Land shortages, funding woes stall residential plots allocation
Pauline Dikuelo | Wednesday August 12, 2026 06:00
Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Edwin Dikoloti, revealed the unavailability of land remains the most significant challenge in meeting the growing demand for residential plots.
'The critical factor remains the availability of land. Our experience has shown that there is no longer any free land available for village expansion,' he said when addressing Parliament on delays in residential plot allocations.
To address the shortage, Dikoloti said the government has been acquiring land from neighbouring farms to facilitate village expansion.
During the 2025-2026 financial year, the ministry acquired 1,130.86 hectares at P32.6 million. In the current 2026-2027 financial year, it has already purchased 260.94 hectares for P14.9 million.
However, the minister stressed that acquiring land alone does not guarantee the immediate allocation of residential plots.
He explained that the allocation process depends on several resource-intensive activities, including spatial planning, land surveying, and land servicing.
Whilst spatial planning and land surveying can largely be undertaken through internal ministry programmes, land servicing continues to be a major bottleneck due to insufficient funding, the minister explained.
The 12th Parliament passed a motion in 2020 permitting the allocation of unserviced plots.
However, beneficiaries have consistently demanded essential infrastructure such as roads, water, and electricity before taking occupation of their land.
'As a result, I am unable to provide timelines for the allocation of plots to those on the waiting list,' Dikoloti said.
Statistics presented before Parliament last week revealed that there are more than 1.34 million residential plot applications remaining on the waiting list across the country, underscoring the scale of Botswana's land allocation backlog.
The figures show that 20,203 applicants have been waiting for more than 30 years, whilst 73,221 have remained on the waiting list for between 20 and 30 years.
A further 949,458 applicants have been waiting for between five and 10 years and 71,781 for less than five years.
Despite the overwhelming national demand for residential land, the ministry said some areas continue to experience low uptake.
Kgalagadi Land Board currently has 748 residential plots available for allocation, whilst Ghanzi Land Board has 655 plots across various settlements that have attracted no applicants.
Meanwhile, the government says it is accelerating the digital transformation of land administration to improve efficiency and reduce processing times.
The ministry has already implemented three key digital platforms: the Integrated Geographic Information System (IGIS), which manages spatial and cadastral data; the Land Information System (LIS), which automates land administration processes; and the Land Applications Know Your Customer (LAKYC) platform, which enables applicants to electronically verify and update their personal information.
According to the ministry, more than 182,000 customers have already accessed the LAKYC platform, improving the accuracy of waiting lists, eliminating duplicate applications and strengthening communication with applicants.
Under the 12th National Development Plan (NDP12), the ministry intends to further modernise land administration.
It will be achieved by integrating its digital platforms, digitising historical land records, expanding workflow automation and introducing artificial intelligence and advanced geospatial technologies to enhance planning and decision-making.
In addition to these technological reforms, the ministry is pursuing a broader overhaul of Botswana's land administration system.
Government is currently consulting key stakeholders on transitioning from the existing Land Board model to a third-generation land management framework aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and service delivery.
Consultations are ongoing with the House of Chiefs, the Parliamentary Committee on Lands and Agriculture, the Botswana Association of Tribal Land Authorities and members of the public through online platforms.
To date, more than 2,704 people have participated in the digital consultation process.