Discusses the distribution network within the country from how products enter to final destination, including reliability and condition of distribution mechanisms, major distribution centers, ports, etc.
Last Published: 7/22/2019

Botswana is a landlocked country at the center of the Trans-Kalahari Corridor which connects Johannesburg through Botswana to the port of Walvis Bay in Namibia.  Botswana is also part of the North-South Corridor which connects the port of Durban through Botswana to Zambia and Tanzania.  The major transport corridor is the North-South railway to and from the port of Durban.  The GOB is working to develop Namibia’s Walvis Bay as an alternative due to delays at Durban, although this is not currently a well-developed route.  In its bid to also improve regional integration and the ease of doing business, the GOB, in partnership with the Government of Zambia, is constructing the Kazungula Bridge across the Zambezi River.  The multi-million dollar bridge will be a gateway to other SADC countries and together with the one-stop shop that will be implemented at the border post, it is expected to eliminate congestion and improve efficiency.
                            
Most goods enter Botswana through Gaborone, the capital city.  However, other points of commerce include Lobatse, Francistown, Maun, and Kasane/Kazungula.  Roads are typically good, although driving at night can be dangerous due to livestock or wildlife sometimes wandering onto the roads and should be avoided.

The vast majority of U.S. products sold in Botswana enter as re-exports from South Africa.  Many U.S. companies maintain regional distributorships in South Africa, which supply the rest of the SADC region.

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