand. However, they’re spread over several pieces of legislation, including the Employment Act, Trade Union and Employers’ Organisations Act, Factories Act of 1979, Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1980, and more. Working with an EOR in Botswana helps ensure compliance with all of them by making this the EOR’s responsibility. As the client company, though, it’s still important to be familiar with the major points of these laws. This will help you understand what your workers expect and what you can expect from them.
Contracts in Botswana can be fixed-term or open-ended/permanent. They may or may not indicate notice periods. The contract can be oral or written but must specify the duties of the employee as well as the salary and benefits they will receive. Contracts can include any other terms that are not in opposition to the Employment Act and cannot give conditions that are less favorable than what the Act provides.
If an employee is required to work a probation period, this must be written into their contract.
No probationary period.
At completion of the project.
Not applicable unless the project extends significantly and the employee has accrued substantial service time.
Typically three to six months, but can vary.
30 days (minimum and maximum allowed by labor law)
Generally not entitled unless specified in the contract. For long-term fixed contracts, severance may be considered based on the length of service.
Three to six months
One month if employed for less than five years
Six weeks if employed for five years or more.
One day’s pay for each completed month of continuous service after 60 months (5 years) of service.
Employees cannot work more than eight regular hours in one day or 48 hours in one week if they work six days. If they work five days a week, they can work up to nine hours a day. Any other hours worked are considered overtime. Employees must be given a 45-minute break for lunch. They’re also entitled to at least one period of 24 hours to rest per week, usually on Sunday.
If an employee works on a rest day, they must be paid at least double their normal wages. Other overtime hours must be paid at a rate of at least 1.5 times their normal wages. However, an employee cannot work more than 14 overtime hours per week. Note that managers, administrators, and executives are exempt from receiving overtime pay as the nature of their work requires them to work outside of normal hours.
150% of the standard hourly rate (also known as ‘time and a half’);
200% of the standard hourly rate, or a day off (also known as ‘double time, or a day in lieu’);
200% of the standard hourly rate (also known as ‘triple time’).
| Date | Holiday name |
|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2025 | New Year’s Day |
| 18 Apr 2025 | Good Friday |
| 19 Apr 2025 | Holy Saturday |
| 21 Apr 2025 | Easter Monday |
| 1 May 2025 | Labour Day |
| 29 May 2025 | Ascension Day |
| 1 Jul 2025 | Sir Seretse Khama Day |
| 21 Jul 2025 | President’s Day |
| 22 Jul 2025 | President’s Day Holiday |
| 30 Sep 2025 | Botswana Day |
| 1 Oct 2025 | Botswana Day Holiday |
| 25 Dec 2025 | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec 2025 | Boxing Day |
The amount of paid time off employees are eligible to receive is based on how long they have been employed at their current company:
Pro-rata basis
15 days of paid leave annually
15 days of paid leave annually
15 days of paid leave annually
Employees who have worked for 12 months are entitled to at least 20 days of paid sick leave. Employers provide the leave permission but the worker is paid, at a rate of 100% of normal wages, by the government so long as they have a medical certificate.
Pro-rata basis
14 days of paid leave annually
14 days of paid leave annually
14 days of paid leave annually
Unpaid (unless otherwise specified in the contract or policies)
Unpaid (unless otherwise specified in the contract or policies)
Partial wage continuation (specified in the contract or policies)
In order for employees to receive the full wages due to them, workers must present a valid medical certificate from a certified doctor to their employer.
Expecting mothers need medical certificates with expected delivery dates to claim maternity benefits. They are entitled to six weeks before and six weeks after delivering for a total of 12 weeks. An additional two weeks of maternity leave may be granted if the employee is not fit to return to work due to complications. This maternity leave is paid by the government, not the employer, at 50% of the worker’s normal wages.
There is currently no mandate for paternity leave in Botswana. Any paternity leave would, therefore, be at the discretion of the employer.
Employees are entitled to 1.25 days of leave for every month worked, which comes to 15 days of leave per year.
Termination must have a reason and notification periods are decided between employers and employees on their contracts. Workers receive severance pay of one day’s wages for every month of service up to 60 months, and two days’ wages for each month after that.
Compulsory social security contributions are managed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). These include National Pension, Provident Fund, and Workers’ Compensation Fund.
Foreigners working in Botswana are generally required to participate in the country’s social security programs, similar to Botswana nationals. The main social security programs in Botswana include contributions to the National Pensions and Provident Funds and the Workers’ Compensation Fund.
National Pensions and Provident Funds is set at 5% of the employee’s gross salary, with an equal contribution from the employer, totaling 10% of the employee’s gross salary. Workers’ Compensation Fund are determined based on the nature of the work and the associated risks.
Individual income tax is levied on the income earned by residents and non-residents who derive income from Botswana sources. The tax rates for individuals are progressive, meaning the tax rate increases with higher income levels.
Employers in Botswana may offer health benefits as part of their employee compensation packages. These benefits can vary widely depending on the employer’s policy, industry standards, and the size of the organization. Employees in Botswana have the option to purchase private health insurance on a voluntary basis.
The minimum wage in Botswana is 7.34 BWP (Botswanan Pula) per hour, or about half a US dollar. Average salaries in Botswana are about 7000 BWP/month or about 500 USD/month.
In Botswana, there is no legislation mandating an annual bonus or a 13th-month salary. Some employers may still offer this annual bonus to improve the attractiveness of their compensation packages. These bonuses are discretionary and are usually detailed in employment contracts.
There are no mandatory social security contributions for employees or employers in Botswana. Instead, universal social programs exist for disability, pension, old-age, and survivors’ benefits through government funding.
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An EOR in Botswana can help companies find and hire top talent quickly. It will also maintain constant compliance with all labor laws to reduce the risk of fines or legal actions. However, the most important benefit of working with an EOR is that it allows a company to hire workers without owning an entity in Botswana.
When an EOR hires staff on your behalf, it becomes the sole legal employer of those workers. As such, it is responsible for ensuring compliance with all relevant labor laws. That’s why an EOR will employ experienced and knowledgeable HR and legal staff who are familiar with all the relevant statutes and, therefore, able to ensure constant compliance.
Generally, the term Botswana PEO (Professional Employer Organization) is used interchangeably with the term Botswana EOR.
Holiday Schedule in Botswana [2025]
