This was some of the best general information on property ownership in Botswana that I found in my searches.
General information on owning property in Botswana.
General
The best option for any foreigner to buy a farm / property in Botswana is on the 90 year lease system. We register the farm in a dormant company and the previous owner then signs a contract that transfers his 100% to the new owner(s) of the company in which the farm is registered. Its a normal shares transfer. When the lease period is coming to an end the current owner(s) has first option to renew the lease period for a further 50 years. If you want to sell the farm it is once again just a share transfer transaction.
The only other cost is that you have to pay 70 Thebe per hectare per year to the government for the use of the farm. There are no transfer duty to be paid on the 90 year lease system. Only attorney fees.
Property Registration
Registration of a company is about between P2,500 and P3,500 per company and about P100 per extra function you want to register.
During the registration process the client's money lies in his own business bank account. As soon as the registration is complete we organise a bank guaranteed cheque for the attorney. The money in the account serves as a guarantee for the attorney.
Interest on money in Botswana bank accounts is at about 12% per year. Attorneys in Botswana do not get any interest on trust money. You have to have a turnover of P300,000 to qualify for taxation.
Permits
As soon as you invest P50,000 into your companies account, you and your family automatically qualify for residential and working permits. It usually takes about 6 weeks after the transaction for the permits to be ready. Dependants (18 years and younger) does not qualify for a working permit. When the age of 18 is reached the person's employer can apply for him/her for a working permit OR the director can sign 1% of his shares off to this person so that he/she can qualify for a working permit.
If you apply at immigration for the permits it costs about P1,500. We use a consultant who worked at Labour and Immigration for years. This person asks P4,500 per director, but then it is basically guaranteed that you will get the permits. Any dependant pays only P500. Permits are valid for 5 years. After ten years you can choose between citizenship or to only be a permanent resident.
Import Taxes
Import tax is 10% on all new goods. Old goods are also 10% but you have to make a "dummy invoice" that declares the value of the goods, so it basically depends on you.
Hunting
An open game farm (a farm that isnt closed off with game fence) gets a POT licence. On such a farm you are only capable to hunt a certain amount of game per year from the second week in March to the second week in September.
Where as if you close the farm off with game fence, you are entitled to hunt any amount, any time of the year and qualify for exemption. Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Rhinos and Buffalos need permit even if you have exemption on the farm. You will only get one permit for a lion every two years. Buffalos can only be hunted in the Okavango Delta.
Permit prices:
Leopard P10,000
Elephant P20,000
Buffalo P20,000
Lion P30,000
Building Cost
Building cost is round about P3,000 per square meter.
Cattle fence: 1.4 meters high with 5 strands - about P5,000 per km, which includes the labour and materials. Game fence: 2.4 meters high with 21 strands - about P15,000 per km, which includes the materials and labour.
Salaries
Salaries for farm workers are about P900 per month per worker. P600 is paid in cash and the other P300 is usually given in maize, tea, sugar, coffee and tobacco.