Botswana’s recent labour reforms demonstrate the government’s commitment to empowering workers and improving workplace conditions, says Minister of Labour and Home Affairs (MLHA) Major General (Rtd) Pius Mokgware. Addressing delegates at the Manual Workers’ Union 60th anniversary celebrations, Mokgware highlighted the enactment of the Employment and Labour Relations Act, alongside the introduction of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy and the Migration Policy, as transformative milestones in the country’s labour landscape.
He described the Employment and Labour Relations Act as a progressive piece of legislation that modernises labour law and strengthens worker protections. Among its key provisions are extended maternity leave, the introduction of paternity, adoption, and surrogacy leave, family responsibility leave, and additional hospitalisation leave. Job security is further reinforced through fair termination requirements during probation and restrictions on fixed-term contracts, which are now capped at 12 months unless objectively justified, with non-renewal in some circumstances constituting unfair dismissal.
Trade unions have welcomed the legislation, describing it as aligned with key International Labour Organisation conventions promoting freedom of association, collective bargaining, and social dialogue. The Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) said the Act clarifies employment terms, particularly for short-term and fixed-term contracts, enhancing both job security and productivity. While largely pro-worker, BOFEPUSU noted that broader consultations with the public and business community were undertaken during the drafting process.
The Act also reforms collective labour relations by removing the requirement for formal trade union recognition before organisational rights can be exercised. It introduces clearer compliance procedures and structured dispute-resolution mechanisms designed to protect both employers and employees. A major institutional reform is the establishment of an independent Mediation and Arbitration Commission, giving mediators the authority to refer disputes to arbitration or directly to the Industrial Court. Labour experts argue that this could significantly ease the backlog of cases, which Industrial Court Registrar Tefo Goitseone Bogosi said currently exceeds 900 unresolved matters, primarily relating to unfair dismissals, unpaid wages, and severance disputes.
Beyond labour relations, Mokgware highlighted the OHS Policy, which modernises workplace safety standards across sectors previously under-regulated, including health, education, construction, and the informal economy. Deputy Director of OHS, Dr. Sinah Seoke, said the policy adopts a preventive approach, clarifies employer responsibilities, strengthens enforcement, and improves reporting systems, aligning Botswana with international conventions.
The government’s Migration Policy aims to curb unemployment by providing an organised framework for Batswana to access employment opportunities abroad, with pre-departure training, bilateral partnerships, and protections for migrant workers. Mokgware confirmed that job advertisements targeting Kuwait were launched in September 2025, aiming to place at least 10,000 job seekers annually in international markets.
Despite these reforms, unemployment continues to rise. The 2025 Priority Skills Report shows graduate unemployment climbed 18 percent, from 59,528 in 2023 to 70,512 in 2024. Retrenchments have also intensified, with 487 jobs lost across 210 companies between 2024 and 2025, primarily in manufacturing, services, repairs, and the hospitality sector.
Labour economist Professor Happy Siphambe of the University of Botswana said meaningful job creation requires economic diversification, noting that labour-intensive sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture currently account for only small portions of total employment. He described the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) as a strategic intervention targeting fast-growing, employment-rich sectors, including industrial hemp, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, financial services, digitalisation, energy, mining, and infrastructure.
The overall BETP investment pipeline is valued at P514 billion over the next decade. Foreign direct investment is critical, as Botswana lacks sufficient domestic capital, technology, and expertise to industrialise at the required scale. High-impact projects unveiled at the Global Expo Botswana 2025 include hemp production with European partners, cement manufacturing by Dangote Cement and Cheetah Cement Botswana, and the Zotus smart city development, with plans expected to create thousands of jobs. Siphambe said that if effectively implemented, these initiatives could significantly boost economic growth and meaningfully reduce unemployment.
