The Diamond rich African country of Botswana is launching an economic citizenship program to boost foreign investment and trade and diversify the economy from diamond exports.
Botswana Economic Citizenship
Botswana Has Launched a Citizenship-by-investment Program to Diversify its Diamond-dependent Economy. Botswana President Duma Boko announced that the country will launch a citizenship-by-investment program to help diversify its economy. The announcement came during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The program, part of the Vision 2036 strategy, offers citizenship to high-net-worth individuals investing…
- Investment – at least $1 million in approved projects or
- Contribution – atleast $750,000 to a national development fund.
Botswana’s budget has been constrained this year due to a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market. The country aims to boost sectors like tourism, technology, and renewable energy, projecting $500 million in foreign investment within five years. Applicants face due diligence, and the initiative emphasizes sustainable development.
The citizenship framework is expected to be announced soon. Arton Capital has signed exclusive memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Botswana to build and launch a new Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP).
“This program will enable us to continue to secure the long-term financial future of Botswana,”
– Duma Boko, President of Botswana
Botswana Investing and Trade
The Botswana investment and trade center plays a critical role in driving Botswana’s economic growth through the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI), domestic investment, and facilitation of expansions. Botswana is the fourth richest in Africa in terms of capita income. The World Bank classifies Botswana as an upper middle-income country. The official language of Botswana is English. Botswana is the largest producer of diamonds by value in the world. More than 80 percent of the country’s export earnings originate from the diamond sector. Botswana offers investors a stable economic and political climate in a region.
Botswana Passport
As of 2025 Botswana citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 84 countries and territories, ranking the Botswana passport 61st in terms of travel freedom. The visa free countries include Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea etc.
Dual Citizenship
Through the launch of the citizenship program, Botswana is expected to remove dual citizenship restrictions to foreigners investing in the country. Currently if the citizen does not renounce the citizenship of the foreign country before the age of twenty one (21), the citizen will cease to be a Botswana citizen. Consequences of a loss of the Botswana citizenship are that one would not qualify for the Botswana passport or the National Identity card (Omang).
