Botswana Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in botswana, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Standards for Trade
Last published date:

Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade 
Overview

Botswana’s national standards system operates under a dual regime of compulsory and voluntary standards, designed to ensure the quality and safety of domestically produced and imported goods while facilitating trade.  As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Botswana promotes international cooperation by adopting globally recognized standards and allowing accredited foreign entities to certify products for export to Botswana.

The system is governed by two main bodies:

  • Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS): Responsible for developing, implementing, and promoting standardization and quality assurance activities. BOBS enforces compulsory standards for products in categories such as electrical, mechanical, automotive, chemicals, agriculture, food, and building and construction.  Voluntary standards, while not legally required, are adopted by companies to enhance competitiveness and ensure quality.  BOBS also offers certification schemes for compliance with popular standards like ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety), and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management).
     
  • Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA): Oversees the registration and accreditation of education and training providers.  All professional qualifications must be registered on the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCQF), implemented by BQA.
    BOBS monitors regulated products to ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental, and export requirements, while voluntary standards help businesses improve their market position.  This system supports Botswana’s commitment to quality, safety, and international trade.
     

Standards and Technical Regulations

Botswana’s standards are developed by the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) and include compulsory standards for product safety, health, and environmental protection. In addition to its own standards, Botswana adopts international standards from organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the British Standards Institute (BSI) through Memorandums of Understanding.  BOBS is also an Affiliate Plus Member of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), a Corresponding Member of the International Organization for Legal Metrology (OIML), and an Associate Member of the General Conference of Weights and Measures (CGPM).

For financial reporting, Botswana follows International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and International Standards on Auditing (ISA), with oversight provided by the Botswana Accountancy Oversight Authority (BAOA).
Exports to Botswana must comply with Botswana’s technical regulations and mandatory standards, which require a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for regulated products.  Intertek is accredited by BOBS to issue these certificates.  Manufacturers and exporters shipping to Botswana can contact the nearest Intertek office for information and to apply for CoCs, ensuring smooth customs clearance upon arrival in Botswana.

Testing, Inspection and Certification

All imported products subject to compulsory standards in Botswana must comply with the relevant standards set by the BOBS.  To minimize the risk of unsafe or substandard products entering the market, companies are encouraged to conduct inspection and testing in the country of origin through recognized inspection bodies.  Importers must apply for a compliance certificate from BOBS before the arrival of goods, providing documentation from the inspection body that demonstrates the products meet the required standards.  A list of compulsory standards, regulated products, and the compliance certificate application process is available on the BOBS website.
Botswana does not have a national accreditation body.  Laboratory reports are sent to accreditation boards in South Africa, Mauritius, or the United Kingdom.  To address regional accreditation needs, SADC countries established the Southern African Development Committee for Accreditation Services (SADCAS).  SADCAS has accredited BOBS for its testing laboratories (including microbiology, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering testing), calibration laboratories (covering temperature and dimension), inspection services for various products (agricultural, automotive, building, chemical, electrical, food, and mechanical products), and mass metrology.

Use ePing to review proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. 

The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by WTO Members under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995 to present.  

EPing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and is a versatile tool that can be used to:  
•    Follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest,
•    Receive customized e-mail alerts when new notifications are distributed,
•    Find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees. 

Per obligation under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates an Enquiry Point.  National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat.  All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point.  Refer to the comment guidance at https://www.nist.gov/notifyus/commenting for further information.  This guidance is provided to assist U.S. stakeholders in the preparation and submission of comments in response to notifications of proposed foreign technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.

Botswana draft standards undergo public circulation for comment.  The typical length for comments for a proposed standard or regulation is 2 months from which comments are removed, and the draft standard goes to the Standards Council for approval.  The approved standard or regulation is then published in the official Government Gazette making it legally effective.  International companies including U.S. companies can comment online on the BOBS website.  BOBS maintains a Standardization Annual Work Plan (AWP), which outlines the standards development projects to be undertaken in the year.  The plan is informed by requests from the business community, individuals, technical committee members, as well as standards due for review.  
Contact Information

Botswana Bureau of Standards: 
Physical Address: 
Plot No. 55745 
Block 8, Gaborone 
Main Airport Road

Postal Address: 
Private Bag B048 
Gaborone, Botswana

Tel: (+267) 3903200 
Fax: (+267) 3903120 
Email: info@hq.bobstandards.bw

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