Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...

with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census. Gaborone is situated between

Kgale Hill Hill ( Setswana for "The Place that Dried Up") is a hill located in Gaborone, Botswana. Nicknamed "The Sleeping Giant", Kgale Hill reaches a summit elevation of above sea level. The hill used to be home to a television repeater and is now a tour ...

and Oodi Hill, near the confluence of the

Notwane River The Notwane River (or Ngotwane River) is a river in southeastern Botswana. Certain sections of its course form the international boundary with South Africa. Its mouth is at the head of the Limpopo River. It has a catchment area of 18,053 square k ...

and Segoditshane River in the south-eastern corner of Botswana, from the South African border. The city is served by the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. It is an administrative district in its own right, but is the capital of the surrounding South-East District. Locals often refer to the city as ''GC or Motse-Mshate''. The city of Gaborone is named after Chief Gaborone of the Tlokwa tribe, who once controlled land nearby. Because it had no tribal affiliation and was close to fresh water, the city was planned to be the capital in the mid-1960s when the

Bechuanaland Protectorate The Bechuanaland Protectorate () was a protectorate established on 31 March 1885, by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) in Southern Africa. It became the Republi ...

became an independent nation. The centre of the city is a long strip of commercial businesses, called "Main Mall" with a semicircle-shaped area of government offices to its east. Gaborone was once one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, and this has created problems with housing and illegal settlements. The city has also dealt with conflicts spilling into the country from

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

during the 1980s. Gaborone is the economic capital as well as the government capital; it is headquarters to numerous companies and the

Botswana Stock Exchange The Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) is a stock exchange located in Gaborone, Botswana. The Botswana share market was established in 1989 and became the Botswana Stock Exchange in 1994. It is governed by thBotswana Stock Exchange Act The BSE has 36 ...

. Gaborone is also home to the

Southern African Development Community The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further regional socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security coopera ...

(SADC), a regional economic community established in 1980. Many languages are spoken there, Setswana (

Tswana Tswana may refer to: * Tswana people, the Bantu speaking people in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and other Southern Africa regions * Tswana language, the language spoken by the (Ba)Tswana people * Bophuthatswana, the former ba ...

) being the main tongue. English, Kalanga, and Kgalagadi are also spoken.

History

Evidence shows that there have been inhabitants along the

for centuries. In more recent history, the Tlokwa left the

Magaliesberg The Magaliesberg (historically also known as ''Macalisberg'' or ''Cashan Mountains'') of northern South Africa, is a modest but well-defined mountain range composed mainly of quartzites. It rises at a point south of the Pilanesberg (and the Pi ...

ranges to settle in the area around 1880, and called the settlement '' Moshaweng'' . The word "Gaborone" literally means "it does not fit badly" or "it is not unbecoming". The city was then called "Gaberones" by early European colonizers. Gaberones, a shortening of "Gaborone's Village", was named after Chief Gaborone of the Tlokwa, whose home village (now called

Tlokweng Tlokweng is a peri-urban settlement classified as an urban village located east of the capital of Botswana, Gaborone and falling under the jurisdiction of South East District Council. It can be considered part of the conurbation of Gaborone. ...

) was across the river from the Government Camp, the name of the colonial government headquarters. The nickname, "GC", comes from the name "Government Camp". In 1890,

Cecil John Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes (5 July 1853 – 26 March 1902) was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes and his Brit ...

picked Gaberones to house a colonial fort. The fort was where Rhodes planned the

Jameson Raid The Jameson Raid (29 December 1895 – 2 January 1896) was a botched raid against the South African Republic (commonly known as the Transvaal) carried out by British colonial administrator Leander Starr Jameson, under the employment of Cecil ...

. The city changed its name from Gaberones to Gaborone in 1969. The modern town was only founded in 1964, after a decision was taken to establish a capital for Botswana, which became a self governing territory in 1965, before becoming a fully independent republic on 30 September 1966. In 1965, the capital of the

moved from Mafeking to Gaberones. When Botswana gained its independence, Lobatse was the first choice as the nation's capital. However, Lobatse was deemed too limited, and instead, a new capital city would be created next to Gaberones. The city was chosen because of its proximity to a fresh water source, its proximity to the railway to

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

, its central location among the central tribes, and its lack of association with those surrounding tribes. The city was planned under Garden city principles with numerous pedestrian walkways and open spaces. Building of Gaborone started in mid-1964. During the city's construction, the chairman of Gaberones Township Authority, Geoffrey Cornish, likened the layout of the city to a "brandy glass" with the government offices in the base of the glass and businesses in the "mall", a strip of land extending from the base. Most of the early town was built within three years, as a small town designed to accommodate 20,000 people – only to later develop after independence into a modern city. Buildings in early Gaborone include assembly buildings, government offices, a power station, a hospital, schools, a radio station, a telephone exchange, police stations, a post office, and more than 1,000 houses. Because the town was built so quickly, there was a massive influx of labourers who had built illegal settlements on the new city's southern industrial development zone. These settlements were named Naledi. The latter term literally means "the star", but could also mean "under the open sky" or "a community that stands out from all others". In 1971, because of the growth of illegal settlements, the Gaborone Town Council and the Ministry of Local Government and Lands surveyed an area called Bontleng, which would contain low-income housing. However, Naledi still grew, and the demand for housing was greater than ever. In 1973, the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) built a "New Naledi" across the road from the "Old Naledi". Residents from Old Naledi would be moved to New Naledi. However, the demand for housing increased yet again; moreover, the residents who relocated to New Naledi disliked the houses. The problem was solved in 1975 when Sir Seretse Khama, the president of Botswana, rezoned Naledi from an industrial zone to a low-income housing area. On 30 September 1966, Bechuanaland became the eleventh British dependency in Africa to become independent. The first mayor of Gaborone was Reverend Derek Jones. The old Gaberones became a suburb of the new Gaborone, and is now known as "the Village". In the mid-1980s, South Africa attacked Botswana and conducted raids on Gaborone and other border towns. The

Raid on Gaborone The Raid on Gaborone (referred to as "Operation Plecksy" by the then South African Defence Force) took place on 14 June 1985 when South African Defence Force troops, under the order of General Constand Viljoen, crossed into Botswana violating In ...

resulted in twelve deaths. After the 1994 General Elections, riots started in Gaborone because of high unemployment and other issues. Today, Gaborone is growing very rapidly. In 1964, Gaborone only had 3,855 citizens; seven years later, the city had almost 18,000 residents. The city originally planned on 20,000 citizens, but by 1992, the city had 138,000 people. This has led to many squatter settlements on undeveloped land. Former mayor Veronica Lesole has stated that Gaborone's development problems were caused by the original city planners.

Geography

Gaborone is situated at between Kgale and Oodi Hills, on the

in the south-eastern corner of Botswana, and from the South African border The city lies at an elevation of above sea level. Gaborone is surrounded by the following cities: Ramotswa to the southeast, Mogoditshane to the northwest, and Mochudi to the east, and

across the river. Most of them are

commuter town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many ...

s for Gaborone. Suburbs in Gaborone include Broadhurst, Gaborone West, The Village, Naledi. Phakalane, an affluent suburb, lies about 13 km north of the city center. In the centre of the city lies the Main Mall which houses many diplomatic missions. At the eastern end of the Mall, one can find the Civic Centre along with the Pula Arch that commemorates Botswana's independence. The

, National Museum and Art Gallery, and the main campus of the University of Botswana also lie near the Main Mall. To the west of the Main Mall is the Government Enclave. This area contains the governmental buildings such as the

National Assembly of Botswana The National Assembly is the legislative body of Botswana's national government. With the President, the National Assembly forms Botswana's unicameral Parliament. It is advised by the Ntlo ya Dikgosi: a council of chiefs which is not a house of P ...

and

Ntlo ya Dikgosi The ''Ntlo ya Dikgosi'' ( Tswana for "House of Chiefs") in Botswana is an advisory body to the country's parliament.National Archives building is also found here.

Climate

Gaborone has a hot

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

'' ''BSh''''). Most of the year, Gaborone is very sunny. The summers are usually hot. The nights are cool. Usually, the summers with little rainfall are warmer than summers with regular rainfall. If there is a drought, the hottest temperatures of the year are usually in January or February. If there is normal rainfall, the hottest temperatures are usually in October, right before the rain starts. During the winter, days are still warm, and the nights are cold. There are on average seventy-four days per year with temperatures above . There are on average 196 days per year with temperatures above . There are on average fifty-one days per year with temperatures below . There is on average one day per year with temperatures below . The average dew point peaks around January and February at and hits the lowest levels in July at . The average dew point in a given year is . The record high temperature ever registered in Gaborone was . The lowest temperature registered in Gaborone was . Precipitation in Gaborone is scanty and erratic. Most of the rainfall in Gaborone falls during the summer months, between October and April. There are on average forty days of thunderstorms per year, most of them happening during the summer months, and four days of fog, usually happening during the winter months. Gaborone has been affected by three floods based on records going back to 1995, one in 2000, one in 2001 that caused an estimated 5,000,000 Botswana pula worth of damage, and one in 2006. The highest humidity occurs in June at 90% while the lowest humidity is in September at 28%. Solar irradiance ranges from 4.1 kWh m⁻² d⁻¹ in June to 7.3 kWh m⁻² d⁻¹ in December. It is windier from September to November at , and it is calmer from May to August at . The average wind speed in a given year is .

Demographics

The population, based on the 2022 census, is 246,325. There are 118,727 males and 127,598 females in the city. There are 58,476 households in Gaborone. In 2001, the average household size was 3.11 people. The city of Gaborone is home to over 10% of the population of Botswana. Almost half of Botswana citizens live within of Gaborone. The population growth rate of Gaborone is 3.4%, the highest in the country. This is most likely because the city has a more developed infrastructure, making it more livable. Gaborone is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Much of the growth is based on net in migration from the rest of Botswana. The

sex ratio The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. Many species d ...

of Gaborone is 96.3, meaning that there are 963 men for every 1,000 women. Most of the marriages in Botswana are registered in Gaborone; about 15% of all marriages in Botswana were registered in Gaborone in 2007. On average, there are 3.3 persons per household in Gaborone. This is a low number compared to the rest of Botswana.

Places of worship

Among

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

, Christian churches and temples predominate. These include houses of worship affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana ( Lutheran World Federation), Assemblies of God, International Pentecostal Holiness Church, Christ Embassy, Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaborone (

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

). Accompanying a significant community of ethnic Serbs in the city, there are also two

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...

churches within Gaborone; the St. Nicholas Church and the St. Sava Church.

Culture

The National Museum and Art Gallery is located just northwest of the Mall along Independence Road. The museum opened in 1968. It holds many things from traditional crafts to works of art by local artists. The museum houses original paintings by Thomas Baines and Lucas Sithole. Exhibits include ''Artists in Botswana'', ''Children's Art Competition'' and ''Thapong International''. Outside the museum, there are various forms of transportation such as wagons, sledges, and ''bakkies'' ( pickup trucks). There is also an exhibit on the San, the earliest inhabitants of southern Africa. The museum opened a botanical garden called the National Botanical Garden on 2 November 2007. The garden was built to protect Botswana's indigenous plant life, and 90% of its total plant species are native plants from Botswana. The introduction of the ministry of youth sports and culture has immensely contributed to the growth of arts and culture, with few elements of culture used to create a living for the youth, the ministry buys the locally designed ornaments and artifacts. the culture depicted is not just a way of living but shared experience that improves individuals lives. with different crafts people of Gaborone have managed to sustain their lives, be it in sports, and or performing arts. The Maitisong Festival was started in 1987 and is held every year for seven days on either the last week of March or the first week of April. The festival holds outdoor concerts, plays, and films in various venues around the city. "My African Dream" was a performing-arts competition during the 2000s that was held every year at the Gaborone International Convention Center. The show featured many

kwaito Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music that features the use of African sounds and samples. Kwaito songs occur at a slower tempo range than other styles of h ...

dancers and musicians. The book series '' The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'', written by Scottish author

Alexander McCall Smith Alexander "Sandy" McCall Smith, CBE, FRSE (born 24 August 1948), is a British writer. He was raised in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and formerly Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. He became an expert on medical law an ...

, is set in Gaborone. The books follow

Precious Ramotswe Precious may refer to: Music * Precious (group), a British female pop group Albums * ''Precious'' (Chanté Moore album), 1992 * ''Precious'' (Cubic U album), 1998 * ''Precious'' (Ours album), 2002 * ''Precious'' (Precious album), 2000 * ...

, the first female private detective in Botswana, and the mysteries that she solves. The Detective Kubu series, by Michael Stanley (South African co-writers Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip), features Assistant Superintendent David 'Kubu' Bengu of the Botswana Police Service Criminal Investigation Department.

Economy

Gaborone is the center of the national economy. The headquarters of important financial institutions such as the

Bank of Botswana The Bank of Botswana (BoB) is the central bank of Botswana. When Botswana gained independence from Britain in 1966, the country was part of the Rand Monetary Area (RMA). In 1974 Botswana withdrew from the RMA, and the Bank of Botswana and Finan ...

Bank Gaborone Bank Gaborone, formally Bank Gaborone Limited, is a commercial bank in Botswana. , the bank had 5 branches and over 30 automated teller machines around the country. History The Bank of Botswana issued a license to Bank Gaborone Limited to commen ...

BancABC Access Bank Botswana, is a commercial bank formerly known as BancABC Botswana, that is headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. In October 2021, Access Bank Group concluded the acquisition of 78.15 percent shareholding in the stock of the erstwhil ...

, and the

are centrally located, as well as the headquarters for Air Botswana, Consumer Watchdog, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation, and

Debswana Debswana Diamond Company Limited, or simply Debswana, is a mining company located in Botswana, and is the world's leading producer of diamonds by value. Debswana operates four diamond mines in the eastern and central parts of Botswana, as well a ...

, the joint diamond mining venture between De Beers and the Botswana government. The

(SADC) has its headquarters in Gaborone; the organization was formed in 1980 to increase economic cooperation among its members and reduce dependence on South Africa. Several international companies have invested in the city: Hyundai, SABMiller,

Daewoo Daewoo ( ; Hangul: , Hanja: , ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "dae" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomerat ...

, Volvo, and Siemens. Orapa House, owned by

, is where the diamonds mined from Debswana are sorted and valued. Orapa House is located at the intersection of Khama Crescent and Nelson Mandela Drive. It has a unique style of architecture that allows the optimal amount of indirect sunlight to shine through the windows in order to accurately sort diamonds. A Diamond Technology Park was recently opened, this is as part of Botswana Government's vision for establishment of downstream diamond industry. Companies dealing in diamonds have established their local operations in the park. The Botswana Resource Conference is held annually at the Gaborone International Conference Centre. The unemployment rate in Gaborone is 11.7% . 19.7% of the population in Gaborone is employed in the financial sector. According to Mercer's 2011 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, Gaborone has the 195th highest

cost of living Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time can be operationalized in a cost-of-living index. Cost of living calculations are also used to compare the cost of maintaining a cer ...

for expatriates in the world, up from 203rd in 2010. Gaborone comes between

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, India and Quito, Ecuador. Gaborone is the fourth least expensive city for expatriates in Africa, coming in above

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

, Ethiopia at 211th, Kampala, Uganda at 202nd and

Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 202 ...

, Namibia at 198th.

Sports

There are several football stadiums located in and around Gaborone. These include SSKB Stadium, Mochudi Stadium, and Botswana National Stadium. There are also several football teams representing Gaborone, which include, amongst others,

Botswana Defence Force XI Botswana Defence Force XI Football Club is a football club from Botswana based in Mogoditshane and playing home games in Gaborone. It is the club of the Botswana Defence Force, being composed mostly of military players. As of 2007, players were e ...

, Gaborone United, Police XI, Township Rollers and Uniao Flamengo Santos FC, which is based in nearby Gabane; all of them have played in the

Botswana Premier League The Botswana Premier League, currently known as the BTC Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level football league in Botswana. Organised by the Botswana Football Association, the league was formed in 1978 to replace the pre-inde ...

. The Botswana national football team plays in the National Stadium, but has never qualified for the

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...

, even though they recently qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations, held in

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...

in January 2012. The Botswana Cricket Association, the governing body of cricket in Botswana, is headquartered in Gaborone. There are two Ovals where cricket is played in the city. The Steinmetz Gaborone Marathon, the second marathon in Botswana, was held for the first time on 18 April 2010. The route started at the Phakalane Golf Estate in Phakalane, north of the city, and went through Gaborone, passing the National Assembly Building. The marathon, which was cancelled in 2011, has been held annually starting from 2012.

Parks and recreation

The Gaborone Dam is located south of Gaborone along the Gaborone-Lobatse road, and provides water for both Gaborone and Lobatse. The dam is the second biggest in Botswana, able to hold . It is also starting to be marketed as a recreational area. The northern end of the reservoir is planned to become an entertainment venue called ''The Waterfront''. There is a yacht club, called Gaborone Yacht Club, also on the northern side of the lake. The southern end houses the Kalahari Fishing Club and a new public facility called City Scapes. City Scapes contains parks, playgrounds, and boating facilities. The dam is popular with

birdwatchers Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

, windsurfers, and anglers. However, there is no swimming due to the presence of crocodiles and parasitic

bilharzia Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, bilharzia, and Katayama fever, is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The urinary tract or the intestines may be infected. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody ...

Wildlife

The Gaborone Game Reserve is a park east of the city on Limpopo Drive. The reserve was built in 1988 and is now the third-busiest in Botswana. Examples of animals in the park are impala, kudu,

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There ...

es, wildebeest,

zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: the Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. zebr ...

s, gemsbok, bushbuck,

springbok The springbok (''Antidorcas marsupialis'') is a medium-sized antelope found mainly in south and southwest Africa. The sole member of the genus ''Antidorcas'', this bovid was first described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm ...

, duiker,

common eland The common eland (''Taurotragus oryx''), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus '' Taurotragus''. An adult male is ...

, and common warthogs. The park is a destination for

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...

. Birds in the marshy section of the park include

snake eagle ''Circaetus'', the snake eagles, is a genus of medium-sized eagles in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. They are mainly resident African species, but the migratory short-toed snake eagle breeds from the Mediterranean basin into Russia, the ...

s, boubou,

gallinule Moorhens—sometimes called marsh hens—are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family (Rallidae). Most species are placed in the genus ''Gallinula'', Latin for "little hen". They are close relatives of coots. They are of ...

kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

s, and hornbills. Ostriches at Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Botswana

is located a few hundred metres from the city. The hill is nicknamed the ''Sleeping Giant'' and is . There are three different paths to reach the top, usually taking two hours. The Mokolodi Nature Reserve is a reserve that was created in 1994. It is located south of Gaborone. There are many different species of animals found in the park such as common warthogs, steenbok, kudu,

s, giraffes,

es,

hippo The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant ...

s and rhinos. The park helps with wildlife projects in Botswana that include: the reintroduction of the white rhino and the relocation of "problem"

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

s. Mokolodi also holds the Education Centre, which teaches children about the conservation projects. Somarelang Tikologo (Environment Watch Botswana) is a member-based environmental NGO housed inside an ecological park at the heart of Gaborone. The aim of the organization is to promote sustainable environmental protection by educating, demonstrating and encouraging best practices in environmental planning, resource conservation and waste management in Botswana. The park was officially opened by the Botswana Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Onkokame kitso Mokaila on 27 February 2009. The park contains a playground for children to play on throughout the day, a community organic garden, a recycling drop-off center, and a shop where visitors can purchase products made of recycled material.

Government

Local government

Gaborone is controlled by the Gaborone City Council, the wealthiest council in Botswana. It is composed of 35 councillors representing the wards of Gaborone. The Townships Act mandates the structure of local governments in Botswana. Because Botswana is a

unitary state A unitary state is a sovereign state governed as a single entity in which the central government is the supreme authority. The central government may create (or abolish) administrative divisions (sub-national units). Such units exercise only ...

, the power of the local councils are delegated from the national level. The Ministry of Local Government, Land and Housing has a major influence in terms of personnel hiring and training, budgeting, and development planning. The

city commission City commission government is a form of local government in the United States. In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on a plurality-at-large voting basis. These commissione ...

-style council is run by the city clerk and the deputy city clerk. The city is governed by the mayor, deputy mayor, and several committees run by councillors: the financial and general purposes committee; the public health, social welfare and housing committee; the Self-Help Housing Agency (SHAA) management committee; the town planning committee; the trade licensing committee; and the education committee. The councillors elect the mayor in a

first-past-the-post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...

system and place each other in the committees yearly. The council has 2,515 employees. An income tax called the Local Government Tax used to be the main source of income of the city council, but it was abolished. Today, the city council derives most of its revenue from property rates. City councillors feel that because of recurrent obligations, they have little room to institute new solutions. The city council has been criticised by the Botswana Association of Local Authorities for its closed elections and minimal authority. In 2010, the council had problems with waste management: Frenic, the waste management company hired by the city, sued the Gaborone City Council for unpaid compensation. This has led to a buildup of uncollected garbage. Haskins Nkaigwa, mayor of Gaborone from 2011, has stressed the importance of more local autonomy. He advocates for a stronger city council with the power to determine budgets and hire and fire clerks and officers.

National government

Gaborone is the political centre of

. Most government buildings are located west of the Main Mall in an area called the Government Enclave. The

, the

Ntlo ya Dikgosi The ''Ntlo ya Dikgosi'' ( Tswana for "House of Chiefs") in Botswana is an advisory body to the country's parliament.National Archives, the Department of Taxes and Attorney General's Chambers Building, and the Ministry of Health. Near the entrance of the parliament building, there is a statue of

Sir Seretse Khama Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE (1 July 1921 – 13 July 1980) was a Motswana politician who served as the first President of Botswana, a post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980. Born into an influential royal fam ...

, Botswana's first president as well as a memorial dedicated to the three hundred Batswana who were killed from 1939 to 1945. Another monument pays tribute to the Botswana Defence Force soldiers who died in the

Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also called the Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe-Rhodesia). The conflict pitted three for ...

. Before 1982, Gaborone held one parliamentary constituency, one seat in the

Parliament of Botswana The Parliament of Botswana consists of the President and the National Assembly. In contrast to other Parliamentary systems, the Parliament elects the President directly (instead of having both a ceremonial President and a Prime Minister who has ...

. From 1982 to 1993, Gaborone was divided into two constituencies, Gaborone North and Gaborone South. A third seat in Parliament was given to a member elected for the whole city of Gaborone. In January 1993, two new constituencies were created: Gaborone West and Gaborone Central. For local government elections, the four constituencies were divided into wards. Gaborone North had seven, Gaborone West had seven. Gaborone Central had six, and Gaborone South had five. In 2019, the city had five constituencies: Gaborone North, Gaborone Central, Gaborone South, Gaborone West North, and Gaborone West South. An

International Law Enforcement Academy International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEAs) are international police academies administered by the U.S. Department of State where U.S. law enforcement can instruct local police from participating countries in counterterrorism, narcotics inte ...

(ILEA) was established on 24 July 2000 in Gaborone. The academy would provide training for middle managers for the countries in the

(SADC). There are 21 diplomatic missions in Gaborone.

Education

There are more people who have earned a degree or postgraduate qualifications in Gaborone than anywhere else in Botswana. 70.9% of the population of Gaborone have earned at least a secondary-level education 2.6% of the population of Gaborone has never attended school. Gaborone has many primary and secondary schools, both public and private. These include Westwood International School, Maru-a-Pula School, St. Joseph's College, Kgale, Legae Academy, Northside Primary School, Thornhill Primary School and Hillcrest International School. Seventeen of the sixty private schools in Botswana are located in Gaborone. The main campus of the University of Botswana (which was established in 1982) is on the eastern extent of the city. In addition there are other universities or institutions of higher education that cater to specialized study and instruction: Limkokwing University Of Creative Technology (which also has a campus in Gaborone); the Botswana Accountancy College (which caters to both accounting and IT students); Botswana Open University (offering long-distance learning); Gaborone Technical College; Boitekanelo College; Botho University (which offers courses ranging from computing, accounting and finance, business, engineering and health information management); and Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, situated approximately from the city centre. Further, in year 2006, the Gaborone Universal College of Law, opened its main campus in Gaborone, with its first group of students graduating in 2010.

Media

Newspapers published in Gaborone include '' Mmegi'', '' The Botswana Gazette'', The Monitor, Midweek Sun, The Patriot on Sunday, Sunday Standard, and ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

''. Magazines published are Lapologa, Peolwane, Kutwlano among others. Radio station

Yarona FM Yarona FM is an urban broadcaster targeting young adults. The radio station is a private commercial entity that has existed since 1999. It is regulated by Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority, BOCRA and attracts a unique weekly audience of 2 ...

broadcasts from Gaborone; its frequency in Gaborone is 106.6 FM. Another small, local radio station in Gaborone is Gabz FM, Duma FM & Yarona FM. 86.6% of Gaborone households own a working radio. Before 2000, residents of Gaborone received television programming from BOP TV in

Mahikeng Mafikeng, officially known as Mahikeng and previously Mafeking (, ), is the capital city of the North West Province (South Africa), North West province of South Africa. Close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mafikeng is northeast of Cape ...

via a repeating transmitter on the summit of

. Today, the Gaborone Broadcasting Company and Botswana TV provide television programming for Gaborone. 78.7% of the households in Gaborone have a working television. Other local channels based in Gaborone are Now TV, Khuduga HD, Access TV & Maru TV. 93.7% of the households in Gaborone have a cell phone.

Infrastructure

Gaborone is one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. The growth of Gaborone, especially suburban growth, has caused much of the farmland surrounding the city to be absorbed into the city. Much of the food for Gaborone comes from north of the city with some smaller-scale farms on the southern end. The city centre was planned to be functionalist, with major buildings designed and built in the style of

Modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...

. The city is surrounded by smaller buildings. The city's central business district (CBD) is still under construction so when one says ''downtown'', they actually mean the ''Main Mall'' and ''Government Enclave'' areas where tall buildings are usually found. The Main Mall, a car-free shopping and commercial area, runs in an east–west direction with the Government Enclave and National Assembly on the west end and the Gaborone City Town Council complex on the east. Gaborone's CBD is home to the new Square Mall, The Tower, the new SADC headquarters, the Industrial Court, a court specifically for settling trade disputes, and the Three Dikgosi Monument, a landmark featuring the statues of

Khama III Khama III (1837?–1923), referred to by missionaries as Khama the Good also called Khama the Great, was the ''Kgosi'' (meaning king) of the Bangwato people. Ancestry and Youth Malope a chief of the Bakwena, led his people from the Transvaal r ...

, Sebele I, and Bathoen I, three dikgosi, or chiefs, who traveled to

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

to establish the

separate from Southern Rhodesia (present-day

) or the Cape Colony (present-day South Africa). The monument was inaugurated on 29 September 2005. While the statues represent famous historical figures, there has been some controversy over the cost of the construction, P12,000,000 (approx. US$1.7M, €1.4M, or £1.1M as of June 2010), and over the construction company,

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

n Mansudae Overseas Projects, putting the wrong inscription date. Other buildings under construction in the CBD include the Holiday Inn Gaborone, retail space, and office space.

Utilities

The city gets most of its water from the reservoir formed from the Gaborone Dam on the southeast side of the city, which has facilitated growth. The city of Gaborone was originally constructed as a small town, so the Gaborone Dam needed to be built to provide water for all its citizens. From 2007 to 2008, of water was sold in Gaborone. The government sector bought the most water, . of water was bought for domestic use, and of water was bought by the commercial and industrial sectors. In 2008, the city of Gaborone consumed of water, and the water consumption per capita was per person per year, the lowest rate since 1999. Gaborone has some of the highest water tariffs in the country because of high transportation costs and high water consumption. The high tariffs may also be due to the fact that some of Gaborone's water supply is imported from the Letsibogo Dam. The average pH of the water in the Gaborone Dam is 7.95 as of February 2006. The concentration of

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

in the reservoir was 14.87milligrams per litre from April 2001 to August 2006. During the same period, the concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) was 57.73 milligrams per litre, slightly over Botswana's ideal concentration which means the water is hard. Also during the same period, the

chloride The chloride ion is the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. It is formed when the element chlorine (a halogen) gains an electron or when a compound such as hydrogen chloride is dissolved in water or other polar solvents. Chloride sa ...

concentration was 6.44 mg/l, the fluoride concentration was 0.54 mg/l, the

potassium Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosph ...

concentration was 6.72 mg/l, and the

sodium Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable ...

concentration was 10.76 mg/l.

Healthcare

The Botswana Red Cross Society, established in 1968, is headquartered in Gaborone. The Princess Marina Hospital is the main referral hospital in Gaborone and houses 500 beds. There is also Gaborone Private Hospital and Sidilega Private Hospital all operating in the city of Gaborone. The

Cancer Association of Botswana Cancer Association of Botswana (CAB) is a volunteer run, non-governmental organization established as a trust in 1998. They are dedicated to reducing the impact of cancer on all affected in Botswana. Mission Cancer Association of Botswana is d ...

is a voluntary non-governmental organization established as a trust in 1998. The association is a leading service provider in supplementing existing services through provision of cancer prevention and health promotion programmes, facilitating access to health services for cancer patients and offering support and counselling to those affected. Its headquarters is at Ditlhakore Way, Extension 12, Gaborone.

HIV/AIDS

AIDS is a very serious problem in Gaborone. 17,773 Gaborone citizens, 17.1% of the total population of Gaborone, have tested positive for HIV. There is a higher prevalence of HIV among women; 20.5% of women have tested positive compared to 13.6% of men. The population between 45 and 49 years of age are most likely to have AIDS with 35.4% of the residents in that age group testing positive. HIV/AIDS education is extensive in Gaborone. However, a 2008 study shows that 14.5% of Gaborone residents between 10 and 64 who have heard of HIV/AIDS believe that HIV can be spread through witchcraft, and 31.3% of the residents believe HIV can be spread through mosquito bites.

Transportation

Railways

The railway that served the founding purpose of the city remains important, bisecting the city in a north–south direction.

Botswana Railways Botswana Railways (BR) is the national railway of Botswana. History Botswana Railways (BR) was established in 1987 when the government of Botswana bought out the Botswana-based sections of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). NRZ had bee ...

runs a line that goes from

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

via

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...

. The railway station in Gaborone is located south of the Parliament House in the city's centre. The line stops at the following cities in and near Botswana: Ramatlabama on the South African border, Lobatse, Gaborone,

Palapye Palapye is a growing town in Botswana, situated about halfway between Francistown and Gaborone ( from Francistown and from Gaborone). Over the years its position has made it a convenient stopover on one of Southern Africa's principal north–sout ...

, Serule, Francistown, Ramokgwebana, and

Plumtree, Zimbabwe Plumtree is a town in Zimbabwe. Alongside marula trees, wild plum trees (Ntungulu in tjiKalanga) grow abundantly in area. The town was once called ''Getjenge'' by baKalanga. Another name which is mainly used is ''Titji,'' meaning station an ...

. The line became a cargo-only line on 1 April 2009 but passenger services resumed in early 2016.

Airports

Aeropuerto Internacional Sir Seretse Khama de Gaborone, Botswana

Sir Seretse Khama International Airport ( ICAO code: FBSK

IATA code IATA codes are abbreviations that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) publishes to facilitate air travel. They are typically 1, 2, 3, or 4 character combinations (referred to as unigrams, digrams, trigrams, or tetragrams, respect ...

: GBE) lies north of the city and in 2018 has flights to

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

and various domestic destinations. It is the headquarters of Air Botswana, the national airline of

. In 2008, Sir Seretse Khama International Airport handled 15,844 aircraft movements, second only to Maun Airport ( ICAO code: FMBN

: MUB) Air traffic in Gaborone has decreased since 2006. However, Gaborone has the most air passenger traffic, accounting for 51.6% of all passenger movement in Botswana. International passengers total 244,073 passengers while domestic air passenger movement comes up to 333,390 passengers. Gaborone International Airport terminal was rebuilt into a modern terminal in 2010.

Roads

Highways in and around Gaborone include the Trans-Kalahari Highway, A1 Highway, A10 Highway and the Cairo-Cape Town Highway. There are five major roads in Gaborone that go to Lobatse, Kanye, Molepolole, Francistown via Mochudi, and

Public transport

;Kombi

Public transport in the city is generally reliable, when compared with major African cities. '' Kombis'' (small vans) and taxis ply the routes within the city, while buses serve surrounding villages and other towns in Botswana.

Private traffic

Gaborone has several vehicle licensing stations. 15,538 new private motor vehicles, accounting for 46.5% of Botswana's total new

vehicle registration Motor vehicle registration is the registration of a motor vehicle with a government authority, either compulsory or otherwise. The purpose of motor vehicle registration is to establish a link between a vehicle and an owner or user of the vehicle. Th ...

s, were registered in Gaborone in 2008, of which 8,440 were passenger cars, 440 were minibuses, 204 were motorcycles, and 181 were

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most commo ...

s. The total has increased from 12,690 new vehicle registrations in 2007. Gaborone also has the highest number of vehicle registration renewals at 73,206 in 2008. Including the district of Gaborone West, Gaborone had 9,415 vehicle accidents with 74 human fatalities in 2008. Most of the traffic collisions in that year, 3,146 collisions, were side collisions. 263 accidents involved animals. The city has also seen 679 Pedestrian safety through vehicle design, pedestrian casualties in 2008; 24 pedestrians were killed. The majority of vehicle accident casualty (person), casualties involved pedestrians, and most traffic accidents occur between 16:00 and 18:00.

Notable people

* Kgosi Gaborone ( 1825–1931), Motswana kgosi, chief, after whom the city is named * Alec Campbell (archaeologist), Alec Campbell (1932–2012), archaeologist and museum curator * Thamsanga Mnyele (1948–1985), member of the African National Congress and artist * Vernon Nkadimeng (1958–1985), member of the African National Congress, killed in Gaborone by the South African Police, apartheid police * Boniface Tshosa Setlalekgosi (b. 1927), Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaborone, Diocese of Gaborone, Botswana from 1981 to 2009 * Wally Serote (b. 1944), poet and anti-apartheid activist * Dipsy Selolwane (b. 1978), football player * Mpule Kwelagobe (b. 1979), Miss World Botswana 1997, Miss Universe Botswana 1999 and Miss Universe 1999 * Alister Walker (b. 1982), Squash (sport), squash player * Abednico Powell (b. 1983), football player * Joel Mogorosi (b. 1984), football player * Dirang Moloi (b. 1985), member of the Botswana national football team * Donald Molosi (b. 1985), actor, writer and playwright attended Maru a Pula School in his teens, and the National Arts Festival in South Africa * Sumaiyah Marope ( 1987), Miss Botswana 2009 * Emma Wareus (b. 1990), Miss World Botswana 2010, first runner-up to Miss World 2010 * Matsieng, a Tswana language, Setswana traditional music group, formed in Gaborone in 2005

International relations

Gaborone has been Sister city, twinned with: * Burbank, California, Burbank, United States * Sorong (city), Sorong, Indonesia * Worcester, Western Cape, Worcester, South Africa * Walvis Bay, Namibia

Gallery

File:GaboroneStreetScene.jpg, alt=A road with a Bank Gaborone building to the left and a taller building with curved truss structures on the windows to the Street scene near the Main Mall File:RhodesiaRailcar.jpg, alt=A brown train, viewed from the side, is at rest under a small open station. "1035 Rhodesia Railways" is written in gold letters over the train's windows. There is a white fence and a brick walkway in front of the train., Rhodesia Railways car at the national museum File:Khama statue.jpg, alt=A bronze-colored, life-size statue of a prominent black man in a suit, his hands in front of his stomach. The statue is on top of a pedestal which is on top of a large brown rock, surrounded by smaller rocks. The statue has trees behind it, and it is in a small brick-paved square., Statue of Khama outside the Botswana Parliament building File:Kgale Hill 2.jpg, View from Kgale Hill (Oodi Hill on horizon) File:Gaborone Dam 1.jpg, Gaborone Dam File:Gaborone Dam 2.jpg, Gaborone Dam File:Botswana Gaborone I Towers.jpg, Botswana Gaborone I Towers File:Gaborone, Botswana Hindu Temple.jpg, Gaborone Hindu Temple File:Gaborone, Botswana Mosque.jpg, Gaborone Mosque File:Botswana, Gaborone Central Business District.jpg, CBD File:Gaborone, Botswana New Development CBD.jpg, CBD Developments File:Gaborone, Botswana - 51207616203.jpg, New Construction Developments File:Gaborone, Botswana Room 52 Rooftop Restaurant.jpg, Room 52 Roof Top Restaurant File:Gaborone, Botswana - 51208479090.jpg, New CBD File:Gaborone, Botswana Christ The King Cathedral.jpg, Christ The King Cathedral File:Gaborone, Botswana - 51206700752.jpg, CBD Mall File:Gaborone, Botswana - Sir Seretse Khama International Airport.jpg, SSKI Airport

References

External links

Gaborone City Council Website

Gaborone
Satellite view at WikiMapia (not affiliated with Wikipedia/Wikimedia Foundation)
Gaborone
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' entry
Map of Gaborone
{{Authority control Gaborone, Capitals in Africa Cities in Botswana South-East District (Botswana) District capitals in Botswana Populated places established in 1964 Planned capitals 1964 establishments in Africa New towns started in the 1960s