- Botswana marks 60 years of independence today, Wednesday 30 September 2026, with community-led celebrations across the country.
- At independence in 1966 it had just 12km of paved road and 22 university graduates, according to economists Acemoglu, Johnson and Robinson.
- Diamonds found at Orapa in 1967 powered decades of rapid growth, but a global slump shrank the economy in 2024 and 2025.
Botswana at 60: how an exiled chief and a diamond find built a nation
As Botswana marks 60 years of independence today, here is how a protectorate once governed from South Africa became a diamond-powered democracy, and why economists compare it with Nigeria.
Updated 10:42 WAT, 30 Sep 2026: Botswana is marking its 60th Independence Day today. This story has been updated. Today, Wednesday 30 September 2026, marks 60 years of Botswana independence. The Diamond Jubilee is being celebrated across the country, from a crafts market and carnival in Gaborone's Main Mall to festivals in Maun, Kang and Tsabong, after Independence Eve celebrations…