Transportation in Botswana is provided by an extensive network of railways, highways, ferry services and air routes that criss-cross the country.[1] The transport sector in Botswana played an important role in economic growth following its independence in 1966. The country discovered natural resources which allowed it to finance the development of infrastructure, and policy ensured that the transport sector grew at an affordable pace commensurate with demands for services.[2]
See main article: Rail transport in Botswana. Rail services are provided by Botswana Railways, with most routes radiating from Gaborone. Botswana has the 93rd longest railway network in the world at 888 km, it is one of the busiest railways in Africa. The track gauge is 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (cape gauge). Botswana is an associate member of the International Union of Railways (UIC).
Botswana Railways run 2 nightly passenger trains, one from Lobatse to Francistown, and the other from Francistown to Lobatse, with stops in Gaborone, Mahalapye, Palapye, and Serule. The passenger train is termed the "BR Express" (Botswana Railways). Passenger services were suspended from 2009 to 2016, with the exception of an international link to Zimbabwe from Francistown.
In Botswana, the (Botswana Railways) "BR Express" has a commuter train between Lobatse and Gaborone. The train departs to Lobatse at 0530hrs and arrives at Gaborone at 0649hrs. This train returns to Lobatse in the evening, departing in Gaborone at 1800hrs. Arrival time at Lobatse is 1934hrs. The train stops at Otse, Ramotswa, and Commerce Park Halt.
From the beginning, the BR decided to operate its own sleeping cars, thus building bigger-sized berths and more comfortable surroundings. Providing and operating their cars allowed better control of the services and revenue. While the food was served to passengers, the profits were never result of serving the food. Those who could afford to travel great distances expected better facilities, and favorable opinions from the overall experience would attract others to Botswana and the BR's trains.
See main article: Railway stations in Botswana.
Over half of BRs freight traffic is in coal, grain and intermodal freight, and it also ships automotive parts and assembled automobiles, sulphur, fertilizers, other chemicals, soda ash, forest products and other types of the commodities.
Diesel locomotives
As of March 2009:
Existing
See main article: Roads in Botswana.
A-roads are highways and other major roads.
| Road | Connections | |
| A1 | Zimbabwe (A7) - Ramokgwebane (B315) - Tshesebe (B311) - Francistown (A3, B162) - Dikabeya (B151) - Serule (A15) - Palapye (A14, B140) - Mahalapye (B145, B147) - Pilane (B130) - Gaborone (A10, A12) - Ramotswa (A11, B111) - Otse (B105) - Lobatse (A2) - Ramatlabama (B202) - South Africa (R503) | |
| A2 | Namibia (B6) - Charleshill (B214) - A3 (south of Ghanzi) - Morwamosu (B102) - Sekoma (A20) - Kanye (A10, B105, B202) - Lobatse (A1) - South Africa (N4) | |
| A3 | A2 - Ghanzi - Sehithwa (A35) - Maun (B334) - Matopi (B300) - Nata (A33) - Dukwe (A32) - Sebina (A31) - Francistown (A30, A1) | |
| A10 | Gaborone (A1, A12) - Thamaga (B111) - Mosopa - Kanye (A2, B105, B202) | |
| A11 | A1 - Ramotswa | |
| A12 | Molepolole (B102, B111, B112) - Metsimotlhaba (B122) - Gaborone (A1) - South Africa (R49) | |
| A14 | Orapa (A30, B300) - Serowe (B145) - Palapye (A1, B140) | |
| A15 | Serule (A1) - Selebi Phikwe (B157, B150) | |
| A20 | Sekoma (A2) - Khakhea (B205) - Tshabong (B210, B211) | |
| A30 | Orapa (A14, B300) - Francistown (A3) | |
| A31 | Tutume - Sebina (A3) | |
| A32 | Sowa - Dukwe (A3) | |
| A33 | Namibia (B6) - Muchenje - Kasane - Pandamatenga (B333) - Nata (A3) | |
| A35 | Namibia - Shakawe - Sehithwa (A3) |
B-roads are smaller distributor roads.
| Road | Connections | |
| B102 | Morwamosu (A2) - Molepolole (A12, B111, B112) | |
| B105 | Kanye (A2, A10, B202) - Otse (A1) | |
| B111 | Molepolole (A12, B102, B112) - Thamaga (A10) - Ramotswa (A1, A11) | |
| B112 | Shoshong (B145) - Molepolole (A12, B102, B111) | |
| B122 | Lentsweletau (B123) - Metsimotlhaba (A12) | |
| B123 | Lentsweletau (B122) - east | |
| B130 | Pilane (A1) - Mochudi - Sikwane (B135) - South Africa | |
| B135 | Malolwane - Sikwane (B130) | |
| B140 | Palapye (A1, A14) - Sherwood (B141) - South Africa (Grobler's Bridge, N11) | |
| B141 | Machaneng (B147, B148) - Sherwood (B140) | |
| B145 | Serowe (A14) - Shoshong (B112) - Mahalapye (A1, B147) | |
| B147 | Mahalapye (A1, B145) - Machaneng (B141, B148) | |
| B148 | B140 - Machaneng (B141, B147) | |
| B150 | Selebi Phikwe (A15) - Sefophe (B150) - Tsetsebjwe | |
| B151 | Dikabeya (A1) - Sefophe (B151) - Bobonong (B155) - Kobojango | |
| B155 | Bobonong (B150) - Molalatau | |
| B157 | Mmadinare - Selebi Phikwe (A15) | |
| B162 | Francistown (A1, A3) - Matsiloje | |
| B202 | Kanye (A2, A10, B105) - Ramatlabama (A1) | |
| B205 | A2 - Khakhea (A20) - south | |
| B210 | Tshabong (A20, B211) - South Africa (R380) | |
| B211 | South Africa - Bokspits - Tshabong (A20, B210) | |
| B214 | Charleshill (A2) - Ncojane | |
| B300 | Matopi (A3) - Rakops - Orapa (A14, A30) | |
| B311 | Masunga (B316) - Tshesebe (A1) | |
| B315 | Zwenshambe (B316) - Moroka - Ramokgwebane (A1) | |
| B316 | Zwenshambe (B315) - Masunga (B311) | |
| B333 | A33 - Pandamatenga - Zimbabwe | |
| B334 | Shorobe - Maun (A3) |
Motorways in Botswana have a set of restrictions, which prohibit certain traffic from using the road. The following classes of traffic are not allowed on Botswana motorways:
Rules for driving on motorways include the following:
The general motorway speed limit is 120 km/h.[4]
Traditionally, road signs in Botswana used blue backgrounds rather than the yellow, white, or orange that the rest of the world uses on traffic warning signs. In the early 2010s, officials announced plans to begin phasing out the distinctive blue signs in favour of more typical signs in order to be more in line with the neighbouring Southern African Development Community member states.[5]
The Government of Botswana is building three interchanges along K.T Motsete Drive (Western Bypass) in Gaborone. This project started in August 2019, and deadline date is set 2022.
The Kazungula Bridge in Kazungula[8] and the Okavango River Bridge (constructed 2022) in Mohembo are the two longest bridges.
In most parts of Botswana, there are many taxicabs of various colours and styles. Botswana has no limitation in taxicab design, so each taxicab company adopts its own design.
Minibus taxis, also known as Combi, are the predominant form of transport for people in urban areas of Botswana. Most of them are found within cities, towns, major villages, and even the least populated areas.
They also have their own minibus station within a particular area; only transporting people within that specific area using different and unique routes. This is due to their availability and affordability to the public.
Most minibus taxis do not have a specific departure time that is allocated by the state and most of them have 15-seaters. The minibuses are owned and operated by many individual minibus owners.
Coach buses are used for longer-distance services within and outside Botswana. These are normally operated by private companies and are the only buses that have departure times allocated by the Ministry of Transport. Coach buses have multiple departures, routes, and stations all over Botswana.
The Kazungula Ferry was a pontoon ferry that crossed the 400adj=midNaNadj=mid Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia.
In 2004 there were an estimated 85 airports, 10 of which (as of 2005), were paved. The country's main international airport is Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone. The government-owned Air Botswana operates scheduled flights to Francistown, Gaborone, Maun, and Selebi-Phikwe. There is international service to Johannesburg, South Africa; Mbabane, Eswatini; and Harare, Zimbabwe. A new international airport near Gaborone was opened in 1984. Air passengers arriving to and departing from Botswana during 2003 totalled about 183,000.
Botswana has 4 international airports.
Botswana has many pedestrian elevated walkways at different places.
NSC is a pipeline in Botswana that carries raw water, south for a distance of to the capital city of Gaborone. It was done in phases. However, phase 1 was completed in 2000.
Phase 2 of the NSC, still under construction, will duplicate the pipeline to carry water from the Dikgatlhong Dam, which was completed in 2012.
A proposed extension to deliver water from the Zambezi would add another 500to to the total pipeline length.
The Lesotho-Botswana Water Transfer is an ongoing project which is expected to provide two hundred million cubic meters per year to transfer water to the south-eastern parts of Botswana.
The scheme involves the supply of water to Gaborone from Lesotho via a 600to pipeline.
The project commenced on the 1 August 2018 and is set for completion in June 2020.
The Government of Botswana intends to sign the Sea Water Desalination Project from Namibia. The project is at a tendering stage.