In 2023, Botswana’s electricity consumption depended heavily on fossil fuels and imports. Fossil fuels supplied about 57% of electricity, with coal alone accounting for 55%. Net imports covered almost all the rest, at roughly 43%, while domestic low-carbon electricity contributed close to none. The data do not identify the sources of imported electricity, so those imports cannot be classified as entirely fossil or clean. Expanding domestic clean electricity would help reduce reliance on coal and its associated climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Botswana?

Botswana’s electricity consumption per person remained below its historical peak. In 2023, it stood at about 1,820 kWh per person, compared with roughly 2,010 kWh in 2015—a decline of around 194 kWh, or nearly 10%. These figures show that consumption had not regained its record, although they do not establish whether it grew in the latest year. Low-carbon electricity generation was also stagnant at just 4 kWh per person, matching its 2019 record. This lack of progress is concerning as electrification and growing digital activity increase the need for abundant clean electricity.

Suggestions

Botswana should prioritize solar expansion while also considering nuclear electricity and assessing promising wind locations. Neighboring Namibia, where solar supplies 11% of electricity generation, offers a particularly relevant regional example. Sunny, dry places such as Chile and the US state of Nevada demonstrate greater solar contributions, at about 24% and 35%, respectively. Botswana could learn from their experience with large solar projects, alongside investments in grids and storage. Morocco, with wind supplying 20% of its electricity generation, provides another useful African example. For nuclear development, Botswana could explore regional cooperation and learn from the United Arab Emirates, where nuclear supplies 20% of electricity, and France, where it provides about two-thirds. Together, solar, wind and nuclear could support a much larger clean electricity supply.

History

Botswana’s recorded low-carbon electricity history shows little momentum. Every annual change in solar electricity generation from 2012 through 2023 is reported as zero TWh, indicating no measurable year-to-year expansion at the precision provided. This does not mean solar generation itself was zero, but it does show that the record contains no substantial additions across the period. Moving beyond this prolonged stagnation through sustained solar deployment and broader clean electricity planning would be an important step toward meeting future electricity demand.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade