Botswana’s Parliament passed the Digital Services Bill and the Cybersecurity Bill on 14 August 2025, establishing the legal framework for digital service regulation and cybersecurity governance. The legislation accompanies a government budget allocation of 966 million pula (approximately USD 66.8 million) to the Ministry of Communications and Innovation for FY 2025/2026 to support digital transformation.
The funding supports implementation of the National Digital Transformation Strategy (SmartBots), which includes connecting 500 schools to the internet. Botswana is also participating as a pilot country in UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), which is designed to help governments evaluate their capacity to adopt AI technologies responsibly.
Who it affects: Digital service providers, government institutions, schools included in the connectivity programme, and citizens interacting with regulated digital services.
What is notably missing: Neither bill addresses AI literacy obligations, workforce training requirements, or AI-specific education mandates. The school connectivity programme addresses infrastructure but does not include an AI curriculum component. No dedicated national AI governance body with enforcement powers has been established.