Can Botswana’s EV Ambitions spark a new manufacturing economy?

What the report says

The Independent Uganda, carrying a Bird Agency special report dated July 28, 2026, reports that Botswana is pursuing a plan to become a major African electric vehicle manufacturing centre by 2030. The strategy is tied to more than US$1 billion in investment and a target for 60% local manufacturing capacity, as the diamond-dependent economy seeks new industrial growth beyond mining.

The report focuses on Selebi-Phikwe, a former copper and nickel mining town identified as a future EV hub. Local firms are preparing to supply the emerging value chain, including The Bulb World Botswana, an LED lighting manufacturer led by engineer Ketshephaone Jacob. The company has set up in the SPEDU region and hopes to provide components for EV production while contributing to job creation in a town still affected by the 2016 closure of the BCL mine.

Government officials cited in the report say the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship is advancing the National e-Mobility Strategy through public-private partnerships. Assistant Minister Baratiwa Mathoothe said pilot EV work is under way and that a large production plant planned for Selebi-Phikwe is expected to begin construction later in 2026. Botswana also opened a semi-automated EV assembly plant in Gaborone in 2024, supported by two Chinese manufacturers, with capacity to assemble three vehicles daily.

The report says Botswana has nearly 500 registered EVs, including imported and locally assembled vehicles, but wider adoption still faces obstacles, especially limited charging infrastructure. If the plans succeed, the EV sector could support manufacturing, logistics, minerals processing and engineering, while helping revive communities that have struggled after the decline of traditional mining.