Botswana launches citizenship program to boost economy

Botswana President Duma Boko said on Friday his country will establish a citizenship-by-investment program, as the southern African country looks to diversify its economy away from its largest export, diamonds.

Botswana’s budget has been constrained this year due to a prolonged downturn in the global diamond market. It is the world’s leading producer of diamonds by value.

“This citizenship program will enable us to continue to secure the long-term financial future of Botswana,” Boko said in a statement.

The new program will raise funds to address priority needs including the housing market as well as the country’s tourism industry, renewable energy, mining and financial services sectors, according to the statement. The investment amount required for citizenship has yet to be established.

Botswana’s economy contracted 3 percent last year, and the government forecasts another contraction in 2025 because of the diamond downturn.

Boko declared a public health emergency in August after the nation’s medical supply chain failed. In September, the southern African country set up a new sovereign wealth fund to drive economic diversification, create jobs and manage state companies.

Botswana has retained investment migration consultancy, Arton Capital, under a memorandum of understanding to establish the citizenship program.

Also Read: Cambodia MPs pass law allowing stripping of citizenship

In another news, Cambodian parliamentarians passed on August, 2025,  legislation allowing people who collude with foreign countries to be stripped of citizenship, a law rights groups fear will be used to banish dissent.

All 120 lawmakers in attendance at the National Assembly session, including Prime Minister Hun Manet, voted unanimously to approve the bill.

Rights monitors have long accused Cambodia’s government of using draconian laws to stifle opposition and legitimate political debate.

A coalition of 50 rights groups issued a statement on Sunday warning the law “will have a disastrously chilling effect on the freedom of speech of all Cambodian citizens”.

“The potential for abuse in the implementation of this vaguely worded law to target people on the basis of their ethnicity, political opinions, speech, and activism is simply too high to accept,” it added.