A deep dive into gov’t proposed True North
Spira Tlhankane | Monday October 20, 2025 06:00
“In July 2025, a strategic Cabinet workshop on Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) reached a consensus on the national development direction, referred to as the ‘True North’,” Minister for State President Moeti Mohwasa revealed this week.
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government’s True North is defined as: “A high-income Botswana that is digitally enabled, export-driven, and economically diversified where every citizen is employed, empowered, and fulfilled.” With the True North vision, the government envisages transforming the nation into a high-income, digitally enabled, export-driven, people-centric, and economically diversified country by 2036.
According to the draft document, which is currently being debated by Members of Parliament (MPs), embracing the BETP is what differentiates NDP 12 from its predecessors and represents a complete shift from the mining-driven and public sector economic growth model that has been in effect since Botswana’s independence in 1966.
“By incorporating a rigorous identification, prioritisation and implementation process, the BETP ensures effective execution of the primary economic segments of the NDP 12 towards achieving Botswana’s True North,” the NDP 12 draft spells out.
Moreover, according to the draft, by taking a business-unusual approach and aligning the activities, strengths, and insights of both public and private sectors in true partnership, the BETP under the NDP 12 promises to bring the aspirations of government and Vision 2036 closer to fruition.
The document indicates that drafting of the plan benefited from the new thinking by the current government, which is committed to transforming Botswana into a world leader by shifting the country from a resource-dependent economy to a diversified, high-income, and digitally enabled nation.
“Attainment of the True North will be achieved by attracting cumulative investment worth USD 529 billion, creating 580,000 jobs, and achieving GNI per capita of at least USD 15,730, consistent with high-income status by the year 2036,” the NDP 12 draft states.
Furthermore, the draft document states that, during the process of defining the True North by the Cabinet, six economic and three social sectors were prioritised to deliver on the True North. In addition, two other sectors of Environment and Governance, and Peace and Security, have been identified as enablers. All the sectors have a well-defined True North with specific measurable indicators.
Mohwasa even told legislators during the seminar this week that the nine prioritised sectors include six economic sectors - Mining and Energy; Agriculture; Manufacturing; Tourism; Sports and Creative Arts; Infrastructure; Financial Services; and Digitalisation, and three social sectors: Healthcare, Education, and Social Protection.
Mining Sector
According to the draft, the True North for the Mining Sector has been identified as being that of “A diversified mining sector that is innovative with extensive value addition and employment creation”. This will be anchored on: Mineral extraction and beneficiation; and Value addition in the sector.
Energy sub-sector
The True North for the Energy sub-sector is: “By 2036, Botswana will be a citizen-led energy hub powering Africa, grow the energy sector into a major economic engine, while leading in clean power and energy exports”. This, according to the draft, will be achieved through: renewable energy deployment, fossil fuels, transitional energy, emerging and strategic technologies.
Agriculture Sector The draft also notes that True North for the agriculture Sector is “To transform Botswana’s agriculture into a diversified, resilient, and export-oriented sector that achieves food security, reduces imports, and drives economic growth”. This is anchored on livestock production and processing, agricultural production and processing, and land resource management.
Manufacturing sector The True North for the manufacturing sector, according to the draft NDP 12, is: “A resilient, globally competitive and export-oriented manufacturing base that transforms local potential into high-value goods fuelling sustainable growth, creating job opportunities, and anchoring Botswana as an industrialised, high-income nation”. The draft states that the sector will be driven by: light manufacturing and domestic ecosystem, resource-based and heavy industry, and high and sophisticated technology.
Tourism sectorThe Tourism sector’s True North is to “cultivate a diversified and inclusive tourism product, encompassing the vast geographical locations in Botswana that offer accessible, authentic, and memorable experiences, fostering discovery and connection”. This will be anchored on: wildlife and nature accommodation and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), cultural, heritage, creative industries, port tourism, urban business, and experience.
Sports and Creative Moreover, the document reveals that the True North for the Sports and Creative is, that “Botswana will be a global hub for sports, culture, and creative industries, where talent thrives for individual and sustainable economic prosperity”. For this to be achieved, emphasis will be placed on: sector sustainability; stakeholder partnerships; and cultural heritage, creative industries, and sport tourism.
Infrastructure sector In addition to the priority sectors is the infrastructure sector which’s True North is “to transform Botswana into a regional hub for trade, travel, and investment through integrated infrastructure that ensures resource security, economic diversification, and seamless connectivity to regional and global markets”. This will be anchored on land transport development, air transport development, water security for industrial growth, and strengthening Special Economic Zones (SEZs) access and viability for investors.
Financial Services and Digitalisation The draft also disclosed that financial services and digitalisation ongoing reforms have identified the financial sector and digitisation True North as “to establish a fully integrated, inclusive, and secure financial and digital ecosystem that enables seamless transactions, universal access to public and private services, and boosts Botswana’s competitiveness”. This transformation will be anchored on four key pillars of the trust framework, smart services, financial services innovation and financial inclusion.
Healthcare services sectorThis is one of the three social sectors that add to the six economic sectors mentioned above. “Botswana excels in providing universal health access, but needs to improve health outcomes by enhancing infrastructure, ensuring adequate medical equipment, expanding specialised services, improving supply chain efficiency, and digitalising services, amongst other reforms,” reads the draft, which is currently before Parliament.
In line with these strategies, the government wants the Health sector to drive systemic reforms, with the True North defined as of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index to at least 75 by 2030.
The intention is also to diversify financing beyond government budgets and build a system that is more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable. “Primary health care (PHC) remains the foundation of health service delivery, with a focus on health promotion to disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, palliative care in a way that is centered on people’s needs and community participation,” further reads the document.
This True North for the sector is to “Transform Botswana’s health system to match the global Universal Health Coverage average by 2036 through stronger care, workforce, and digital innovation”. The focus will be on two (2) pillars: Increased Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index: Raise coverage from 55 (2021; Namibia 63; RSA 71; Global 68) to 75 by 2030.
The vision for the health sector is also to see diversified health financing (reduce the proportion of the annual total health expenditure by the government): The government wants the share of government budget within the total health expenditure to reduce from 80% (2024) to 60% in 2030, reflecting a gradual shift towards private and alternative financing sources.
Education Sector The document also indicates that the True North for the Education Sector is: “To cultivate globally competitive and innovative human capital by providing an inclusive, high-quality, and future-ready education system that empowers every Motswana for economic prosperity and lifelong success”. To drive this True North, the focus will be on: increasing national pass rates, access and progression, institutional quality, and youth productivity.
Social Protection sector The True North for the sector, according to the draft NDP 12, is to create a “Socially protected Batswana that are empowered and community-led, where every vulnerable citizen is sustainably supported, uplifted, and equipped to thrive with dignity and purpose”.
This will be achieved through the following pillars: inclusive social protection, which ensures that all, especially vulnerable groups, have access to essential social safety nets and services.
Another pillar is Economic Empowerment and Graduation, which provides pathways for individuals to transition from dependence on social protection to self-sufficiency through economic opportunities. The other pillar is Governance and Sustainability, which enhances institutional frameworks to effectively deliver social protection services.
Environment sectorThe True North for a sustainable environment and optimal use of natural resources will be focused on: A Green Botswana, an Improved Water Security,y Improved Energy Security, Reformed Land Management, and Optimal Use of Natural Resources. This is one of the two other sectors identified as enablers.
Governance, Peace and Security sectorThe other sector identified as enablers is the Governance, Peace and Security sector, and its True North is: “A resilient, peaceful, and progressive Botswana grounded in transparency and accountability, fostering improved international cooperation, safeguarding territorial integrity and sovereignty, and nurturing a safer and harmonious society for all its citizens”.
This vision is anchored on pillars like the rule of law, participatory democracy, transparency and accountability, territorial integrity and sovereignty, and public safety and protection.
The draft NDP 12 also highlighted that the government will adopt a three-pronged approach towards achieving the ‘True North’, based on improving implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, and institutionalisation of continual problem-solving and rapid response to performance issues.
Furthermore, the Government has identified key enablers to this transformation, the first of which will address capacity building on implementation and result-based management covering project management, procurement, monitoring, and evaluation.
The theme for NDP 12 is “Building a diversified and inclusive deep economy for sustainable jobs “, with the key operational words of diversification, inclusivity, and sustainability, anchored on Botswana’s “True North”. Diversification here, according to the draft, does not just relate to an increase in the number of sectors but also to what these sectors have to offer in terms of diversifying the revenue base as well as exports.