Relocating to Botswana? Need some advice on schools, homes, etc?
Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, has a landscape defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush animal habitat during the seasonal floods. The massive Central Kalahari Game Reserve, with its fossilized river valleys and undulating grasslands, is home to numerous animals including giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs.
International Schools in Botswana
Gaborone
Westwood International School
Address: Plot 22978 Mmankgwedi Road
P.O. Box 2446
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 267 390 6736
Tuition Rates (US $): 14,317 – 24,823 per term
Primary through high school classes are offered at this premiere school. Courses are in English with ESL programs for students learning English. It is an International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) World School.
Broadhurst Primary School
Address: Plot 8578 Lenyaphiri Road
Broadhurst, Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 267 397 1221
Tuition Rates (pula): 11,810,000 per term
The school uses a programme devised by UNESCO as its source material. The children are required to wear uniforms. Broadhurst Primary School is particularly well known for its sport.
Maru a Pula
Address: Plot 4725, Maruapula Way
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 267 391 2953
Tuition Rates (pula): 14,020 – 18,890 per year
Maru a Pula is an independent, co-educational, secondary school. It is a non-profit making institution. It offers a boarding option that is integral to the school. There is an afternoon SPE programme, which includes student participation in a wide range of service and physical and enrichment activities. Examinations offered are the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the G.C.E. Advanced Level University Entrance exams (A Level).
Legae Academy
Address: P.O. Box 750
Mogoditshane, Botswana
Tel: (+267) 3924 313
Tuition Rates: Inquire at school
The Academy is fully registered with the Botswana Ministry of Education. The school is the sister school to Legae English Medium Primary School. It is a member of the AISA. It is a test center for University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) the Academy is internationally certified as an approved Oxford, Cambridge, and Royal Society of the Arts (OCR) examinations centre.
Northside School
Address: PO Box 897
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 00267 395 2440
Tuition Rates: Inquire at school
Northside Primary School is a private, international English school. The curriculum is driven by the International Baccalaureate Organization curriculum. Uniforms are required.
Accommodation in Botswana
Limited availability of accommodation suitable for expats in Africa has led to increased living costs in some key cities, although Botswana is relatively unaffected. In fact, Gaborone has been ranked among the cheapest of Africa’s cities for expats.
The suburbs of Gaborone include Broadhurst in the northeast, Naledi and Phakalane. Phakalane is built around a golf estate and is the preferred residential area for expatriates, although some people prefer to live closer to town, nearer to schools and workplace.
Other popular areas of Gaborone include The Extensions, which lie to the east of the railway line and radiate out from the Government Enclave. Extension 15 is near Riverwalk Mall (known as ‘The Village’), while Extensions 9 and 11 are probably the most expensive parts of Gaborone.
Gaborone West consists of the inner blocks to the west of the railway line, inside the Western Bypass. This area is sub-divided into Phases 1, 2, 4 and industrial.
Healthcare in Botswana
The public sector dominates the health system in Botswana, operating 98% of the health facilities. However, there is a huge gap in quality between public and private medical provisions, and expats are recommended to purchase private health cover for Botswana.
As in much of the rest of Africa, the public healthcare system mainly serves a lower-income bracket, while expats and those who can afford it use the private healthcare system.
