President Cyril Ramaphosa will undertake a two-day State Visit to the Republic of Botswana on Wednesday.
The visit will culminate in the Sixth Session of the Botswana and South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) to be held in Gaborone.
"President Ramaphosa and President Gideon Duma Boko will co-chair the Summit of the Sixth Session of the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC).
"The Summit will be preceded by a Ministerial Meeting on 20 May 2026, and the Senior Officials Meeting," a Presidency statement said.
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The visit is aimed at strengthening and deepening the "existing bilateral partnership between the two countries".
"The Sixth Session of the BNC represents a critical opportunity to reinforce the strategic partnership between South Africa and Botswana.
"While the relationship remains strong, it is evolving in response to new economic realities and shifting global dynamics.
"A Business Forum that will be held on the margins of the BNC will strengthen private sector collaboration and facilitate business-to-business exchanges," the Presidency said.
South Africa and Botswana share deep ties "rooted in solidarity during the liberation struggle, when Botswana provided support to South African freedom fighters".
"This legacy, combined with geographic proximity and shared cultural and linguistic ties, has shaped a durable partnership that continues to expand across multiple sectors.
"The BNC serves as a central institutional mechanism through which this relationship is structured and advanced, enabling coordinated cooperation and sustained dialogue at political, technical, and economic levels," the Presidency said.
Bilateral trade between the two countries also remains strong, reaching some R82 billion in 2025 with South African exports to Botswana standing at R73.5 billion with imports from Botswana reaching R7.7 billion.
Furthermore, Botswana imports the bulk of its agricultural products from South Africa with imports of those products amounting to R14 billion last year.
"South Africa has a significant corporate presence in Botswana with more than 100 South African companies operating across key sectors, including in financial and banking services, retail and wholesale, mining and mineral beneficiation, infrastructure, construction and logistics, freight, manufacturing and automotive value chains as well as the hospitality and tourism industries.
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"South Africa's Development Finance Institutions such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa [DBSA] and the Industrial Development Corporation have also developed a pipeline of projects for financing in Botswana.
"The DBSA's aggregate portfolio of investments under consideration in Botswana represents a total project value of approximately R6.5 billion, demonstrating meaningful scale and impact," the statement said.
During the upcoming visit, the two countries will explore "renewable energy opportunities in support of Botswana's effort towards increasing renewable energy to 50 per cent by 2030, creating opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy, grid integration, and capacity building".
"The State Visit takes place against the backdrop of a political transition in Botswana, following the transition to a new administration in October 2024.
"The State Visit signals the new government's intention to consolidate relations with South Africa while maintaining continuity in bilateral engagement. It also offers South Africa an opportunity to strengthen its strategic relations with Botswana.
"It is envisaged that the two countries will, during the upcoming engagements focus on High Impact Priority Projects. A number of new agreements will also be signed during the visit," the statement concluded.
