Gaborone

Gaborone is the capital of Botswana. It is in the south of the country, near the border to South Africa. Generally it is a clean, safe and functioning city that is spreading ever further outwards into a suburban sprawl that today measures about 15 km from east to west.

Understand
From a dusty one-horse town in the 1960s, Gaborone has developed into a substantial city of 420,000 inhabitants in the metro area (as of 2011). There is a definite city centre based around the train station and the government enclave of Khama Crescent. However, numerous shopping malls are dotted all over the city, diluting the prominence of the downtown area.

Gaborone's nomenclature confuses most new arrivals. Different parts of town are called blocks, extensions, phases, etc., and there can be several names for the same place. Below is a rough guide:


 * The Extensions - to the east of the railway line radiating out from the Government Enclave. Extensions 9 and 11 are probably the wealthiest parts of Gaborone. Extension 15, out near Riverwalk Mall is known as 'the Village'
 * Gabs West - the inner blocks to the west of the railway line, inside the Western Bypass. Gabs West is sub-divided into Phases 1, 2, 4 and industrial.
 * The Blocks - to the west of the railway line, outside the Western Bypass. The blocks number 5 - 10 running south to north (although Block 9 is an outlier being the southernmost of the blocks, and there is a Block 3 directly north of the downtown area). Some maps (including Google Maps) label the Blocks as high numbered Extensions (e.g. Block 8 is made up of Extensions 35 & 36) but everyone will refer to an area by its block number.
 * The Central Business District refers to a patch of undeveloped land in the centre of the city that is being developed into overly modern hotels and offices (including the new Lansmore hotel)
 * Phakalane a new-build suburb 12 km north of the centre of Gaborone - based around a golf estate - on the east side of the A1 Francistown road. South-west of Phakalane is the still to be developed Glen Valley
 * Gaborone North - a developing suburb out towards the airport to the west of Phakalane.
 * Broadhurst is an older suburb to the northeast of the centre. On the southern edge of Broadhurst are Partial and Maru-a-Pula
 * Tlokweng a poorer suburb to the east of the Notwane River, home to several nice guesthouses.

Knight Frank, a real estate agent with an office near the Shell Garage on the Main Mall, has a useful map of the city.


 * Gaborone tourist information

Get in
Customs is very slow, but easy to get through (as appears to be the case for most of Africa). Have an address on hand for where you will be staying and they hardly give you a hassle.

By plane

 * Air Botswana, in the Main Mall, Phone: 395 1921. Provides international connections from Cape Town, Harare (Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays) Johannesburg (daily), Lusaka, as well as domestic flights from Francistown, Kasane and Maun. Typical fares from Gabarone are in US$ 200 - 400 range.
 * Airlink, flies in from Johannesburg.
 * Ethiopian Airlines flies in from Addis Ababa via Victoria Falls.
 * Ethiopian Airlines flies in from Addis Ababa via Victoria Falls.

Taxi rides from the airport to the city centre cost P150 (pula). It costs less going to the airport, P60-80.

Domestic
You can arrive from most big cities in the country by bus. However, do arrive at the bus station early, as the buses can fill up very quickly, and sometimes just leave as soon as they are full. Bring water, as the buses are often not air conditioned, and if you do not manage to get a seat, it is likely you will have to stand until at least halfway to your destination, particularly on week-ends.


 * Gabs - Francistown: approx. 6 hours, P96/person
 * Francistown - Maun: approx 6 hours, P110/person

From South Africa
There is a daily bus that connects Pretoria, South Africa with Gaborone. The bus is operated by Intercape and the tickets can be booked online or purchased at one of their offices. The bus departs from Pretoria Station on Paul Kruger & Scheiding Street at 13:15 and arrives at the Kudu Shell Service Station in Gaborone at 21:10 (an 8-hr bus ride). This bus makes a brief stop at the Johannesburg bus station to pick up passengers. As of 2011 the bus fare was 195 rand per person.

The bus is pretty nice: tourist class, reclining seats, and a working bathroom. However, be prepared for the Christian materials on-board. Basically, all the movies that are played on the Intercape bus have overly religious messages in them.

The border crossing between South Africa and Botswana is pretty straight forward. The passengers get off the bus (without the luggage, just the documentation) at the South African immigration check point to get their exit stamps, then they walk over to the Botswana side to get their entrance visa stamps. Be careful, buses sometimes do leave passengers stranded in the border without telling them.

By train
Botswana Railways operates two daily trains, one day and one overnight service, linking Gaborone with Francistown as well as Lobatse, near the border with South Africa. is on Station Rd, behind the huge Station mall.

By taxi
Public taxis are generally small white cars and can be identified by their blue license plates. These cars travel designated routes, generally going to areas/neighbourhoods that combi routes do not. The fare for a taxi is P7. Since taxis can only hold a maximum of 5 passengers they also tend to be quicker than a combi in completing their route. You can catch a taxi at many combi stops and ask them to drop you off anywhere along the route. For route information simply ask the driver of the taxi. If you need to go to a particular destination not on the taxi route then ask for a "special", see cab section below.

By cab
A cab is a private taxi or a "special" which takes you directly from your origin to destination. This may be a public taxi with a blue licence plate or a privately run cab. Generally you must request a cab by phone. There are several cab companies in Gabs and many display contact information on the cab. You can also hail public taxis on the road and request a special. To give directions, its usually better to give Plot numbers or easily identified places rather than street names (which aren't commonly used). If a driver gives you a good rate, ask him for his cell phone number and remind him of the place where you are staying. Using one driver the whole time you are in Gaborone can end up saving you money. Don't worry if you hail a cab with someone inside. Offer to split the fare for the destination and save each other some cash. Don't be afraid to try and discuss lower fares. Most trips should be P20-30 (e.g. Main Mall to Game City is around P30).


 * AB Cab, tel. 390 2147.

By combi
Combis are white vans that are like mini-buses. Combis cost P6, as of 2022. The only Combis that cost P4 are the ones going through the Old Naledi Ward (an area designated as a Low Income Residential Area). There are no route maps, but there are different lines, so just ask the driver if that line passes where you need to go. If you know the direction you need to go, start walking there -- combis will honk at you as they are passing, to let you know they're behind you.

Modern architecture
Gaborone was constructed as a planned city in the 1960s, much like Brasilia. Therefore you will find a great deal of modern architecture, in particular in the Government Enclave. Such buildings include:



Cinemas
Movies typically cost P40 per seat (2012). It is assigned seating, so tell the cashier your preference when buying the ticket. Theaters usually show big-name movies (as a small theater in the US would). There are three cinemas in Gabs, one in Riverwalk Mall, one in Game City Mall and one in Masa Centre.

Buy
Gaborone abounds with shopping malls, and pretty much every South African chain store has at least one branch somewhere in the city. Unfortunately this crowds out local independent shops. Coupled with seemingly rampant collusion and price fixing among retailers makes Gabs a disappointing and quite expensive place to shop, despite the 14% VAT rate.

There are, however, a few arts villages and local workshops that buck the trend, and a visit can make a pleasant diversion for an afternoon.



Independent art

 * Wood carvings and colourful prints are high quality and reasonably priced; most are imported from other African countries.
 * Wood carvings and colourful prints are high quality and reasonably priced; most are imported from other African countries.

Eat
Gaborone is not an exciting place to eat, and the city suffers more than most from South African culinary hegemony. However if you keep your expectations low there are some interesting nooks and crannies to interest your taste buds.

The restaurants below are organised by compass point from the city centre.

City Centre

North-east North-west

South-east



Tlokweng



South-west

Chain restaurants with multiple outlets

Groceries

 * Prices for Western goods are at EU prices; local goods (corn meal) are inexpensive at grocery stores.
 * Choppies and OK Foods are local chains. They have the cheapest prices and are located in all areas of Gaborone.
 * Woolworths is in several of the main malls and has much higher quality produce and more European food selections. If you want exotic fruits or vegetables or good cheese, definitely the store to go to.
 * Pick-and-Pay, South African chain, has better quality and is more expensive than Choppies.
 * ShopRite, South African chain has stores all over Gaborone with lower prices.
 * SPAR in the Main Mall seems to be the cheapest for fruit juices (about P5.25 for 1 Litre of 100% fruit juice).
 * For a budget, buy a pie at Pie Time and then a drink at Spar. (P8.25 for a full meal).
 * In all super market malls, there is a grocery store.

Clubs
Covers range from P20 to P100. Many have dress codes. And like most places, the popular nights at each place vary. Check with local Batswana (people from Botswana) for time relevant information.



Sleep
Gaborone compares to South Africa in terms of accommodation choice and costs. There are a handful of large chain hotels costing P800+ offering conference facilities, curio shops, evening restaurants, gyms and bars - and dozens of smaller guesthouses, lodges and bed & breakfasts varying in quality, cleanliness and price. However it is difficult to go much below P400 per night for a room. For those staying for months rather than days there are a handful of relativity expensive serviced apartments, although these are often full. Finally if you have your own car and want to keep away from the city there are some good options out in the bush 15 km to the south of Gabs that cost about the same as a guesthouse in town. There is also one Backpackers hostel in Gaborone.

Budget
If you travel on a shoestring or are staying in Gabs for weeks or months the following may be of interest.



Connect
There are internet cafes all over the city, in practically every shopping centre. Prices range from P10-P20 per hour. Many cafes have memberships of 5-20 hours which provide cheaper rates. Network speeds are moderate to good. Many cafes also offer photocopying services.

Stay safe
People in Botswana are very friendly and the crime rate is relatively low, but always be aware of your surroundings. When going out at night to a restaurant take a taxi called from your hotel. Take the mobile number of your driver and call him when you want to go home. Do not walk around at night away from places with lots of people. At night, do not walk back 5 blocks to your hotel from a pub. Do walk around during the day. Basic common sense will keep you safe from criminals. You should have a safe and pleasant trip as hundreds of thousands of other people have each year. If you're staying at a hotel it is safe, but beware for some residential areas affected by burglars.

Stay alert when driving in cars for smash and grabs when using mobile devices near traffic lights (talking on the phone without a handsfree kit is illegal anyways).

Beware when walking at evening or night in street corners as muggings occur, displays of wealth and property make you a target, particularly tempting objects such as mobile phones, laptops.

Crowded public areas are a heaven for pickpockets. Be cautious especially if you are a woman with a handbag. Areas often affected by such crimes are near Old Naledi, Mogoditsane, Broadhurst, Phase I and II.

Police are honest and helpful but sometimes can be late to respond.

When driving to rural areas be extra careful as cows and wildlife often walk in the middle of the road. Be prepared to stop for a herd of goats. Do not drive at night unless you know what you are doing. Drunk driving on weekends and holidays is common and dangerous. Drivers do not look out for or give way to pedestrians. Be very cautious when crossing any street day or night. Do not immediately get out of your car if bumped/hit from behind - drive to a public place (service station/restaurant) to inspect for damage. Do enjoy the beauty!

Police: dial 999 for the helpline or 351161 Fire Brigade: 998

Health
Gaborone Private Hospital Emergency number: 997

Bokamoso Private Hospital Tel: 369 4000

Princess Marina Hospital Tel: 362 1400

Med Rescue ambulance (+267) 3901601 Emergency number: 992 Mascom Cell phone Emergency: 147

If you are headed to the north of Botswana like the Okavango Delta and haven't packed any anti-malaria pills, it is possible to get a prescription and have it filled in Gaborone. Try Capital Medical Centre at the Riverwalk Shopping Centre, Dr. Banu Khan (narrow glass door on the left-hand side of the Pharmacy that is right behind the stairs that go up to the second floor), for a drop-in appointment. The consultation visit to get a prescription will cost you P165. As of 2011 the cost of an anti-malarial drug called Doxycycline was P1.00 per pill, and Malarone was P44.33 per pill. Tel: 370-0066/7

Consulates and embassies

 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * Kanye, 100 km south, accessible by bus.
 * Francistown is a 5- to 7-hour bus ride away; there is also an overnight train service.
 * The South African border is a little more than 10 km away. Nearby destinations in South Africa include Rustenburg, Pilanesberg National Park and Sun City. Johannesburg is about 8 hours away by bus.
 * The South African border is a little more than 10 km away. Nearby destinations in South Africa include Rustenburg, Pilanesberg National Park and Sun City. Johannesburg is about 8 hours away by bus.