Message from the Resident Representative

Welcome to the JICA Botswana Office Website

Botswana, a country in southern Africa, has an expansive land area that is about 1.5 times larger than Japan (approximately 570,000 square kilometers). However, with only 2.63 million inhabitants, it has a much smaller population than Japan—roughly 50 times fewer. With an estimated 130,000 elephants, Botswana is known for being a wildlife haven and home to the greatest elephant population in the world. It is a popular location for nature lovers because of these natural wonders.
Beyond its natural beauty, political stability is what makes Botswana unique. The nation has embraced a functional multi-party democracy free from civil conflicts or coups since obtaining independence in 1966. The kind and diplomatic temperament of the Batswana people is reflected in their peaceful history.

Remarkably, in large part to the 1967 diamond find, Botswana has emerged from among the world's poorest countries at independence to a middle-income nation today. The country's current goal is to achieve high income status by 2036. However, there are still challenges. Diamond dependence reduces industry diversification, which raises the risk of unemployment and income inequality. The government is aggressively supporting industry diversification initiatives as a means of addressing these problems.

Under these circumstances, JICA's main priorities are to implement the ODA loan program, technical cooperation, and JOCV (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers) with the goals of: (1) improving the industrial diversification environment; and (2) reducing poverty and improving the quality of life. In order to support the development of cordial relations between Botswana and Japan, two countries separated by distance, we would like to keep promoting these collaborations to make a significant contribution to Botswana's development and nurture a lasting friendship between our two nations.