Botswana

Level calmupdated 3 min ago
Open alert types
Wildfire
What governments advise19 states tracked
15 nothing to report4 increased caution
Mira Safe's take

No underlying concern: official advisories are at ease about this country.

1alerts in progress0 / 19states advise against travel11.4homicides / 100,000 inhab.399events over 12 months
HighCritical

What are the main risks in Botswana?

Over the last 12 months, our sensors recorded 399 events there, including 142 severe. The most frequent: Wildfire, Power outage, Flood.

Is there a government travel advisory for Botswana?

Yes — of the 19 governments we track, 0 advise against travel and 4 urge extra caution. The detail is in the security section below.

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Botswana: current alerts and safety news

The alerts open right now, all sources combined — weather, seismic, satellite, health and state advisories.

Fire detected by satellite — Selolwane Ward (174 hotspots)

18 hours ago · NASA FIRMS

High

Last 90 days

  • Calm
  • Moderate / High
  • Critical
  • N/A
July 14October 11

Colour = the country level observed that day (highest of the day). N/A: before our records began.

Is it safe to travel to Botswana?

Botswana sits at level 3 of 4 on our scale. Over the last 12 months our sensors logged 186 events, 58 of them severe. Nearly all of that is fire: 184 wildfires, 57 severe. One flood was recorded, plus one travel advisory entry, which carries the highest stakes for people of the three even though it shows up once. Fire and flood are the two hazards that really run on a season here. The count sits mid-year: 114 events in July, 66 in August, 5 in June. March is the quietest month, with a single event. Our data holds no official advisory against travel to the country. Homicides run at 11.4 per 100,000 against a world median of 2.1. That figure covers homicide only. It says nothing about theft or scams, and no comparable worldwide data exists for petty crime.

What it changes for a nomad

For a stay of several weeks, the calendar does most of the work. July and August carry almost everything, 114 events then 66, and it is fire that drives those numbers. Smoke can settle, roads can close, and trips outside town get less predictable. If you can pick your window, March is the lightest month on record with one event, and June stays low at 5. Book mid-year trips with room to change them. Flooding shows up once across 12 months, so treat it as possible rather than routine. Day to day, what we hold on crime is thin: the homicide rate, 11.4 per 100,000 against a world median of 2.1, and nothing comparable for theft. Two alerts are open right now, so read them before you commit to a long drive.

Written with the help of AI from Mira Safe's sourced data on August 21, 2026 · does not replace local guidance How this analysis is produced →

To watch right now

  • Two alerts are open right now. Read what they cover before committing to a long drive or a trip away from town.

To watch as a rule

  • The mid-year fire stretch: July carried 114 events, August 66.
  • Smoke and closed roads on routes outside town while fires are burning.
  • Flooding, which does run on a season here, though only one event was recorded over the last 12 months.
  • Everyday personal safety: 11.4 homicides per 100,000 against a world median of 2.1.

Good reflexes

  • Check the open alerts and current fire activity the morning you set off on a long drive.
  • Shut windows and vents when smoke settles over where you are staying.
  • Carry water and a charged phone on any trip outside built-up areas, and tell someone your route.
  • Turn back rather than cross a flooded road, whatever you are driving.
  • After dark, arrange a ride instead of walking it, and keep phone and cash out of sight.

Botswana: travel advisories and areas to avoid

What the 19 tracked governments officially advise for this country — converging or not. The everyday reference.

None of the 19 countries surveyed advises against this country; 4 recommend increased caution.

Botswana: quality of life and safety in figures

Everyday living conditions, on the few indicators published for every country in the world. Background for a stay — not what is happening today.

Favourable vs the world median

  • Air quality (PM2.5): 13.2 µg/m³ (median 17.3)
  • New displacements, disasters: 0.04 per 1,000 people (median 0.73)

Watch out vs the world median

  • Homicides: 11.4 per 100,000 people (median 2.3)
  • Safely managed drinking water: 63.3 % of the population (median 80.5)
  • Road deaths: 26.4 per 100,000 people (median 15.2)
  • Physicians: 0.38 per 1,000 people (median 1.7)
  • Life expectancy at birth: 69.3 years (median 74.7)
Air quality (PM2.5)
13.2µg/m³ · 2023

Below the world median (17.3) · lower is better

WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³

Safely managed drinking water
63.3% of the population · 2024

Below the world median (80.5) · higher is better

Road deaths
26.4per 100,000 people · 2019

Above the world median (15.2) · lower is better

Physicians
0.38per 1,000 people · 2023

Below the world median (1.7) · higher is better

Hospital beds
2.4per 1,000 people · 2022

Close to the world median (2.4) · higher is better

Life expectancy at birth
69.3years · 2024

Below the world median (74.7) · higher is better

New displacements, disasters
0.04per 1,000 people · 2023

Below the world median (0.73) · lower is better

99 people in total

Refugees hosted
0.33per 1,000 people · 2025

847 people in total

21 asylum seekers

People living in internal displacement
0people · 2025

Security and violence

Structural risk (INFORM) · 2026

2.9/10 — low

Composite index by the JRC (European Commission): hazards & exposure, vulnerability, coping capacity. Structural background — not today's alerts.

11.4homicides per 100,000 people (2021)

Above the world median (2.3).

Source: UNODC, via the World Bank (CC BY 4.0)

Homicides are the only crime figure that exists worldwide under an open licence. It says nothing about theft or scams — no reliable worldwide data exists for those; official state advisories are the honest day-to-day reference.

National figures, published once a year and often a few years behind: an order of magnitude for daily life, never the situation right now. Sources: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) · UNHCR

Botswana: natural disasters and risks in figures

Last 30 days · 98 events

Eventsof which severe
  • Wildfire9834 34 severe

Last 12 months · 399 events

Eventsof which severe
  • Wildfire396141 141 severe
  • Power outage11 1 severe
  • Flood1
  • Travel advisory1

By month

Eventsof which severe
11
12
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
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What travellers lived

What people who stayed there report. A feeling is not a risk level: these figures complement official data, they don't replace it.

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Only ever published as anonymous aggregates, from 5 responses onward.

Mira informs you. Mira is not an emergency service — in an emergency, call local emergency services. Some of this page's content is generated with the help of AI from sourced, quantified data.

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