Gaborone – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa travelled to Gaborone, Botswana on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, for a two-day state visit centred on the Sixth Session of the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission.
Ramaphosa and Botswana President Gideon Duma Boko will co-chair the BNC Summit, which follows a Ministerial Meeting and Senior Officials Meeting scheduled for the same day. The visit runs until 21 May 2026 and will be held at the Royal Area Conference Centre in Tlokweng.
🇿🇦 His Excellency President @CyrilRamaphosa undertakes a State Visit to the Republic of Botswana for the 6th South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission at the invitation of 🇧🇼 His Excellency President @duma_boko.
— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) May 20, 2026
The visit reflects the strong bilateral relations and enduring… pic.twitter.com/lDv1mR1avz
The primary objective of the visit is to deepen and strengthen the bilateral partnership between the two neighbouring countries, whose relationship is rooted in solidarity dating back to the liberation struggle era, when Botswana provided support to South African freedom fighters.
Trade figures show just how intertwined the two economies are. South Africa is Botswana’s largest trading partner, accounting for more than 50% of Botswana’s imports. In 2025, total bilateral trade amounted to approximately R82 billion, with South Africa exporting goods worth R73.5 billion to Botswana and importing R7.7 billion worth of goods in return.
South Africa is also Botswana’s largest supplier of agricultural products. Of Botswana’s R15 billion in agricultural imports in 2025, R14 billion came from South Africa.
More than 100 South African companies operate in Botswana across sectors including financial and banking services, retail and wholesale, mining and mineral beneficiation, infrastructure, construction and logistics, freight, manufacturing, automotive value chains, hospitality and tourism.
The Development Bank of Southern Africa’s aggregate portfolio of investments under consideration in Botswana stands at a total project value of approximately R6.5 billion, while the Industrial Development Corporation has also developed a pipeline of projects for financing in the country.
Renewable energy cooperation will feature prominently on the agenda, with the two countries set to explore opportunities in support of Botswana’s goal of reaching 50% renewable energy by 2030, covering grid integration and capacity building.
A Business Forum will run alongside the BNC to strengthen private sector collaboration and facilitate business-to-business exchanges. Several new agreements are expected to be signed during the visit.
The state visit takes place against the backdrop of Botswana’s political transition following a change of administration in October 2024, with the new government signalling its intention to consolidate relations with Pretoria.
The closing ceremony of the Bi-National Commission is scheduled for Thursday, 21 May 2026 at 13h00, and will include remarks by both presidents, a signing of agreements, a media question and answer session and an official photo opportunity.
