Staff Reporter

The Botswana government has launched the Impact Investment Program, a new citizenship-by-investment (CBI) scheme set to go live in early 2026 in a bid to insulate its economy from the volatile global diamond market.

The program, which offers foreign nationals the opportunity to obtain a Botswana passport for a minimum contribution of $75,000, marks a shift for the southern African nation.

Most notably, the initiative will coincide with a major legislative overhaul to allow dual citizenship a departure from Botswana’s traditionally strict nationality laws.

Botswana’s President Duma Boko, who first unveiled the concept during the UN General Assembly in September 2025, emphasized that the program is a strategic necessity.

“This programme will enable us to continue to secure the long-term financial future of Botswana,” President Boko said.

Botswana, the world’s leading diamond producer by value, has seen its budget strained by a prolonged slump in diamond revenues, which typically account for nearly a third of the nation’s GDP.

According to data from Arton Capital, the firm contracted to design the program, early interest has been massive.

Within the first weeks of pre-registration, over 1,000 expressions of interest were recorded from 77 countries.

Early applicants are primarily hailing from the United States, India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Pakistan.

For decades, Botswana required citizens to renounce foreign allegiances by age 21.

The program is expected to operate on a quota basis to maintain the exclusivity and prestige of the Botswana passport, which currently ranks as one of the strongest in Africa, offering visa-free access to over 80 destinations.

Formal applications are expected to open in the first quarter of 2026, with a targeted processing time of approximately 60 days for qualified investors.