Private (called "Proprietary") and public limited companies are two most common business entities used in Botswana. Private companies have members (shareholders) of 25 or less; As are common with private limited companies, their shares can't be freely transferred and such companies may not seek funds publicly. Click https://www.rsm.global/botswana/insights/doing-business-botswana/brief-summary-botswana-companies-act to see Brief Summary of Botswana Companies Act for more detailed information.
Sole-traders are often hawkers or small traders or professionals such as doctors, engineers and accountants practising on their own. Partnerships are normally audit firms and joint ventures between two or three companies. It is rare to find a partnership firm carrying out business in Botswana. "Close Corporation" is a new type of entity which does not have directors or shareholders but only members who will however have limited liability like a proprietary or public limited company. Close Corporations are however not popular. Cooperative Societies conduct business in Botswana but they are not popular. There are family trusts and public trusts carrying out business in Botswana but such forms are now gaining popularity because of recently enacted Trust Property Control Act 2018 that has been amended once already to extend transition period. All trustees are now required to register trusts with the Master of High Court, who has extensive powers to even change the provisions of the trust deed if they don't favour the beneficiaries. We thus hope that more and more trusts will be formed not only to protect assets but also to require a professional person to represent investors in managing or governing a business venture in Botswana.
When it comes to non-profit entities, Trusts are the most common entities. Trusts own mostly schools, places of worship, colleges and vocational centres. Companies are also formed to carry out non-profit activities and they are exempted to keep "Limited" as part of their name. Private individuals and association of persons often form companies to carry out non-profit activities particularly when they seek donor funds. Cooperative Societies in Botswana carry out Savings and micro-lending operations in the form Employee Associations.
Publicly Traded Entities (May 2021) - Quoted in Botswana Stock Exchange
Agriculture
Bank
Standard Chartered Bank Botswana Limited
First National Bank of Botswana
Investec Limited (Foreign Main Board)
Breweries
Sechaba Breweries
Communications
Botswana Telecommunications Limited
Distribution
CA Sales Holdings Limited (Foreign Main Board)
Fuel Distribution
Engen Botswana Limited
Hotel
Cresta Limited
Insurance
Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited
Manufacturing
Olympia Capital Corporation
Microfinance
Letshego Holdings Limited
Mining
Minergy Limited
Anglo American plc (Foreignn Main Board)
Shumba Energy Limited (Foreign Main Board)
Tlou Energy Limited (Foreign Main Board)
Botswana Diamnds Limited (Foreign Venture Capital Board)
Lucara Diamon Corp (Foreign Venture Capital Board)
Property
Far Property Company
Letlole La Rona Limited
New Africa Property Holdings
Primetime Property Holdings Limited
RDC Properties Limited
Turnstar Holdings Limited
Retail Chain
Choppies Enterprises Limited
Security
G4S Botswana Limited
Tourism
Chobe Holdings Limited
Wholesale
Sefalana Sa Botswana Limited
Regulatory aUTHORITIES (list is not exhaustive)
Botswana Accountancy Oversight Authority
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA)
Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA)
Botswana Examination Council (BEC)
Botswana Qualification Authority (BQA)
Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS)
Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB)
Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA)
Public Procurement & assert Disposal Board (PPADB)
Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatisation Agency (PEEPA)
IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES (list not exhaustive)
Botswana Accountancy College (BAC)
Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB)
Botswana Fiber Network (BoFiNet)
Botswana Football Association (BFA)
Botswana Geoscience Institute (BGI)
Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC)
Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA)
Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI)
Botswana International University Science and Technology (BUIST)
Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC)
Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC)
Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC)
Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC)
Botswana Open University (BOU)
Botswana Postal Services (BPS)
Botswana Power Corporation (BPC)
Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC)
Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN)
Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI)
Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF)
Human Resource Development Council (HRDC)
Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA)
National Agricultural Research and Development Institution (NARDI)
National Development Bank (NDB)
National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC)
Okavango Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd. (ODC)
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) (List not exhaustive)
Botswana Confederation of Commence, Industry & Manpower
Botswana Council of Non-Government Organisations
Botswana Family Welfare Association
Botswana National Productivity Centre
Botswana National Youth Council
Botswana Network of AIDS Service Organisations
Environmental Heritage Foundation
Women's NGO Coalition of Botswana
Youth Health Organisation (YOHO)