Air Botswana’s direct flight between Gabs-Durban gains traction
Lucy Kgweetsi | Wednesday July 16, 2025 06:45
The national airline and Durban Tourism in December 2024 formalised a partnership that culminated in the launch of a flight in March 2025 to promote tourism between the two cities. Initially framed as a strategic move to unlock regional mobility, the collaboration, is now being viewed through a more operational lens with growing uptake from business travellers, government delegations and trade-linked industries. With the route firmly in operation and having had gained traction, the two partners have shifted focus from promotion to performance.
Both the Air Botswana, and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and Durban Tourism are now evaluating how the connection supports cross-border commercial activity and whether it addresses longstanding inefficiencies in regional movement.
Deputy Director at Durban Tourism, Winile Mntungwa, told Botswana journalists last week on the sidelines of Durban July they’ve moved beyond ceremonial milestones.
“What we are seeing now is the practical value of this route. Delegates no longer lose hours in transit. Businesspeople are planning same-day returns,” she said.
“Even cultural exchanges and event attendance have improved. These are functional outcomes, not abstract benefits.”
Data from the past quarter, though still being verified, shows consistent midweek demand from private sector travellers and modest but steady weekend traffic linked to conferences, sports events, and academic programmes.
This usage profile reflects the initial intent of the partnership, to build a route that serves real business and policy needs between Botswana and South Africa’s east coast, officials said.
For Air Botswana, the route has become part of a broader operational strategy to position the airline as a regional connector rather than a purely national carrier.
“We designed this route based on recurring demand not assumptions,” said Malebogo Sesinyi, Air Botswana, Head of PR, Communications and Marketing.
“It’s part of a regional pivot. There’s been interest not only from trade associations and ministries but also from SMEs and civil society actors who are engaging across borders more frequently.
“We’re now seeing repeat travellers, which is a good indicator of relevance,” she added.
The Durban–Gaborone connection is especially useful for industries linked to logistics and freight coordination.
Durban remains a critical exit point for Botswana’s importers and exporters, and proximity to the port has improved scheduling for freight-forwarding firms and clients who previously relied on indirect or delayed access.
A Gaborone-based trade consultant sees the route as more than a convenience.
“In practical terms, it reduces the friction of doing business. If a Botswana-based firm is importing through Durban, their logistics teams can now fly in and out on the same day.
“That’s not just a time-saver, it has operational and financial implications,” she said.
There’s also a growing regional context to consider. With the SADC and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) frameworks gaining traction, there’s pressure on countries to improve intra-African movement especially between secondary cities.
The Durban–Gaborone route is one of few examples in Southern Africa where such a link exists outside of major commercial centres like Johannesburg or Cape Town.
While Durban Tourism and Air Botswana have yet to release long-term performance metrics, early feedback from industry users suggests the route is achieving its intended purpose. According to Mntungwa, the partnership may evolve further.
“We’re having conversations beyond aviation. There’s interest in trade shows, joint delegations, and knowledge exchange between the cities. The flight was the first step. The real work is what it enables.”
For now, the partnership remains under review, but the shift in tone from launch to results suggests it has moved from symbolic cooperation to practical regional infrastructure.