Botswana

Botswana has signed an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Arton Capital to develop and launch a Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP). The announcement came during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26.

According to Arton Capital’s announcement, the program aims to attract foreign capital and international talent to sectors such as luxury tourism, renewable energy, mining, and financial services, as part of efforts to diversify the economy away from its dependence on diamonds.

President Duma Boko believes the initiative will “secure the long-term financial future of Botswana, unlocking opportunities for business owners and Batswana throughout our nation.”

According to the announcement, the government and Arton Capital have begun development work on the citizenship program, though they announced no launch date. The MoU follows a private investor event that took place at New York’s Baccarat Hotel during the UN General Assembly week.

Botswana currently holds Africa’s strongest credit rating according to Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. The country’s passport ranks fourth strongest on the continent but 61st globally, with visa-free access to 84 destinations.

Officials target reaching the top African passport position by 2027 and expanding visa-free access to major global markets for Botswana passport holders.

The press release states that the government plans to direct program proceeds toward priority areas, including housing market investment, but did not provide further details. Boko positions the initiative as an opportunity for “affluent, talented global citizens who see the benefit of African citizenship.”

However, the website BotswanaCitizenship.com, which Arton Capital lists as “the new hub for registering interest,” states that individuals can qualify by “contributing US$75,000-90,000.” No further investment breakdowns are yet available.

Arton Capital’s official press release did not provide any details on processing timelines, dependent qualification criteria, or residency requirements.

The company’s founder, Armand Arton, characterizes Botswana as standing “at the edge of a bold new dawn” and expects the program to help establish the country as “a new regional hub for cross-industry innovation.”

Should Botswana launch its program within 2025, it would become the third African citizenship by investment program to debut this year, following Sierra Leone and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Globally, it would mark the fourth new citizenship program this year after Nauru opened its program in early 2025. Argentina could potentially bring the total to five if it launches before year-end, making a record year for new citizenship by investment programs.

Botswana’s forthcoming Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP) will require contributions between $75,000 and $90,000, according to BotswanaCitizenship.com, the official registration portal that program developer Arton Capital launched. The website confirms that applications will open in early 2026 under a limited quota system.

The $75,000 contribution would make Botswana’s program the world’s most affordable open citizenship by investment option in terms of pure investment requirement, undercutting São Tomé and Príncipe’s $90,000 minimum by $15,000.

Pakistan’s CIP technically remains the most affordable program in the world at approximately US$18,000, but since it is only open to nationals of 54 Commonwealth countries, it has a very limited scope compared to others.

However, Botswana’s CIP website does not disclose additional fees, processing costs, or due diligence charges that may apply, leaving the total investment outlay unclear. This could mean that, when all fees are factored in, it could end up more expensive than São Tomé’s program.

The announcement provides the first concrete details since President Duma Boko signed an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Arton Capital on September 26 during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The agreement tasked Arton Capital with developing and launching what officials have branded the “Impact Investment Program.”

The website positions Botswana’s program as an opportunity to participate in the country’s economic diversification “beyond its diamond legacy.”

According to the website, applicants who qualify by “contributing US$75,000-90,000” will “not only unlock the privilege of Botswana citizenship, but also help fund high-priority initiatives that deliver immediate impact for the people of Botswana.”

The portal does not explain the $15,000 price variation or whether the range accounts for family applications or other qualifying factors. No investment structure breakdown appears on the website.

Arton Capital describes the platform as “the new hub for registering interest” and has made a registration form available for prospective applicants. The website warns that “spaces will be limited” and invites investors to “register your interest today to be among the first invited to apply when the program launches.”

The website provides no information on processing timelines, dependent qualification criteria, residency requirements, or the total number of citizenships available under the quota system.

Botswana’s citizenship by investment (CBI) program will aim for a 60-day processing timeline when it launches in the first quarter of 2026, according to Mohamed Bennis, Associate Vice President at Arton Capital.

Arton Capital is “actively working with the Botswana government to make it a reality sooner than later, but Q1 2026 is realistic,” Bennis confirmed at IMI Connect Rome.

The program will operate through a licensed agent system, where qualifying companies “will have a license the same way as São Tomé to be able to market the program and then to process it as well,” according to Bennis

He says the 60-day processing timeline “is in talks right now,” though the firm is “trying to make it as efficient and as fast as possible” with a seamless due diligence process. Arton Capital wants to “rival one of the fastest programs if not the fastest.”

Donation Route First, but “Other Ways of Investment Not Off the Table”

Bennis says the program will launch exclusively with a donation option between $75,000 and $90,000. Arton Capital wants to “make it a minimal value proposition to make sure that clients do not get confused,” as applicants are “already acquainted with the donation process.”

He says alternative investments are “not off the table in the future,” though the initial launch will be “a straightforward donation.”

Demand Growing by the Day as Registrations “Pass 600”

Interest registrations have surged to “600 plus” since the program’s September announcement, up from the 464 registrations published in early October, according to Bennis.

He says the number is “growing by the day, almost on an hourly basis,” and expects “the interest to continue growing for the next few months.”

The figures represent expressions of interest through the registration portal rather than formal applications. The program remains in its pre-launch development phase.

Dual Citizenship Amendment Still Being Finalized Before Launch

November represents the critical milestone when Bennis claims “the citizenship law is to be amended for Botswana to allow dual citizenship fully.” Parliament must pass this amendment before the program can accept applications.

At the time of writing, Botswana does not allow its nationals to hold dual citizenship.

Bennis said due diligence process “is still being talked about,” as Arton Capital and the government “haven’t determined exactly where it will be conducted and by whom.”

He confirms that the company remains “in an active process” on these operational details, while biometric requirements “have not been determined yet.”

Bennis says investors are “hedging their bets” and “not looking for guarantees but just looking for options” for their long-term planning horizons. Bennis believes “these kinds of products [African CBI programs] are going to become a little bit more mainstream and will be positioned almost as an asset and business expansion.”