Engen profits drop by P83m after oil import shift
Friday, August 15, 2025 | 520 Views |
Hard hit: Engen Botswana’s profits have been hit by several policy changes
Engen which operates 71 service or “filling stations” across Botswana, experienced sharp pressures on their margins in the full year 2024 with their pretax profits declining from P193.9 million in 2023 to P111.0 million in 2024, an overall decline of 42%.
In the group’s latest annual report, industry insiders said the steep decline was due to policy changes that terminated fuel import licenses giving a 90% import mandate to government-owned Botswana Oil. This has since meant that retailers like Engen are now forced to procure petroleum products such as Unleaded 93 and Diesel from BotsOil exclusively.
“I believe that free but fair trade isan absolute imperative”– John E. JamesFor two countries bound by geography, history and deep economic ties, periods of diplomatic strain serve neither side well. President Duma Boko’s efforts to restore momentum to relations with Pretoria deserve recognition, particularly at a time when Southern Africa faces shared challenges ranging from sluggish economic growth and unemployment to energy security...