Bertelsmann Stiftung Index (BTI) 2026 Botswana Country Report has warned that emergency procurement measures during the Covid-19 pandemic created conditions that enabled corruption at senior levels of government even as the state battled a once-in-a-generation public health crisis.
According to the report, ‘corruption at senior levels grew following the suspension of public procurement procedures and the direct appointment of companies to supply personal protective equipment.’ The report highlighted how emergency decision-making frameworks weakened oversight mechanisms during the pandemic period.
The BTI assessment argues that the pandemic not only disrupted the economy but also exposed governance vulnerabilities. It states that Covid-19 ‘severely disrupted the economy, forcing the government to prioritize public health and declare a state of emergency,’ while simultaneously accelerating controversial procurement practices that would later draw public criticism and institutional concern.
The report situates the rise in corruption concerns within the broader context of crisis governance, where speed and emergency response took precedence over established accountability systems. The direct awarding of PPE contracts, according to BTI 2026, became a key flashpoint for allegations of abuse and preferential treatment, reinforcing long-standing concerns about transparency in public procurement.
While the report does not frame Botswana as a failed governance state, it warns that crisis conditions exposed structural weaknesses that had previously been less visible, particularly in procurement oversight and senior-level accountability.
The report observes that ‘the administration is committed to shifting from a mineral-based to a knowledge-based economy, promoting electric vehicles and strengthening agriculture,’ signalling an ambition to modernise the economic structure in the post-pandemic era. However, the transition is unfolding in a constrained fiscal environment. The BTI report warns that the current administration inherited ‘a fragile economy, with government investment accounts and foreign reserves nearly depleted,’ limiting immediate fiscal space for reform.
The new administration now faces substantial expectations from the electorate, including ambitious socio-economic commitments. According to BTI 2026, the government must grapple with ‘the mammoth task of implementing many of its electoral promises,’ including a proposed minimum wage of BWP 4,000, an old-age pension of BWP 1,800, and the creation of 450,000 jobs.
While Botswana has made measurable progress in basic service delivery, structural and logistical constraints persist. The BTI 2026 report, drawing on World Bank data, notes access levels of 92.6% for basic water, 80.6% for sanitation, and 75.9% for electricity in 2022.
However, it cautions that service delivery is undermined by ‘limited resources, corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies,’ while geographic dispersion creates additional cost pressures. The report also points to infrastructure vulnerabilities, including theft of electrical cables that disrupts power supply in some areas.