GABORONE, Botswana — Botswana is moving to establish a regulated cannabis industry as the government seeks to diversify the economy and reduce its longstanding dependence on diamonds, with medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp emerging as potential new sources of investment, jobs and export revenue.
President Duma Boko has backed the development of the sector, saying his government is committed to creating opportunities for citizens through hemp cultivation and medicinal cannabis production.
The move follows successful pilot trials conducted through Botswana’s National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI).
In July, President Boko visited the NARDI hemp trial project and said the results had demonstrated that industrial hemp could thrive under Botswana’s varying climatic conditions.
He said the government intends to use the sector to support agricultural transformation and give local producers access to both domestic and international markets.
Cannabis Industry Already Has a Legal Framework
Botswana’s plans have progressed beyond an initial proposal to legalise cannabis.
Parliament passed the Cannabis Act, 2025, in August 2025, while regulations governing the sector were published in January 2026.
Botswana’s government has since said it has begun implementing the cannabis industry following the completion of the legal framework.
The framework allows for regulated cultivation and commercial activities involving medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp.
Parliament also approved amendments to existing narcotics legislation to allow the cultivation, production, storage, manufacture, import, export, transportation, distribution and sale of medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp products under the new regulatory system.
The government has established the National Cannabis Control Authority, while a government farm at Dibete has been identified as a site for initial cultivation. Two companies have already received pilot cultivation licences and are working with NARDI and other institutions on research and skills development.
A New Opportunity Beyond Diamonds
For Botswana, the cannabis initiative forms part of a wider effort to diversify an economy that has historically relied heavily on diamond mining.
President Boko has described industrial hemp as part of the country’s broader economic transformation agenda. Government officials say the sector could generate employment and create opportunities across cultivation, processing, packaging, logistics and other parts of the value chain.
The Botswana Investment and Trade Centre has also reported growing investor interest in the emerging hemp and medicinal cannabis sector. Preparations are underway for large-scale commercial production in Dibete, while companies involved in the pilot phase are working toward export-oriented production.
The government has said the development of the industry could create opportunities for local farmers and businesses while strengthening agriculture and expanding Botswana’s participation in international markets.
Botswana Joins Africa’s Growing Cannabis Industry
Botswana’s move comes as a number of African countries develop regulated cannabis industries focused primarily on medical, industrial and export markets.
Countries including Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda, Morocco, Ghana, South Africa and Mauritius have established varying forms of legal or regulated cannabis frameworks.
Ghana, for example, launched its regulated medicinal and industrial cannabis programme in February 2026. Its framework permits licensed cultivation, processing, research, distribution and exports of low-THC cannabis, while recreational use remains prohibited.
The African cannabis industry has attracted attention partly because of the expanding international market for regulated cannabis products.
Some industry forecasts have projected the global legal cannabis market could approach or exceed $200 billion in the coming years, although estimates vary considerably depending on what products and markets are included.
For Botswana, the challenge will be turning the new legal framework and successful trials into a commercially competitive industry while maintaining strict regulatory controls and meeting international standards.
If successfully implemented, the sector could give Botswana another agricultural and export industry while creating new opportunities for farmers, manufacturers, investors and entrepreneurs.
