Africa-Press – Botswana. Report says Transparency and Regulatory Governance remain areas that require further strengthening, showing regression where President Duma Boko has a personal proclivity for good performance.
An annual report that tracks good governance has found that Botswana is in a free-fall of regression.
Published by the Chandler Institute of Governance, the fourth annual Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) report and country rankings shows that Botswana has slipped three places.
In the latest ranking, Botswana ranks 61st globally with an overall index score of 0.501. In the 2024 edition, the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) ranked Botswana 58th with an index score of 0.499.
Notable strengths
The authors of the report state that the 2025 edition highlights a mixed performance across governance pillars, showing notable strengths in legal frameworks but weaknesses in global influence and public service outcomes.
In the latest edition, CGGI assessed 120 countries based on the effectiveness and capabilities of their governments across seven key pillars.
The index evaluates the governance capabilities and public sector effectiveness of each country by using equally weighted indicators categorised into seven pillars.
Botswana performed best in the Robust Laws & Policies pillar, scoring 0.61 – well above the global average. The country excelled in Judicial Quality (0.79) and the Rule of Law (0.57).
Digitalisation projects
“Botswana’s performance in Quality of Judiciary has improved significantly between 2021 and 2025,” the report notes. “In 2022, the country initiated digitalisation projects to streamline judicial process and improve its ability to clear outstanding cases.”
However, Transparency (0.46) and Regulatory Governance (0.42) remain areas that require further strengthening.
By contrast, Strong Institutions recorded a middling score of 0.50.
While Coordination (0.66) and Bureaucracy Quality (0.53) stood out, poor marks in Data Capability (0.38) and Implementation (0.42) suggest institutional weaknesses that could undermine effective policy execution.
Top marks
Botswana’s Financial Stewardship also scored 0.50, on par with the global average. The country earned top marks for Managing Government Debt (0.92) and Maintaining a Low Country Risk Premium (0.81). However, it registered a worrying score of zero in Spending Efficiency – a potential red flag for budget accountability.
A critical area of concern was Helping People Rise where Botswana also scored 0.50 but showed wide disparities across sub-indicators. Although Gender Equality (0.98) and Price Stability (0.93) were standout achievements, Employment (0.06), Income Sistribution (0.16), and Personal Safety (0.28) were among the lowest scores recorded, pointing to deep-rooted social and economic challenges.
Public skepticism
Education (0.52) and Health (0.53) were slightly below global averages, and Satisfaction with Public Services (0.44) reflects public skepticism over government performance in essential service delivery.
In the Leadership & Foresight category, Botswana scored 0.57 – higher than the global mean. Ethical Leadership (0.59), Long-Term Vision (0.60), and Adaptability (0.66) were notable strengths. However, Innovation remains a weak spot at 0.50.
The Attractive Marketplace pillar also hovered near the midpoint with a 0.52 score. Botswana earned high marks for Stable Business Regulations (0.71), but continued to underperform in Attracting Investments (0.43), Property Rights (0.40), and Logistics Competence (0.46).
Dismal score
The lowest performing pillar was Global Influence & Reputation with a dismal score of 0.30. Botswana lagged in International Diplomacy (0.10), International Trade (0.42), and Nation Branding (0.32), signalling minimal global impact despite domestic achievements.
But despite moving down three places out of 120 countries surveyed, Botswana was ranked third out of 28 countries ranked in Africa.
Mauritius retained its place as Africa’s top-ranked country for the fifth consecutive year, although its rank has fallen from 36th in 2021 to 51st in 2025. A sampling of Africa’s global ranking shows Mauritius (51st globally), Rwanda (59th), Botswana (61st), Morocco, (75th) and South Africa (77th).
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