r/Botswana

Genuinely why the fuck is the speed limit 60 and that too on the A1 highway linking gamecity to Gaborone.

I could crawl that speed.

I failed and discontinued from BIUST because I wasn't in the right mental space. I was really depressed, having not showered or attended lessons, in bed all day contemplating ending it. I failed, I was doing mining engineering for 3 yrs until I failed. I let go of a great course with good money.

Came back to Mochudi, parent's said I can rest for the year and they'll pay for my school next year. Well my mom since she's the breadwinner and my dad is struggling with employment.

Iran War starts shortly after, things get expensive but we're good. I decide to follow my dreams, because I never wanted to do mining engineering but I needed a good paying job. I always wanted to be a screenwriter for Hollywood, I do my research and that's so far fetched for a Motswana, fine then I'll be an animator and weave my way into writing animated films, oh sorry you can't work for studios from Botswana because legally they have to hire their own. Can't crowdfund jack because all the crowdfunding platforms are unavailable in Botswana. Fine a youtuber, OH sorry it's not monetized in Botswana.

I try being a tutor, but in Mochudi it's monopolized by crackit, so i apply to crackit....they tell me sorry I need a degree.

I wanted to be a fantasy writer, a Motswana has made it, there's a path to becoming a writer being internationally recognized but what's the point. It's a stupid dream.

Iran War continues, things get more expensive, my mom suggests she might not be able to put me through University....we have to cut off eggs, mayonnaise, rice, tinned beef, spaghetti because we can't afford it. Water cuts all the time in our neighbourhood and water utilities always says they'll fix it. It's been 6 fucking months, we have whole 5 day periods with no water, we haven't had consistent water in 6 months. My dad is old, he has back pains, he once had bad back pains and he needed pills, there was no water to take the pills, no liquids in the house to use. Try watching a 65 year old man rive in pain, coming back drunk because he's trying to start a business to pay for my school and it fails badly.

My dog dies too, my friends move out of the country. I'm lonely, I'm tired, I'm sick of this place and I'm now being told the Pula is devaluating in 2 months making things more expensive.

The only thing left is my mom dying and we'll be destitute. I got 46 points in my IGCSE, made it 3 yrs into engineering, I showed so much promise but in the span of 8 months, it's all gone downhill. Maybe I ruined it, maybe it's luck but I don't care anymore.

I'm tired and I ask myself why. I'm 21 and I'm already tired. I have no place to vent to, one day I'll just end it all.

I used to want kids yknow, but atp ive concluded why I'd bring a child to such a shitty world. I'm not even going through the worst of it, I can only imagine people in war torn countries. Life is just suffering unless you're a white rich man in a first world country. I won't curse a child with the horror that is life.

The lonely reality of university

I’m an 18F and started university at 16. Before university, I actually had a decent number of friends, but once we all went to different places, we naturally drifted apart.

I’ve never really been the most talkative or extroverted person, but I honestly didn’t expect university to be this lonely. When I first came to UB, it felt like everyone already had their own clicks and friend groups. I tried talking to some of my classmates and, for the first couple of weeks, I thought I was finally making friends. But eventually, everyone formed their own groups and I ended up on my own again.

Now I’m in my second year and I still don’t really have anyone I’d consider a friend on campus.

Sometimes I genuinely don’t even want to go to campus because I know that between classes, I’ll probably spend three hours sitting by myself with nothing to do and no one to talk to. At first, it didn’t really bother me. I told myself I was just adjusting and that eventually I’d meet people. But now it’s starting to really get to me.

It’s such a weird feeling being surrounded by hundreds of people every day and still feeling completely alone.

I’m not really sure what I’m expecting from posting this. Maybe I just wanted to know if anyone else at UB has experienced the same thing. How did you actually make friends when you felt like everyone already had their people? And is it normal to still feel this lonely in your second year?

Holla holla everyone 👋🏽 M21 here.

I’m currently staying in Gaborone and studying at BAC. Honestly, I’m just looking to make a few friends I can have random conversations with, share thoughts, laugh about stupid things, or just talk about life.

I’m a pretty calm and reserved person, so I might not be the loudest in the room, but once I’m comfortable, I can talk about almost anything. 😂

One thing about me is that I genuinely love music. I listen to almost everything — not just for the sound, but because I’m fascinated by the artistry behind it: the production, the melodies, the writing, the emotions, and the little details that make a song feel alive. Music is one of those things that makes me appreciate how creative people can be.

I’m also down for friendships that can stay completely anonymous if that’s what you prefer. Or, if we eventually vibe, we could grab food, chill somewhere, or even go for hikes around Kgale Hill. I’m not really picky about the setting; good company matters more.

So yeah, if you’re around Gaborone, studying, working, or just looking for someone to talk to, hit me up. Male or female, doesn’t matter. Let’s see where a random Reddit conversation goes. 😅

I think it would be really cool for us to find each other make a place where we can discuss manga and stuff, its a bit of a passion of mine and i only know a few people who read it so yeah, manhwa is cool too but i dont read manhwa sooo

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Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to create a community for those born roughly between 2000 and 2006 in Gaborone—a space built around connection, personal growth, collaboration, and meaningful social interaction?

The idea would go beyond simply having a social group. We could organise activities such as hikes at Kgale Hill, fitness sessions, recreational outings, camps and regular meetups where people can genuinely connect outside their usual circles.

More importantly, it could become a space where we have honest conversations about the issues young people face but rarely discuss openly—relationships, finances, career pressure, mental and emotional struggles, family expectations, entrepreneurship, finding opportunities, and the uncertainty that comes with figuring out adulthood.

There is a lot of knowledge within our generation. Someone may have already experienced the problem you are currently facing and could offer perspective, guidance or simply a listening ear. Others may have skills, businesses, opportunities or connections that could benefit someone else.

We could also use the community to support and promote one another’s businesses, share income-generating ideas, collaborate on projects, exchange opportunities, and build professional networks.

The goal wouldn't be to create another WhatsApp group that eventually becomes inactive. It would be about building a genuine network of young people who can socialise, learn from one another, create opportunities, stay active, and grow together.

If we had 50, 100, or even 2,000 young people connected by the same mindset, imagine what we could build from that.

Would anyone here be interested in something like this, and what would you want such a community to offer??

Dumelang..

I was Just interested in what advice you guys can give...this is a small community of highly intelligent Batswana after all

..

So I have a brother doing a System administration program at GTC in Kgale, Gabs... self sponsored for this due to wasting time with something he didn't like and not succeeding at it (Accounting degree).. That led to a loss of his DTEF scholarship..

He has 39 points from his IGCSE and is now at GTC as mentioned..(Gaborone Technical College)..

I am just asking if there is a possibility of a company that deals with IT perhaps taking over his funding towards his diploma (it amounts to P22,000 over the entire 3 years of the course)... Of course the company's terms will also be considered here.. it's not a free thing.. he had in mind an arrangement where the company takes over his academic fees and he in turn graduates to work for them for whatever agreed upon period that will be or whatever employment contract is finalized for afterwards.. I am aware this is ambitious but it's worth a shot and generally I thought if there's smart people who would be able to participate in this or at least give advice on it , it would be here.. I am happy to pass his contacts if you or anyone you know may want to assist or here the indepth story on this..

All assistance is appreciated no matter how small.. 🤝

So i got layed off and relocated to my hometown next to Francistown and don't knw much pple around. So looking for friends in or around Francistown to hangout with especially during weekends for a good conversations over life general, ideas politics etc. Not much of an drinker myself. Am 35 years so would prefer someone around that age. Am i guy.

Ive been searching for a bit but I cant find any fabric stores selling tapestry needles. I need them to sew in my crotchet projects but I cant find anything 💔

It is entirely fair for Africans to criticise South Africa. But if the issue boils down to “xenophobia“, why do you think Botswana has been able to escape that same criticism from other Africans? Especially considering that Botswana also faces high unemployment particularly among the youth which has led to an increase in the already frequent deportations of Zimbabweans and you’ve had government policies that has been considered xenophobic by some for decades, and censors/surveys show that anti-immigrant sentiment is growing among the citizens. I am curious to know how it is that you, too are not the target of this hatred like us? Why do people act as if this is unique to South Africa?

I'm 22 currently doing indrive to get money, I've never been to uni and most of the time I feel like I'm left behind in life, it has come to a point where I don't even wanna hang out with my friends anymore because I know I'm gonna come home feeling like a loser ,so at this point of my life I basically have no friends and all I do is indrive then I go home to sleep, I have no one to text or talk to and I'm scared this might be what I amount of in life, today I made the decision to make a career out of boxing since is the only thing I'm good at and I hope I'm making the right decision 😭

So, if Botswana has roughly a million-plus citizens of Tswana identity, while a significant portion of the population consists of immigrants and other ethnic groups, it raises an interesting question: how does a government struggle to effectively manage a relatively small population?

A Motswana friend once gave me an interesting comparison between Botswana and Zimbabwe. He said that in Zimbabwe, if a government department is given a budget to buy a table, they might at least find a cheaper table and pocket the difference. 😂 In Botswana, according to him, the problem is almost the opposite: sometimes the table simply never gets bought.

Obviously, that’s an oversimplification, but it raises a serious point. Botswana has a small population and enormous natural-resource wealth, yet people still complain about bureaucracy, inefficiency, unemployment, poor service delivery and government projects that take forever.

And that makes the usual argument about foreigners even more interesting. If foreigners are supposedly putting pressure on the country’s resources and public services, then the obvious question is: why does the government struggle to deliver efficiently even with such a relatively small population?

Click on the link above.

I came across a post on Reddit arguing that non-disclosure of HIV status is acceptable in casual encounters when an individual is undetectable, citing the Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) principle. The argument centers on privacy, preventing stigma, and the medical fact that effective treatment prevents viral transmission.

Here are a few key quotes from the post:

• "In casual encounters, I choose not to disclose that I live with HIV."
• "Not disclosing does not mean taking away someone's right to choose when there is no exposure to HIV."
• "My silence does not transmit HIV. My treatment prevents transmission."

However, an important perspective raised in these discussions is medical uncertainty. Factors like missed doses, medication resistance, viral blips, or delayed routine lab monitoring mean someone who believes they are undetectable may not actually be undetectable at a given moment.

Given Botswana's public health context, high ART coverage, and deep community awareness, I am curious about different perspectives on this issue:

Does U=U remove the need for disclosure, or does potential viral fluctuation make full disclosure essential for informed consent regardless of treatment status? How do local legal and cultural expectations view this balance?

Serious question for actual citizens living in Botswana. How efficient is the police in preventing foreign and domestic criminal networks from becoming entrenched in the country? How fast is their response to crimes? Are there things you wish they would improve? Crimes seem to have increased apparently. The difficult economic situation is definitely at fault, but I hope the country is actively trying to deal with this.