World Sites & Apps
Africa · #137 · 2025–2026

Botswana: internet and everyday apps

Botswana has about 1.8 million people online — a penetration rate of 72% and rank #137 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 9 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 1.8 million Penetration 72.0% World rank #137 Updated 2026-11-12
TL;DR
  • Botswana has roughly 1.8 million internet users (1,800,000 people) — about 72% of the population and rank #137 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, ayoba, Facebook, Instagram. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, News and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Botswana in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
1.8 million1,800,000 · #137
Penetration
72.0%#138
Population
2.5 million2,500,000 · #144
GDP
$19B#136
GDP growth
-2.8%#213
GDP per person
$7,720#117
Land area
582.0k km²#47
Capital
Gaborone
Region
Africa
Official languages
English, Setswana

How Botswana goes online

Gaborone's online life is quieter than its neighbours', but it is steady. Facebook and WhatsApp cover news, family and the buy-and-sell groups that move furniture and cars, and the local papers' sites are read closely during political season. Bank apps are standard for bills and transfers, and data prices are low enough that people stream without thinking much about it. The diamond economy has funded good mobile coverage, though the villages still notice when a tower goes down.

Around 72%. With a population of about 2.5 million and 1.8 million online, roughly 700 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 9 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

9 Most-used apps

Messaging

2 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009 ayoba Messaging · MTN · 2019

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Shopping

1 Most-used apps →
Jumia Shopping · Jumia Technologies · 2012

Mobility

1 Most-used apps →
inDrive Mobility · inDrive · 2012

News

1 Most-used apps →
BBC News · BBC（英国公共广播机构） · 1997

Websites people in Botswana actually use

9

The 9 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News2Government1Transport1Telecom1Mail1Banking1Education1Utilities1
MmegiNewsmmegi.bwMmegi is where politics gets reported properly, not just announced. Sunday StandardNewssundaystandard.infoThe Sunday Standard breaks the stories the state paper would rather bury. Government of BotswanaGovernmentgov.bwFor a passport, a company registration or a tender notice, gov.bw is the start, even if you still end up walking to the ministry in Gaborone. Air BotswanaTransportairbotswana.co.bwAir Botswana is the quick way to Maun for the delta or to Kasane, and the site is where the fares show up before the travel agents have them. MascomTelecommascom.bwThe largest mobile network, and MyZaka money. Botswana PostMailbotswanapost.co.bwThe postal service, and its savings bank. Bank of BotswanaBankingbankofbotswana.bwThe central bank and the pula. University of BotswanaEducationub.bwThe country’s main university. Botswana Power CorporationUtilitiesbpc.bwGeneration and distribution.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Botswana are online?

About 1.8 million (1,800,000 people). That works out to roughly 72% of the population, which puts Botswana at #137 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Botswana use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, ayoba, Facebook, Instagram — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, News. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Botswana?

WhatsApp, ayoba dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Botswana?

Around 72%. With a population of about 2.5 million and 1.8 million online, roughly 700 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Botswana?

The everyday ones are Mmegi, Sunday Standard, Government of Botswana, plus the other 9 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Botswana: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/bw.html