Mortgage debts remain flat as incomes lag

With households grappling with subdued incomes and in spite of a housing shortage, mortgages have taken a knock and remain unchanged whilst the rest of Southern Africa residential lending market remains bullish.

According to a report by the Financial Stability Council published recently, residential real estate loans, known as mortgages, remained flat at P14.8 billion between February 2024 and February 2025, a trend which made Botswana a regional outlier as mortgages continue to grow throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.