Botswana - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Botswana - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Botswana using improved fibre connectivity to develop e-commerce

Although Botswana has a particularly high mobile penetration rate, the fixed-line sector remains underdeveloped. This is characteristic of many markets in the region, itself a legacy of years of underinvestment.

However, the government and the wholesale network provider BoFiNet have made considerable progress in recent years to expand the reach of the national fibre network. This is being used to develop e-health and e-government services, and also to foster e-commerce.

The government in October 2021 launched a revised e-commerce strategy in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This strategy aims to address various barriers which could potentially restrict growth of e-commerce, and is premised on the wider availability of quality broadband. It is also supported by the wider efforts being made as part of Botswana’s Vision 2036 program, which aims to propel economic development through ICT.


1 Key statistics
2 Regional Africa Market Comparison
2.1 Market characteristics
2.2 Market Leaders
2.3 Market Challengers
2.4 Market Emergents
2.5 TMI vs GDP
2.6 Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
2.7 Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration
3 Country overview
4 Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
4.1 Economic considerations and responses
4.2 Subscribers
4.3 Infrastructure
5 Telecommunications market
5.1 Market analysis
6 Regulatory environment
6.1 Historical overview
6.2 Regulatory authority
6.3 Fixed-line developments
6.4 Mobile network developments
7 Mobile market
7.1 Market analysis
7.2 Mobile statistics
7.3 Mobile infrastructure
7.4 Major mobile operators
7.5 Mobile content and applications
8 Fixed-line broadband market
8.1 Introduction and statistical overview
8.2 Market analysis
8.3 Public internet access facilities
8.4 Botswana Internet Exchange (BINX)
8.5 White space spectrum
8.6 Broadband statistics
8.7 Fixed-line broadband technologies
9 Digital economy
9.1 E-health
9.2 E-learning
9.3 e-commerce
10 Fixed network operators
10.1 Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC)
10.2 Liquid Intelligence Technologies (LIT)
11 Telecommunications infrastructure
11.1 Overview of the national telecom network
11.2 International infrastructure
12 Appendix Historic data
13 Glossary of abbreviations
14 Related reports
Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities Botswana 2021 (e)
Table 2 Telecom aggregate financial data (BWP million) 2012, 2013, 2015 2018
Table 3 Telecom sector investment 2015 2018
Table 4 Change in BOCRA Group's surplus revenue 2009 2020
Table 5 Change in BOCRA's income (Authority) 2012 2020
Table 6 Change in BOCRA Group's income by type (BWP million) 2012 2020
Table 7 Telecom licenses by category (old framework) 2011 2018
Table 8 Telecom licenses by category (new framework) 2017 2019
Table 9 Fall in the MTR 2011 2014; 2017 2018
Table 10 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2011 2026
Table 11 Mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2010 2021
Table 12 Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers 2012 2021
Table 13 Change in SMS traffic (million) 2011 2021
Table 14 Mobile internet subscribers by operator 2012 2021
Table 15 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband penetration 2013 2026
Table 16 Growth in mobile broadband traffic (PB) 2016 2019
Table 17 Development of Mascom Botswana's mobile ARPU 2011 2021
Table 18 Growth in the number of Mascom Botswana's mobile subscribers 2011 2021
Table 19 Development of Mascom Botswana's financial data (ZAR million) 2015 2021
Table 20 Growth in the number of Orange Botswana's mobile subscribers 2011 2021
Table 21 Growth in the number of BTC's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 22 BTC mobile revenue by service (BWP million) 2015 2021
Table 23 Increase in the number of mobile money users 2011 2021
Table 24 Change in the number of mobile money users by operator 2014 2021
Table 25 Growth in the number of internet subscribers and penetration rate 2011 2021
Table 26 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers 2011 2026
Table 27 DSL broadband subscribers 2011 2021
Table 28 Fixed wireless broadband subscribers 2012 2021
Table 29 Development of BTC's financial data (BWP million) 2011 2021
Table 30 Annual change in BTC's financial data (BWP million) 2010 2021
Table 31 Development of BTC's revenue by service (BWP million) 2013 2021
Table 32 Annual change in BTC's revenue by service (BWP million) 2014 2021
Table 33 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2011 2026
Table 34 Development of international internet bandwidth 2011 2020
Table 35 Historic - BTC financial results (million) 2005 2010
Table 36 Historic - International internet bandwidth 2003 2010
Table 37 Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity in Botswana 2000 2010
Table 38 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate in Botswana 2000 2010
Table 39 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 1999 2010
Table 40 Historic - Mascom Botswana ARPU 2005 2010
Table 41 Historic - Orange Botswana Subscribers 2007 2010
Table 42 Historic - Orange Botswana mobile revenue 2008 2014
Table 43 Historic - Value of mobile money transactions 2011 2014
Table 44 Historic - Mobile money transactions by volume 2013 2014
Table 45 Historic - DSL broadband subscribers 2008 2010
Chart 1 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Leaders
Chart 2 Africa Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers
Chart 4 Africa Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index Market Emergents
Chart 6 Africa Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 Africa Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 Africa Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 Africa Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 Telecom sector financial data 2012, 2013, 2015 2018
Chart 11 Change in BOCRA Group's income by type (BWP million) 2012 2020
Chart 12 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2011 2026
Chart 13 Mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2010 2021
Chart 14 Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 15 Change in SMS traffic (million) 2011 2021
Chart 16 Mobile internet subscribers by operator (thousand) 2012 2021
Chart 17 Active mobile broadband penetration 2013 2026
Chart 18 Growth in mobile broadband traffic (PB) 2016 2019
Chart 19 Development of Mascom Botswana's mobile ARPU 2011 2021
Chart 20 Growth in the number of Mascom Botswana's mobile subscribers (million) 2011 2021
Chart 21 Development of Mascom Botswana's financial data 2015 2021
Chart 22 Growth in the number of Orange Botswana's mobile subscribers 2011 2021
Chart 23 Growth in the number of BTC's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 24 BTC mobile revenue by service 2015 2021
Chart 25 Change in the number of mobile money users by operator 2014 2021
Chart 26 Growth in the number of internet subscribers and penetration rate 2011 2021
Chart 27 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers 2011 2026
Chart 28 Development of BTC's financial data 2011 2021
Chart 29 Development of BTC's revenue by service 2013 2021
Chart 30 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2011 2026
Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
Exhibit 2 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 Africa Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 Africa Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 Africa Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 Map of Botswana

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