New Data Commission tightens compliance oversight

The newly appointed Information and Data Protection Commissioner, Kepaletswe Somolekae, has vowed to take a firmer stand against Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFI) that fail to comply with the Data Protection Act (DPA).

The Act, which came into force in January last year after years of a grace period, seeks to ensure that personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, transparently and with accountability, while also strengthening Botswana’s capacity to regulate cross-border data flows. The Act applies to all organisations that process personal data, including public entities, foreign data controllers offering goods or services in Botswana, and private sector institutions such as NBFIs.