Minimum Wage in Botswana 2026: Hourly & Monthly Rates

Quick answer: The minimum wage in Botswana in 2026 is P9.06 an hour, the rate the Labour Minister cited for security guards and cleaners, equal to P2,120.04 a month in normal pay. Employer guidance from Playroll says domestic and farm workers have a P1,500 monthly floor. A P4,000 target was under review, with no new rate confirmed.

Key takeaways

The statutory hourly rate quoted by the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs in November 2025 is P9.06, set by Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2024.
For a security guard or cleaner, the Minister said that hourly rate works out to P2,120.04 a month before overtime.
Domestic and agricultural workers fall under a separate monthly minimum of P1,500, according to employer guidance from Playroll.
Government said it was reviewing the instrument with the aim of reaching P4,000, but no new rate had been confirmed in the sources reviewed.
In the public service, after talks on 17 and 20 October 2025, government rejected a P4,000 basic minimum and offered a P4,000 package that includes allowances instead.

Last updated: 3 October 2026

If you are trying to work out whether your pay is legal, the minimum wage in Botswana 2026 starts from one number: P9.06 (Botswana pula) an hour. That is the rate the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major General Pius Mokgware, confirmed to Parliament in November 2025 for security guards and cleaners, under Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2024. Below we explain what that means per week and per month, which workers have a different floor, and where the proposed P4,000 stands.

Minimum wage in Botswana 2026: what is the rate?

The hourly floor is P9.06, the rate the Minister cited for security guards and cleaners. Playroll's employer guidance says the same rate applies nationally, while domestic and agricultural workers have a monthly minimum of P1,500 instead.

The hourly figure comes from the Minister's answer to Nkange MP Motlhaleemang Moalosi, reported by BOPA on 17 November 2025. Employer guidance published by Playroll in 2026 gives the same P9.06 rate, says it took effect on 1 February 2024 after a 23.5% rise, and notes that Botswana does not set different rates for different regions. So the same hourly floor applies in Francistown as it does in Gaborone.

Worker groupMinimum payBasis Security guards and cleanersP9.06 per hour (P2,120.04 per month normal pay)Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2024, per the Minister Full-time worker, 40 hours a weekP362.40 per weekPlayroll worked example Part-time worker, 20 hours a weekP181.20 per weekPlayroll worked example Domestic workersP1,500 per monthPlayroll employer guidance Agricultural workersP1,500 per monthPlayroll employer guidance

How much is the minimum wage in Botswana per month?

It depends on your hours, but for a security guard or cleaner the Minister put normal pay at P2,120.04 a month, with overtime counted separately.

In the same reply, Mokgware said the average salary of a cleaner or guard is about P3,108 a month, a figure that includes overtime. He said these employees worked eight hours of normal time and four hours of overtime. In other words, a large share of what low-paid workers earn comes from extra hours rather than from the base rate.

To check your own pay, multiply P9.06 by the normal hours you worked in the pay period. Then compare the answer with the basic pay on your payslip; as general guidance, keep overtime out of this comparison, since the Minister's P2,120.04 figure covers normal pay only. If the basic figure is lower, raise it with your employer first and keep copies of your payslips and time records.

Is Botswana raising the minimum wage to P4,000?

Government has said it wants to, but as of the Minister's November 2025 statement, and Playroll's April 2026 guidance, no new statutory rate of P4,000 had been confirmed. In those sources the figure is a target under review rather than the law.

In November 2025 the Minister told Parliament that his ministry was working on a review of Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2024 with the aim of lifting the minimum wage to P4,000. He also said government had decided to insource cleaning and security services, adding that nobody employed that way would earn less than P4,000 a month.

His reasoning was blunt. Some contractors, he said, bill government around P4,700 for each security guard, yet the guards themselves stay on low wages, so "the companies are benefiting more than the individuals". At the time, 7,000 people worked for security firms and 933 for cleaning firms contracted by ministries and district councils.

Until a new instrument is published, the current rates described above are the ones to check your pay against. Watch for an official notice from the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs or a BOPA report before assuming your pay will change.

What is the minimum wage for public servants in Botswana?

Public service pay is negotiated separately with unions. After talks in October 2025, government turned down a P4,000 basic minimum for the lowest-paid public servants and proposed a P4,000 "living wage" package built from basic salary plus housing and upkeep allowances.

The Gazette reported that DPSM Director Gaone Macholo pointed to financial and economic constraints. Talks with the cooperating unions, BOPEU, BOSETU, BTU, BONU, NALCGPWU and BDU, held on 17 and 20 October 2025, ended in partial agreement and a deadlock on the minimum wage.

Pay offer: an extra P653 for staff in grades A3 to A2, and an extra P400 across grades A1 to D1.
Union position: P4,000 must be basic salary, because allowances do not count towards pensions or help with credit.
Agreed changes: leave travel dates realigned with employment anniversaries and the children's travel qualifying period cut from seven to five years, both from 1 April 2026.

What can you do if you are paid below the minimum wage?

Start by checking your basic pay against the legal rate, then report unresolved underpayment to the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, which oversees the rules.

Collect evidence: payslips, your contract, a record of the hours you worked and any messages about pay.
Do the sum: normal hours multiplied by P9.06, or P1,500 a month if you are a domestic or farm worker.
Raise it in writing: ask your employer or HR to explain any shortfall.
Report to the ministry: the Minister said the ministry has inspected and acted against firms that hired staff on shorter terms than their government contracts.
Ask your union: if you belong to one, it can take the matter up for you.

Playroll's guidance says inspections can follow a worker complaint, that fines can reach P2,000 per violation, and that prosecution can lead to up to 18 months in prison. It also says wages must be paid within three working days after the wage period ends.

Common mistakes to avoid

Mixing overtime into the check: the Minister's P2,120.04 monthly figure is normal pay only, so compare like with like.
Treating P4,000 as already law: in the official statements reviewed it was a target, not a confirmed rate.
Relying on social media screenshots of "new rates": confirm them with the ministry or BOPA.
Assuming a short contract is normal: the Minister said some firms holding two-year government contracts employ staff for shorter periods, and the ministry has acted against them.

What this means for you

If you work in security or cleaning, your basic pay should not fall below P9.06 an hour, and Playroll says the same rate applies nationally. If you are a domestic or farm worker, Playroll puts the floor at P1,500 a month. The proposed P4,000 had not been confirmed in the sources reviewed, so keep an eye on official announcements, and if a job advert or agent asks you to pay a fee to secure a "P4,000 job", treat it as a warning sign.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in Botswana per hour?

The minimum wage is P9.06 an hour, the rate cited for security guards and cleaners. The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs confirmed this rate in Parliament in November 2025, citing Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2024.

What is the minimum wage in Botswana per month?

For a security guard or cleaner, the Minister said the hourly rate equals P2,120.04 a month as normal pay, with overtime counted separately. Playroll's employer guidance gives domestic and agricultural workers a separate monthly floor of P1,500.

Has Botswana's minimum wage gone up to P4,000?

No new P4,000 statutory rate had been confirmed in the official statements reviewed. Government said in November 2025 that it was reviewing the instrument with the aim of reaching P4,000, so treat the figure as a target until a new rate is published.

What is the minimum wage for domestic workers in Botswana?

According to employer guidance from Playroll, domestic workers have a monthly minimum of P1,500, the same as agricultural workers. This is separate from the hourly rate that applies to sectors such as security and cleaning.

Did public servants get a P4,000 minimum wage?

Not as basic pay. After talks on 17 and 20 October 2025, government rejected a P4,000 basic minimum and offered a P4,000 package that includes housing and upkeep allowances, along with increases of P653 and P400 for some grades. Unions said the P4,000 should be basic salary.

Who do I report minimum wage underpayment to in Botswana?

Report it to the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, after first raising it with your employer. Bring payslips, your contract and a record of your hours. A trade union can also help.

Sources

This article was compiled by Jobsiz from the sources listed above, with AI-assisted writing and automated fact-checking. Published 3 October 2026. We update stories when new verified information becomes available.

Minimum Wage in Botswana 2026: Rates, P4,000 Plan and Your Rights