Since 14 January 2025, SMS marketing in Botswana sits under the Data Protection Act 2024, which requires consent that is freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, and gives people the right to object to direct marketing at any time. Messages reach Mascom, Orange and BTC, the three networks licensed by BOCRA, and are usually written in English with a touch of Setswana.

Last reviewed: 28 October 2026. This article summarises public rules and is not legal advice. Check edge cases with the regulator.

Our earlier bulk SMS overview for Botswana and compliance notes predate the new Act. This guide brings them up to date and adds the practical side: networks after the SIM registration deadline, Setswana and English copy, pula formatting, use cases and a setup checklist.

Botswana at a glance

ItemWhat to know
Telecoms regulatorBOCRA (Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority)
Data protection regulatorInformation and Data Protection Commission
Data protection lawData Protection Act 18 of 2024, in force since 14 January 2025
Mobile networksMascom, Orange, BTC
Number format+267 followed by 8 digits, mobiles starting with 7, e.g. +267 7X XXX XXX
LanguagesEnglish (official) and Setswana (national)
CurrencyPula (BWP), written locally as P

The Data Protection Act 2024

Botswana passed a data protection law in 2018, but it never took full effect. The Data Protection Act 2024 repealed it, was published on 29 October 2024 and came into effect on 14 January 2025. The Information and Data Protection Commission continues as the regulator, with powers to monitor compliance, handle complaints and investigate.

Three parts of the Act matter most for SMS:

  • Consent quality. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. A pre-ticked box or a line buried in terms and conditions is weak evidence.
  • Right to object to direct marketing. Following the published Bill, a person may object at any time to processing for direct marketing, and once they do, their data must not be used for it. The right must be brought to their attention at the first communication.
  • Children. The Act defines a child as under 18 and requires parental consent for information society services, although children aged 16 and over may consent themselves. Schools and youth brands should treat parents as the contact.

Telling people about the right to object "at the time of the first communication" has a practical consequence. Your first marketing SMS to a new contact, or the sign-up confirmation, should say how to stop.

A consent flow that fits the Act

  1. At sign-up, ask separately for marketing SMS, unticked by default, and say what you will send and how often.
  2. Store the date, the channel and the wording the person agreed to.
  3. Send a welcome message that includes the opt-out route.
  4. Add the opt-out route to every promotional message.
  5. When someone objects, add them to the opt-out list; the eSMS dashboard then blocks any further sends to that number.
KGALE MART: Thanks for joining our SMS offers, max 4 a month. To stop, SMS STOP to 1xxxx or call 3900000. Ke a leboga!

A STOP keyword needs a two-way number, available on request in Botswana through two-way SMS; on a one-way sender ID, give a phone number instead.

Transactional messages, such as OTPs, receipts and delivery updates, rely on the customer relationship rather than marketing consent. Keep them free of promotions so they stay in that category.

BOCRA, networks and SIM registration

BOCRA licenses and supervises the three mobile networks. Mascom, Orange and BTC (whose mobile brand was previously beMobile) all carry business SMS, and your messages reach all three through our direct connections.

BOCRA ran a mandatory SIM registration that closed on 30 June 2024, after which unregistered SIMs were disconnected. If your customer list predates that deadline, send a service message first and remove numbers that fail before you run a campaign. Our guide to receiving delivery reports shows how to automate the clean-up.

Botswana numbers are short: +267 plus 8 digits, with mobiles starting with 7. Lists often include numbers written without the country code or with spaces (71 234 567); normalise them to E.164 before import.

English and Setswana

English is standard for banking, government, insurance and retail messages. Setswana adds warmth to reminders and thank-you messages. "Dumela" (hello) and "Ke a leboga" (thank you) are safe and widely understood. Setswana is written in plain Latin letters, so these messages stay in the GSM-7 alphabet: 160 characters per message, 153 per part when split.

MOTHERS CLINIC: Dumela {{name}}, reminder of your appointment tomorrow 09:30 at Broadhurst. To reschedule call 3100000. Ke a leboga

Writing pula amounts

Batswana write prices with a capital P before the amount, such as P250.00, and that format is all GSM-7. Use it in receipts and reminders, and use BWP in formal statements. Name the payment channel the customer uses: Orange Money, Mascom MyZaka, BTC Smega, or a bank EFT reference.

GABS FURNITURE: Instalment of P850.00 due 25/11 for acc {{acc}}. Pay via Orange Money, MyZaka or EFT ref {{acc}}.

Use cases

  • Banks and insurers: transaction alerts, premium reminders and OTPs.
  • Retail and furniture credit: instalment reminders, order updates and opted-in offers.
  • Health: appointment reminders without clinical detail.
  • Schools: fee reminders and notices to parents (remember the Act's rules on children).
  • Mining and shift-based employers: roster changes and safety notices to staff.
  • Apps: login codes through eSMS Verify.

Sending by API

curl -X POST https://sms.esmsafrica.io/api/messages/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer esms_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"to": "+26771000001", "text": "MOTHERS CLINIC: reminder of your appointment tomorrow 09:30.", "sender_id": "MOTHERSCLN"}'

Delivery reports arrive by webhook and in the dashboard. Full parameters are in the HTTP API docs.

Sender ID

Register a sender ID that matches your trading name, up to 11 characters. Networks typically ask for your company registration with CIPA, an authorisation letter and sample messages. eSMS Africa handles the filing; see the Botswana sender ID page and our note on sender ID registration in Botswana. You can test on the eSMS default sender meanwhile.

Cost

A one-part SMS to Botswana costs BWP 0.35 ($0.0255) at the basic tier, with BWP 0.3 and BWP 0.25 at higher volumes. Pay as you go from USD 20 by card or crypto, with no monthly minimum. See pricing and the Botswana coverage page.

Setup checklist

  1. Review your consent wording against the Data Protection Act 2024.
  2. Add the right to object to your welcome message and every promotion.
  3. Treat parents as the contact for under-18s.
  4. Clean lists collected before the June 2024 SIM registration deadline.
  5. Normalise numbers to +267 and 8 digits.
  6. Register your sender ID on Mascom, Orange and BTC.
  7. Write in English with Setswana greetings, staying in GSM-7.
  8. Format amounts as P0.00 and name the payment channel.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Botswana Data Protection Act 2024 in force?

Yes. It came into effect on 14 January 2025 and replaced the 2018 Act. The Information and Data Protection Commission enforces it.

Do I need consent to send marketing SMS in Botswana?

Consent under the Act must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, and people can object to direct marketing at any time. Collect clear opt-in and honour opt-outs at once.

Which networks do you reach?

Mascom, Orange and BTC, through one API or dashboard.

What happened to unregistered SIMs?

BOCRA's mandatory registration closed on 30 June 2024 and unregistered SIMs were disconnected. Clean older lists before a campaign.

Sources

Compare routes on the bulk SMS page for Botswana, then create an account and test with a free test key. For high volumes or a short code, talk to our team.