We are excited to announce that we have recruited and trained new consultants in Ivory Coast, Botswana and Mauritius. We have also added the locations: Democratic Republic of Congo and Djibouti to our destination.
Relocation Africa is alive and growing! For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Contributions by Mohumi Maswabi.
Botswana, (officially the Republic of Botswana (Setswana: Lefatshe la Botswana), a landlocked country located 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. The citizens refer to themselves as Batswana (singular: Motswana). Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966.
Since then, it has maintained a strong tradition of stable representative democracy, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and the best perceived corruption ranking in Africa for the last four years.
Facts you may not have known about Botswana:
1. When you first meet someone, how do you greet them?
When meeting, a standard greeting in English is: “Hello, how are you?” A typical Botswana greeting involves saying “dumela” and shaking hands.
2. What languages are spoken in your country?
In Botswana the official languages are Setswana and English.
3. Do you use a twelve hour clock, or a twenty-four hour clock?
Both are used, but professionally we use the twenty-four hour clock.
4. What side of the road do people drive on? What do we need to know about driving in Botswana?
Botswanans drive on the left and pass on the right. Traffic in Botswana is not a major issue, but locals are known to take their time on the road.
5. How important is punctuality?
Punctuality is important but it’s not uncommon for locals to practice ‘African time’, being slightly late.
6. Which types of music are popular? Who are some of your most popular musicians?
In Botswana South African music and American pop music are common. DSTV plays a lot of the popular international music.
Botswana has a strong hip hop scene, and has aired a national hip hop radio show, Strictly Hip Hop, to promote the genre. Motswako, a genre of hip hop, originated in Botswana in the 1990s, and is also popular in South Africa.
Folk music is also popular in Botswana. Tswana music is primarily vocal, performed without drums and makes extensive use of string instruments, particularly the guitar. In the absence of drums, a clapping rhythm is used in music with a typical call-and-response vocal style. Culture Spears is a Tswana traditional Music group comprising 5 young artists who sing in the Setswana language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdegk9V4bwA.
7. Are there any Traditional Dances?
The common dance styles in Botswana include borankana, phathisi, setapa, tsutsube, ndazola, Kalanga hosana, and chesa. Among other things, dance is used for storytelling. The Kuru Dance Festival takes place every two years in August, lasting up to three days.
Dikakapa is a traditional dance group formed in 2006, drawing inspiration from artists such as Seragantswana, Scar,Vee, Gong Master, and Extra Musica. Here is a music video of theirs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBNTay8kkw8.
8. What traditional Festivals are celebrated in your community?
Independence Day, commonly called Boipuso, is a national holiday observed in Botswana on September 30 of every year. The date celebrates Botswana’s Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on September 30, 1966.
Taking place in May, Letlhafula is an annual food festival, held to celebrate the harvest.
Founded in 2004, and taking place in March, Son of the Soil is an annual, themed, cultural festival that involves song, dance, food, and dress.
9. What are your seasons like?
The whole country has hot summers. The rainy season is short. The dry season lasts from April to October in the south and to November in the north. The south of the country is most exposed to cold winds during the winter period.
10. Tell us an interesting fact about your President?
Ian Khama is the eldest son of Botswana’s first president, Botswana-born Sir Seretse and Lady Ruth Khama, who was born in London, U.K. He was born in Chertsey, Surrey during the period in which his father was exiled to the United Kingdom due to the opposition by the colonial government and the emergent apartheid regime in South Africa to his marriage to a white woman.
He is a qualified pilot, and attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where the British Army trains its officers.
Ian Khama is a member of the Board of Directors of the US-based organization Conservation International, which is also active in Botswana. Its goal is to protect nature as a source of food, fresh water, livelihoods and a stable climate.
11. What are Botswana’s major industries?
Botswana’s economy has been built on a foundation of diamond mining, prudent fiscal policies, international financial and technical assistance, and a cautious foreign policy. Its largest product export is diamonds, at 62% of overall exports, followed by nickel, copper, and gold. Outside the mining industry, Botswana also has a highly successful tourism industry, which accounts for almost 12% of the country’s GDP, and revolves around Botswana’s unique ecosystem, providing tourists with the opportunity to view a wide variety of animals including giraffes, rhino, buffalo, and one of the largest herds of free-ranging elephants in the world.
12. How do people spend their free time?
Many people spend their time socializing, shopping, and travelling around Botswana when they have free time. Excellent holidays can be had at the Chobe National Park, which provides great scenery, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Residents of Gaborone may climb to the top of Kgale Hill for an aerial view of the city, or spend some time at the Botswana Botanical Garden or the local Yacht Club.
13. What do people drink?
Alcohol: beer, spirits, wine. There are various traditionally produced alcoholic drinks. Bojalwa ja Setswana (the beer of Batswana) is brewed from fermented sorghum seeds. Other tribes, like Bakalanga, use lebelebele (millet). A commercially produced and packaged beer, Chibuku, brewed from either maize or sorghum, is a favourite drink particularly in the villages and towns.
Milk is fermented to make madila (sour milk), which is eaten on its own or added to porridge.
A favorite non-alcoholic homemade drink is ginger beer.
14. What is a popular local dish?
Mealie meal and red meat. Popular foods in remote areas include the morama bean, a huge underground tuber, and an edible fungus.
15. What do you pay for? (1 USD = approx. 10 BWP)
A cup of coffee: P23
A Coca Cola: P7
A 2-course meal for 2 people: P250
A loaf of bread: P9
A bottle of milk: P13
16. General Safety?
Botswana is generally a safe country. People should, as a general precaution, be aware of their surroundings, especially when walking around at night. Visitors should take care when walking with handbags and using cell phones while walking around. If possible, walk with someone else, rather than alone.
17. And in conclusion…
Famous (and sometimes infamous…) people from Botswana include:
Ian Khama, the current President. Khama has been the President of Botswana since 2008. After serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, he entered politics and served as Vice-President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008, then succeeded Festus Mogae as President on 1 April 2008. He won a full term in the 2009 election, and was re-elected in October 2014.
Amantle Montsho, a female sprinter who specializes in 400 meter races. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, reaching the final at the latter edition. She has also competed at the World Championships in Athletics and the IAAF World Indoor Championships, and is the former World Champion over the 400m, winning in a personal best time of 49.56 in Daegu.
Duma Boko, a lawyer and politician, who is currently the leader of the opposition in Botswana, at the helm of the Umbrella for Democratic Change. The UDC has 17 seats in the 63 seat National Assembly. Boko was born in Mahalapye, a rural town in Botswana, and relocated to Gaborone in 1987 for his law studies at University of Botswana, after which he continued to study at Harvard. When the Botswana National Front split in 2000, Boko became the leader of the newly-formed National Democratic Front. He went on to establish the UDC in 2012.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Given the growth in Africa, employers are regularly seconding their employees to businesses in other jurisdictions.
In Algeria, work permits are only available for posts, which cannot be undertaken by Algerian nationals. Further, foreign employees may not be hired unless they have a minimum of a ‘technical level of qualification’.
An employer must make a declaration to the competent authorities within 48 hours of hiring a foreign national and present any documents, which give that employer the right to hire foreigners. On termination of the employee’s contract, the employer must again inform the authorities.
There is no official English translation of the Algerian laws and consulates appear to apply the regulations with slight modifications. For this reason, those wishing to start businesses or send employees to Algeria should consult their nearest consulate or embassy.
In Angola, a foreign national seeking employment requires a work visa. The work visa allows its holder multiple entries into Angola and the holder can remain in Angola until the work contract expires.
The work visa must be used within 60 days of the date of its concession. It allows the holder to work in Angola for a period of 12 months, which can be prolonged for equal periods, up until the termination of the work contract.
Once a foreign worker has worked in Angola for a minimum of five years and wishes to relocate permanently to Angola, he or she will be entitled to apply for a residence visa. The residence visa entitles its holder to carry on a paid job.
In Botswana, a foreign national issued with a work permit does not automatically qualify for a residence permit. As such, the foreign national must make two separate applications, one for a residence permit and another for a work permit. It is common for both applications to be submitted simultaneously.
There are no special permits for individuals who possess scarce skills but individuals possessing scarce skills obtain more points in the visa evaluation process.
In Burundi, a foreigner is able to enter the country for a limited period of three months (for business or touristic purposes) by obtaining an ordinary visa, also called an entry visa (le visa d’entrée). Once in the country, a foreigner wishing to live and work in Burundi will have to apply for a visa d’etablissement.
A foreign worker wishing to work in Burundi is required to obtain an invitation authenticated by the Immigration Office in Burundi or by the Ministry of External Relations and International Cooperation, which forms part of the visa application.
In terms of the Règlementation de l’emploi des étrangers au Burundi, foreign labourers should not exceed 20% of the Burundian company’s employees.
To work in Egypt, a foreign employee requires an entry visa, a residence permit and a work permit. An employer who wishes to hire a foreign employee must submit a comprehensive formal request to the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration.
Foreigners are prohibited from working as tour guides, exporters, importers and customer officers. Furthermore, certain professions require a specific authorisation from the relevant authority.
The maximum percentage of foreigners that may be employed by corporate entities in Egypt is 10%. However, the competent Minister can vary this percentage upon approval.
A foreign national issued with a work permit or an immigration quota permit in Ghana does not automatically qualify for a residence permit. A foreigner that has been granted a work permit or immigrant quota cannot start working immediately in Ghana unless the Director of Immigration grants that person residence permit. A foreign national, must therefore make two separate applications, one for a residence permit and another for a work permit.
One month before the expiry of a work permit, a foreign national may apply to the Immigrant Quota Committee for the renewal of his permit, which is treated as if it were a fresh application.
A foreign national granted a work permit or immigrant quota work permit must also submit an annual return, which must be completed prior to 14th of January in each year.
To engage in employment in Kenya, foreign nationals are required to obtain work permits, and people who intend remaining in Kenya for work or business purposes for a short period of time can obtain a special pass. It is issued to a person who intends to engage in any form of employment (whether paid or unpaid) or in any other income generating activity. The special pass is valid for a period not exceeding three months.
In Mozambique, the labour laws provide for two different work permits for long-term secondments, namely a work permit within the quota or labour communication; and a work permit above the quota or work authorisation. The Mozambican labour regime restricts the admission of expatriates working for Mozambican companies or branches: 5% if a large company or branch (with more than 100 employees); 8% if a medium-sized company or branch (between 10 and 100 employees); and 10% if a small company or branch (fewer than 10 employees).
However, a Mozambican company may apply for a work permit above the quota for a foreign national, if it can prove that individual possesses certain skills and knowledge that cannot be found in any other potential Mozambican candidate.
Further, in terms of the Labour Law (23/2007), investment projects approved by the Government which contemplate the employment foreign nationals in a smaller or greater percentage than foreseen above, do not require work permits and notice must be given to the Minister of Labour within fifteen days after the foreign national enters Mozambique.
A Mozambican company that wishes to employ a foreign employee must apply for a work permit before the employee enters Mozambique. There is a three-step process, which is to be followed before a foreign employee can start working and legally living in Mozambique. Short-term work permits are available for occasional and specific services not exceeding 90 days in a calendar year. It may be worthwhile considering the cost and time implications of a short-term work permit versus an ordinary work permit if an employee is rendering services not exceeding 90 days in a calendar year.
Individuals travelling to Nigeria on short-term assignments require either a Temporary Work Permit or a Business Visitor’s Visa. The provisions in the Immigration Act, 2015 pertaining to foreign nationals requiring visas, work permit and residence permits do not apply to nationals of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECWAS). ECWAS nationals are exempted from requiring entry visas and can work, reside and undertake commercial and industrial activities within Nigeria.
Long-term assignments are linked to specific job designations, meaning that the visa is connected to both the entity and the position in which the foreign national employee will be assigned. There is a specific process, which the employer is required to follow before the employee can apply for their work visa.
A foreign national who wishes to work in South Africa needs to obtain the appropriate temporary residence visa. The Immigration Act 2002 and its regulations provide for different types of work visas, depending on the circumstances surrounding the applicant’s entry into South Africa.
The General Work Visa is issued to applicants who do not have skills and/or expertise listed on the critical skills list. One of the key issues in obtaining a general work visa is that the employer must be able to demonstrate that there are no South African citizens or permanent residents with qualifications or skills and experience equivalent to those of the foreign applicant.
The Critical Skills Work Visa is issued to applicants in possession of skills or qualifications that are considered critical. The employer does not have to demonstrate that it was unable to find a suitable citizen or permanent resident for the relevant position.
The Intra-Company Transfer Work Visa is issued in circumstances where multi-national companies may decide to transfer an existing employee in a key position from a foreign branch to a branch, subsidiary or an affiliate of that company in South Africa.
A foreign national desirous of working in Tanzania needs to obtain both a residence and a work permit.
An individual issued with a work permit does not automatically qualify for a residence permit. Thus, the foreign nation must make two separate applications – one to the Labour Commissioner and the other to the Immigration Services Department.