Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited (BTC) has declared a P130 million dividend to its primary shareholder, the government, for the financial year ending March 2024.
This represents half of the total P263 million dividend payout the telecommunications giant declared for the 2024 financial year, which includes both normal and special dividends. Since listing in 2016, BTC has paid a total of P1.035 billion to its shareholders.
BTC Board Chairperson, Mokgethi Magapa, said the record payout underscores BTC’s strong operational performance and growth in profit before tax, enabling the company to declare its highest dividend payout since its listing.
Magapa added that the dividend reflects BTC’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and sustainable growth. He also noted that BTC takes pride in being the only company on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) with over 99 percent of its shareholder base composed of Batswana retail shareholders. This year, BTC achieved several strategic milestones, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to advancing its business initiatives.
“We have continued to demonstrate unwavering commitment to service excellence and innovation, with a firm belief that these incremental improvements will help us achieve our medium-term strategic goals,” said Magapa.
Looking ahead, BTC plans to pursue aggressive growth strategies and accelerate network expansion to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging market. The company also aims to position itself as a key government partner in delivering the national transformation agenda, which Magapa said will further strengthen its position in the sector.
Beyond financial returns, BTC is committed to inclusive procurement practices, spending over P600 million on local companies during the past fiscal year.
“Beyond this procurement commitment, BTC, through its social investment arm, aims to address social challenges by integrating a culture of giving back into our core business activities,” said Magapa. The company’s total social investment impact for the year exceeded P6 million, reinforcing its dedication to delivering sustainable value to the communities in which it operates.
BTC also advanced its efforts in financial inclusion by partnering with the Bank of Botswana, transforming 42 Village Development Committees (VDCs) into BTC service centers across 32 villages. This initiative aims to enhance mobile financial services in rural areas. At the dividend handover ceremony, Minister of Communication Knowledge and Technology, Thulagano Segokgo, expressed the government’s pride in BTC’s performance, noting the significant impact a locally-owned company can have on national progress and shareholder value.
“This is a clear demonstration that local companies are truly impacting our economy. This is also a call to other organisations to follow suit and deliver real value to shareholders and Batswana at large,” said Segokgo.
