| Country: | Botswana |
| Confed: | CAF |
| Teams: | 16 |
| Relegation: | Debswana First Division North and Debswana First Division South |
| Levels: | 1 |
| Domest Cup: | FA Challenge Cup |
| Confed Cup: | Champions League Confederation Cup |
| Champions: | Jwaneng Galaxy |
| Season: | 2022–23 |
| Most Successful Club: | Township Rollers (16 titles) |
| Top Goalscorer: | Thabang Sesinyi (102 goals) |
| Tv: | BTV |
| Current: | 2023–24 Botswana Premier League |
| Organiser: | Botswana Football League |
| League Cup: | Mascom Top 8 Cup |
The Botswana Premier League is the highest level football league in Botswana. Organised by the Botswana Football Association, the league was formed in 1978 to replace the pre-independence Bechuanaland Union African Soccer League, which was regional. Participants in the first edition of the league included Tlokweng Pirates, Notwane, Black Peril, Queens Park Rangers and a team from Ngwaketse district.[1]
The league has always been dominated by the teams that are based south of Dibete or in the southern part of the country. In the 2006–07 season, Ecco City Greens made history by becoming the first team from the north to lift the lucrative competition. The league is sponsored by a mobile phone operator Be Mobile to the tune of 30 million pula. After the ABSA premiership in South Africa, the Be Mobile league is the second highest sponsored league in the COSAFA region. The league has continued to grow in leaps and bounds as shown by the increasing number of foreign players in the BPL. Some top players from mainly Zimbabwe like Arnold Chaka, Master Masitara, Elvis Meleka, Mandla Sibanda, Sageby Sandaka and Tendai Ndoro have ditched the Zimbabwean PSL for the BPL in recent years. Recently Namibian stars like Jerome Luis and Benson Shilongo arrived in Botswana in search of the Pula. After terminating their television deal with a South African company RP Productions, the league is now negotiating a long-term deal with Supersport International. In early 2013, the pay TV shown five BPL games on a testing basis.
The Botswana Football League as of July 2023 announced plans to reduce the amount of teams from 16 to 12.[2] In the 2023–24 season, 4 teams will be relegated with only 2 promoting. The following season, 2024–25, the same will be applied which leaves 12 teams in the Botswana Premier League. The main given reason is the contricted resources.
Since the 1980s, the Botswana Premier League has had title sponsors. The list below details who the sponsors were and what they called the league:
| 1991 to 2001 | Kgalagadi Breweries Limited | Castle Super League | ||
| 2002 to 2005 | St Louis Premiership | |||
| 2006 to 2008 | Mascom | Mascom Premiership | ||
| 2009 to 2014 | Botswana Telecommunications Corporation | be Mobile Premiership | [3] | |
| 2014 to 2020 | BTC Premiership | |||
| 2021 to present | No title sponsor | Botswana Premier League | [4] [5] |
During the league, from August to May, each club plays each of the other teams twice; once at home and once away, totaling 30 games for each team by the end of the season. Therefore, in Botswana football a true round-robin format is used. In the first half of the season, each team plays once against each league opponent, for a total of 15 games. In the second half of the season, the teams play in exactly the same order that they did in the first half of the season, the only difference being that home and away situations are switched. Since the 1994–95 season, teams were awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss.Since Botswana is lowly ranked in the CAF rankings only one CAF Champions League spot is awarded to the league champions. The cup winners gain a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Since the 2005–06 season if two or more teams end the league with the same number of points, the deciding tie-breakers used are (in order):
Starting from 2002–03 until 2012–13 the broadcasting rights were held by the state broadcaster Botswana Television (BTV) and its radio partner Radio Botswana (RB1). P5 million per season were paid for the rights. Broadcasting of the games was irregular as the TV showed majority of games played in and around Gaborone citing poor quality stadiums in the north. Two weekend games are shown live on TV, with midweek games being delayed.
In 2013 there was major excitement when South African broadcasting giant entered the local market. The deal saw the state broadcaster temporarily losing the rights, as a few games were shown on pay-per-view. However it was short lived as SuperSport and the BFA parted their ways. Broadcasting resumed normally on BTV and RB1.
Since 1980 all BPL games have been played at the same times. On Saturday most are played 15:00 pm CAT on winter and 16:00 pm CAT in summer. Few games are played at night due to poor lighting in most stadiums. In Sunday all games are played at 15:00 pm CAT or 16:00 pm CAT depending on the season.
Most in midweek games are played at 19:00 pm CAT.
| Club | City / Town | Position in 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Botswana Defence Force XI | Gaborone | 10th |
| Eleven Angels | Francistown | 6th |
| Gaborone United | Gaborone | 2nd |
| Holy Ghost | Gaborone | 13th |
| Jwaneng Galaxy | Jwaneng | 1st |
| Masitaoka | Gaborone | 7th |
| Matebele FC | Matebeleng | Promoted |
| Morupule Wanderers | Palapye | 12th |
| Nico United | Selebi-Phikwe | 11th |
| Orapa United | Orapa | 3rd |
| Police XI | Otse | 9th |
| Security Systems | Otse | 5th |
| Sua Flamingoes | Sowa | 8th |
| TAFIC | Francistown | Promoted |
| Township Rollers | Gaborone | 4th |
| VTM FC | Gaborone | Promoted |
Previous champions are:[6]
| Season | Winner | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 |  Mike Sithole | Gaborone United | |
| 2011–12 |  Daniel Nare | BMC | |
| 2012–13 |  Madinda Ndlovu | Mochudi Centre Chiefs | |
| 2015–16 | Mark Harrison | Township Rollers | |
| 2016–17 | Mogomotsi Mpote | Township Rollers | |
| 2017–18 |  Nikola Kavazovic | Township Rollers | |
| 2018–19 |  Rodolfo Zapata | Township Rollers | |
| 2019–20 |  Miguel da Costa | Jwaneng Galaxy |
| Club | City | Titles | Last Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaborone | 16 | 2018–19 | |
| 7 | 2021–22 | ||
| Mogoditshane | 7 | 2003–04 | |
| 4 | 2003 | ||
| 4 | 2014–15 | ||
| 3 | 1994 | ||
| 3 | 1998 | ||
| 2 | 2022-23 | ||
| ECCO City Greens | 1 | 2006–07 | |
| 1 | 2005–06 | ||
| Season | Goalscorer | Team | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | ECCO City Greens | 24 | ||
| 2006–07 | 22 | |||
| 2007–08 | 18 | |||
| 2008–09 | 27 | |||
| 2009–10 | bgcolor=mistyrose | 31 | ||
| 2011–12 | ||||
| 2012–13 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 20 | |||
| 2014–15 | 15 | |||
| 2015–16 | 19 | |||
| 2016–17 | 17 | |||
| 2017–18 | 20 | |||
| 2018–19 | 18 | |||
| 2021–22 | Jwaneng Galaxy | 24 | ||
| 2022–23 | Omaatla Kebatho | Orapa United | 23 | |
| 2023-24 | Jwaneng Galaxy | 15 |
| Season | Best Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Township Rollers | |
| 2006–07 | ECCO City Greens | |
| 2007–08 | Mochudi Centre Chiefs | |
| 2008–09 | Gaborone United | |
| 2009–10 | Township Rollers | |
| 2013–14 | Township Rollers | |
| 2014–15 | Mochudi Centre Chiefs | |
| 2017–18 | Township Rollers | |
| 2018–19 | Jwaneng Galaxy | |
