Botswana Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Botswana.
Public clinics treat citizens free but charge tourists modest fees. Private hospitals in Gaborone and Francistown meet Southern African standards.
Main referral hospitals: Princess Marina (Gaborone), Nyangabgwe (Francistown), Letsholathebe (Maun). Bring cash or insurance pre-authorisation for admission deposits.
Pharmacies labelled "Chemist" sit in shopping malls. They stock common antibiotics, rehydration salts, and malaria prophylaxis. No prescription needed for some items that are prescription-only in Europe.
Insurance is not legally required. But camps will refuse check-in without proof of evacuation coverage.
- ✓ Pack a small cooler box for insulin or vaccines. Power cuts last 2, 4 hours in rural Botswana.
- ✓ Request a doctor's letter for Schedule drugs. Airport sniffer dogs pounce on unlabelled blister packs.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Phones lifted from café tables and daypacks slit on combi minivans.
Elephants enter unfenced campsites. Baboons snatch fruit from vehicle roofs.
Temperatures top 38 °C September, November; reflected glare off salt pans can deliver second-degree burns.
Transmission peaks November, May in northern Botswana below 1,200 m.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
A man in a reflective vest waves down rental cars near Kazungula border, claims you broke the 80 km/h limit, and demands an on-the-spot "fine" payable in cash.
Young men stretch a rope across a sandy track leading to Kubu Island and ask P50 per vehicle to "open the gate".
Street vendors flash raw "diamonds" under torch-light, swap them for quartz while wrapping, then seal the parcel.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Drive below 80 km/h at night. Kudu and cattle stand motionless in headlights.
- • Carry two spare tires. Thorns from the devil's claw vine shred sidewalls within minutes.
- • Zip tents closed even for a 30-second toilet dash. Hyenas watch for routine.
- • Store food in a locked rooftop box. The smell of biltong travels 5 km downwind.
- • Do not use flash near habituated meerkats. It triggers panic and burrow collapses.
- • Ask herders before photographing cattle posts. Payment in sweets breeds tooth-decay expectations.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Botswana ranks top in Africa for gender equality. Solo women rarely hear verbal harassment beyond harmless curiosity.
- → Sit next to the driver or other women on long-distance coaches. Reserve the front seat when booking.
- → Decline rides from strangers at remote fuel stops; WhatsApp your live location to the camp manager.
Same-sex relations have been legal since the 2019 court ruling. Constitutional protection covers discrimination.
- → Book twin rooms as "friends" in community-run camps to avoid awkward questions.
- → Hold Pride events in private venues. Police provide protection if notified in advance.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Medical evacuation from a delta island to Gaborone by air ambulance costs more than a mid-range sedan.
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