Land

There are three main types of land tenure system in Botswana: Freehold, Tribal land and Stateland.

Freehold

Freehold land amounts to about 5% of the country. It is designated in blocks, mostly along the eastern and southern parts of the country, and is made up of privately-owned agricultural, commercial, residential and industrial land. The transfer duty rate for sale of freehold land is approximately 5%, except for agricultural land which is 30%. Freehold entitles owners to perpetual and exclusive rights to the land, and land under freehold may be sold or transferred in a private transaction without Land Board approval.

State Land

State Land constitutes all urban areas (towns and cities), national parks, game reserves, forest reserves and some wildlife management areas. This makes up about 25% of the country. State land is administered by the Department of Lands (on behalf of Government through a fixed period state grant). Plots are leased for 50 years for commercial and industrial use and 99 years for residential use. The allocation of state land is governed by the State Land Allocation Policy that operates on a first-come-first-served basis from waiting lists of eligible applicants that were created when the policy was announced in October 1991.

Foreign-owned companies registered in Botswana can lease land for industrial and residential use.

Tribal Land

Tribal (Communal) Land makes up about 70% of the country and is administered on behalf of the citizens of Botswana by the Land Boards. Tribal land in some areas is leased for a 50-year period for commercial and industrial use.

Industrial Land Allocation

A special committee consisting of senior experienced officers from the Ministry of Local Government, Lands and Housing and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Wildlife and Tourism consider all applications from both local and foreign investors having regard to the following;

• Type of industrial project
• Manufacturing content
• Availability of funds
• Job creativity
• Plot Size
• Savings in foreign reserves
• Import-Substitution
• Export earning potential
• Site Suitability
• Manufacturing license
• Capital Investment
• Impact on the Area
• Overall benefit to the country

Each application must be accompanied by details of the project, preferably in the form of a project document and show proof of the commitment and financial capabilities of the applicant to carry out the development within a maximum period of two years.

Available Undeveloped and Serviced Land

The table below shows available serviced land that could be availed to qualifying investors.

Table 2: Land Prices